NEWTON, Mass. – Two goals that came 10 minutes apart in the second half proved to be the difference as No. 2 Connecticut defeated the No. 10 Boston College men’s soccer team, 2-0, Tuesday night in front of 677 spectators at the Newton Campus Field.

 

After a first half that saw BC (5-2-0) control the pace, the Huskies (7-0-0) went on the attack early in the second and came up with a pair of goals in the first 16 minutes. Carlos Alvarez scored the first goal and Tony Cascio notched the second tally.

 

The teams traded possession in the opening 20 minutes until BC got the real first chance to score. Junior Kyle Bekker handled the ball from about 30 yards out and blasted a shot toward the top of the goal. UConn keeper Andre Blake jumped and deflected the shot over the crossbar to keep the Eagles off the board.

 

Bekker gave BC another chance at the 15 minute mark when he took another blast from the same spot. Blake knocked the ball down, and then seniors Amit Aburmad and Steve Rose tried to get a shot off in the box to no avail.

 

Both sides got off five shots in the half, but BC put four them on net.

 

UConn came out of the locker room on the offensive after halftime and fired off three early shots with Justin Luthy saving two of them. The Huskies broke the scoreless tie in the 51^st minute when Alvarez took a pass from Cascio and blasted a shot from 25 yards out to beat Luthy on the left side of the goal.

 

UConn increased the lead 10 minutes later with some nifty passing on the left side of the pitch. Stephane Diop found a streaking Cascio who finished the chance for the two-goal Huskies’ cushion.

 

The Eagles got a quality chance with 19 minutes to go in the match when a UConn foul gave BC a free kick from about 22 yards out. Bekker stepped up to the ball and fired a shot, but Blake made a diving save to keep the clean sheet going.

 

Blake was credited with eight saves in the match, four in each half. Luthy finished the game with four saves for BC.

 

The Eagles got the majority of chances from Bekker (five shots, four on goal) and Aburmad (four shots, three on goal).

 

BC begins a three-game road swing on Friday when it travels to Rhode Island for a 7:30 p.m. match.