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| UConn defender Dylan Greenberg dribbles the ball upfield vs. Vermont. The No. 16 Huskies came from behind to defeat the Catamounts, 3-2. |
Vermont jumped out to an early 1-0 lead at
10:42 after Jon Bryant's header from just outside the six-yard box dropped into
the right corner of the net. The Catamounts continued to apply pressure,
dominating the ball for much of the first half – with one minute left in the
first half, UVM held a 4-1 shot advantage over the Huskies.
UConn snatched a bit of the momentum back
just before the half. With eight seconds to go in the half (44:52), Abdou Mbacke Thiam
was able to clear the ball out of a crowded area and send a pass to Blaise N'Gague,
who dropped the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net and tie the score
at 1-1 heading into the break.
The Catamounts regained a one-goal advantage
in the 56th minute. Off a throw-in, Trevor Colazzo got the ball to Geo Alves—who was
behind the defense—and Alves placed the ball into the right-corner of the net
to give Vermont a 2-1 lead.
The lead didn't last long for Vermont,
however. Just like they've done in several games this year, the battle-tested
Huskies powered through the adversity and showed their resiliency once again,
finding the equalizer in the 64th minute. Dayonn Harris
sent a cross to the left side of the field that was initially deflected by Vermont's
keeper Aron Runarsson, but the ball ricocheted off the keeper's fingertips
right over to Abdou Mbacke Thiam—who
perfectly timed his jump and put the ball in the back of the net to knot the
score at 2-2.
Vermont launched some late attacks and again
were knocking on the door, but Austin Aviza
denied entry, making two huge stops—a diving save and a deflection—to keep the
game tied heading into the last 10 minutes. It looked as if the game was headed
into overtime, but a stroke of déjà vu occurred in the final minute of regulation.
With the game-clock winding down and the
Huskies on the attack, Abdou Mbacke Thiam
launched another high-arching shot—similar to the one Saturday night against
Temple—In an attempt to win the game. Mbacke Thiam's shot hit the crossbar, but
the ball bounced out to Dayonn Harris,
who capitalized on the rebound and fired the ball into the back of the net to
give No. 16 UConn a 3-2 win over Vermont.
"They're resilient," said Huskies’ head
coach Ray Reid. “This
is the toughest group of kids in [my] 22 years at UConn." .
Game Notes:
- Blaise N'Gague scored his first goal of the season, while Dayonn Harris and Abdou Mbacke Thiam connected on the other two goals.
- UConn's win improves its record to 9-0-1 at Morrone Stadium, and pushes its unbeaten streak to ten games.
On Deck: .
UConn welcomes SMU to Morrone Stadium
for a high-stakes, inter-conference matchup Saturday night at 7 p.m. The game
will be broadcast on the American Digital Network. It will be Senior Day. UConn’s seniors will be
recognized for their accomplishments and contributions and off the field. After
the game, the UConn men's and women's soccer teams will celebrate the “sun-setting”
of Morrone Stadium. Fans are invited to join in for a brief postgame ceremony
and some dairy bar ice cream.
—Staff Reports
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