Men’s soccer teams in the Big East will continue to find UConn’s Joseph J. Morrone Stadium one of the most difficult places to visit in 2010, as the Huskies begin the season ranked as the top team in the conference and, according to this week’s NSCAA poll, No. 10 in the nation.
Head coach Ray Reid enters his 14th season in Storrs with 20 returning players and nine talented newcomers. The new players are considered among the year’s top recruiting classes, and they will help fill the void left by the departures of midfielders Toni Stahl and Mike Pezza and defenders Cruz Hernandez and Kwame Watson-Siriboe.
“We have experience, for sure,” Reid says. “The concern is that of our top 17 players, eight are freshmen or sophomores. They’re very good. … [But] it reminds me of our 1998-1999 team. You knew you had something, but you need time.”
That team of players eventually won the 2000 NCAA men’s soccer championship.
Among the heralded rookies are midfielders Qian Grosvenor from Trinidad and Juho Karppinen and defenders Andrew Jean-Baptiste, an NSCAA High School All-American, and transfer Nickardo Blake, an NJCAS All-American.
The 2010 schedule will test the Huskies with five nationally-ranked opponents – Maryland, Boston College, and Big East rivals St. John’s, South Florida, and Louisville.
“We’ve challenged ourselves a bit,” says Reid. “I think we’re better off getting knocked [during the season] and knowing our team, than going into the NCAA tournament and not knowing.”
An experienced group of eight returning starters will lead the Huskies. Junior midfielder Tony Cascio led the team in scoring during 2009, and sophomore Carlos Alvarez hopes to improve over his stellar freshman year, which ended with 2009 Big East Rookie of the Year honors. They are joined in the midfield by sophomore Jossimar Sanchez, who started in all 19 games.
Cascio says he is looking to improve his game by reacting to each situation rather than over-thinking his play.
“I think that’s when I’m at my best, just playing the game and having fun,” he says. “You’ve got to know when to dribble and when to pass. I’ll get into streaks sometimes when I want to play the ball. Other times I want to break people down and make opportunities for myself.”
Alvarez credits his teammates for his successful freshman season.
“The whole team helped me, but I want a championship as a group,” he says. “I want the team to get better every day. I hope to get it with the help of my teammates and coaches.”
Senior goalkeeper Josh Ford will return to the nets for his final year as the Huskies all-time leader in shutouts (39) and fourth in career wins, with 42.
“A lot of the records I set were because of the people before me,” Ford says of his defenders. “They helped out defending, clearing the way for balls.”
Reid says Ford is very consistent: “From day one he’s done a great job. He makes you very comfortable. We want to attack a little bit more, knowing we’ve got him back there.”
Reid says his young players will need time to learn how to play with their veteran teammates, but he likes their early progress.
“There’s a really good mentality to the team. They see the big picture,” Reid says. “As a coach you try to make sure they’re on the same page. I think this group is on the same page.”
For the men’s soccer schedule, go to the Athletics website.
