UConn Earns 0-0 Draw With St. Francis (N.Y.)
Final Stats
STORRS, Conn. – Playing in its 2015 season opener, the UConn men’s soccer team earned a 0-0 draw (2 OT) with St. Francis Brooklyn in front of a crowd of 3,618 on Friday night at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.
The Huskies held a 10-to-7 shot advantage over the match, including a 2-to-0 edge in a pair of 10-minute overtime periods. UConn also amassed 12 corner kick opportunities throughout the 110-minute contest.
Redshirt-sophomore goalie Scott Levene kept a clean sheet, recording three saves in his season debut. Terrier keeper Jack Binks stopped a pair of Husky shots in the draw.
The Huskies’ first chance came in the fifth minute when freshman forward Abdou Mbake Thiam moved the ball into the box and sent a low cross towards the foot of Fredrik Jonsson but the ball slipped just past the streaking forward and out for a goal kick.
Connecticut’s first corner kick came in the 23rd minute but Thiam’s pass off the set piece was long and dribbled over the end line. In total, the squad held a 6-to-0 advantage on corner attempts in the first 45 minutes of play.
Junior captain Jake Nerwinski came out aggressive in the second period, leading a counter in the 52nd minute. After receiving a long through pass from sophomore Cheikh Stephane Coly, Nerwinski laid in a beautiful pass to Awuah at the top of the box but the junior couldn’t get a shot off before the Terrier backline closed in.
In the 57th minute, Alex Sanchez sent in a cross from the right flank that was tapped toward goal by senior defenderIstvan Kanyo before a St. Francis defender got a piece of the ball to tip it over the endline for the Huskies’ seventh corner of the match.
At 74:26, senior midfield Nicholas Zuniga curled an attempt from 25 yards out that was pushed away by Binks. The Huskies had one final chance in the waning minutes of regulation after Zuniga sent in a throw towards the top of the box but the Terrier backline was able to knock it away from danger.
Zuniga took the only shot of the first overtime period, putting an attempt over the crossbar from 20 yards out. UConn pressed forward in the second sudden-victory period, putting up one shot but couldn’t bury the game-winner.
The Huskies continue regular season action on Monday, Aug. 28 when they host in-state rival Quinnipiac at Morrone Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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