November 3, 2011 | Kenneth Best - UConn Communications

Men’s Soccer Team Begins Big East Tournament Play

The No. 3 seeded men's soccer team faces No. 6 DePaul in the first round of Big East Tournament play. (Updated Nov. 14.)

The 2011 Men's Soccer Team. (Steve Slade for UConn)

The 2011 Men's Soccer Team. (Steve Slade for UConn)

Update Nov. 14: The No. 4/3 men’s soccer team (17-3-2) fell 1-0 to No. 21/21 St. John’s (14-6-2) in the championship game of the Big East Tournament in Harrison, N.J., when the Red Storm scored at 6:16 in overtime. The Huskies await today’s NCAA Tournament selection announcement, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Four Huskies were named to the All-Tournament Team – Andrew Jean-Baptiste ’14 (CLAS), Mamadou Doudou Diouf ’14 (CLAS), Stephane Diop ’13 (CLAS), and Carlos Alvarez ’13 (CLAS).

Update Nov. 7: The men’s soccer team will advance to the Big East Tournament semifinals at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on Friday, after defeating Rutgers 3-1 on Sunday in Piscataway, N.J. The Huskies will face Louisville, and Villanova will face St. John’s in the other semi-final match.

Update Nov. 4: The Huskies scored three goals within 10 minutes in the first half and added a fourth goal in the second half to beat DePaul at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on Thursday. They advance in the Big East Tournament to a game on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.  Junior forward Carlos Alvarez ’13 (CLAS) scored two goals, while junior forward Stephane Diop ’13 (CLAS) and sophomore defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste ’14 (CLAS) each had one goal.

The 2011 Men's Soccer Team. (Steve Slade for UConn)
The 2011 Men's Soccer Team. (Steve Slade for UConn)

The men’s soccer team (14-2-2/5-2-2 Big East) begins its first round of 2011 Big East Tournament play Thursday the same way as it did last season, by hosting DePaul (6-10-2/3-5-1) at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at 6 p.m. The Huskies are the No. 3 seed and DePaul the No. 6 in the conference’s Blue Division.

Forward Carlos Alvarez '13 (CLAS).
Forward Carlos Alvarez '13 (CLAS).

Head coach Ray Reid’s No. 5/2 Huskies have a 9-0-1 record at Morrone this season as they try to advance to their 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. UConn spent four weeks at the top of the national polls this year.

The Huskies went 3-2-2 during the last part of the Big East regular season, with its only losses taking place on the road, on Oct. 18 at Louisville and last weekend at Seton Hall.

“We’ve had a couple of hiccups, but we’re going to be OK,” says Reid. “I’m happy overall with the effort for the year.”

Reid says the Huskies have improved throughout the season, noting “great strides” from top scorers sophomore forward Mamadou Doudou Diouf ’14 (CLAS), 21 points on 10 goals and 1 assist; junior forward Carlos Alvarez ’13 (CLAS), 10 (4,2); and freshman forward Allando Matheson ’15 (CLAS), 10 (4,2). He adds that senior midfielder Tony Cascio ’12 (ED) 10 (2,6) and junior forward Stephane Diop ’13 (CLAS) 10 (2,6) have picked up their scoring in recent weeks.

“We’re going in the right direction,” says Reid. “They’re more focused down the stretch. It’s coming from [the players].”

Goalkeeper Andre Blake '15 (CLAS).
Goalkeeper Andre Blake '15 (CLAS).

Freshman goalkeeper Andre Blake ’15 (CLAS), a member of the U-17 and U-20 Jamaican National Teams, has posted 66 saves and a 0.32 goals against average this season for the Huskies.

“We’re prepared for the postseason. We’re excited,” Alvarez says. “Everybody is going to lose games. We had a great season. We’re just worrying about DePaul right now. If you watch practice, the guys are communicating, working together. That’s a positive thing.”

Early in the season, Reid asked his team to be more aggressive from the opening whistle and continue that pace throughout the entire game and his players have responded.

“We have to play aggressive because they’re not giving us space, so you have to press and try to win the ball,” says Diouf. “[In the tournament] they now know every guy on the team, they’re ready to play you, and they’re going to run after you. You have to battle with them and when you have an easy ball, you have to put it into the net.”

Forward Mamadou Doudou Diouf '14 (CLAS).
Forward Mamadou Doudou Diouf '14 (CLAS).

Diouf says the Huskies worked hard earlier this year during their winter and spring training sessions to prepare for the 2011 season.

“All of that helped us to be ready mentally,” he says. “Right now when we are on the field we think about what we did during the spring. Last year we had a very good team, but this year we’re stronger mentally. This year I want to win so badly. It’s not over.”

DePaul is led in scoring by junior midfielder Antonio Aguilar, 18 points on 7 goals and 4 assists, and freshman forward David Selvaggi, 15 (7,1). The Blue Demon goalkeeper is sophomore Eric Sorby, who has 55 saves and a goals against average of 1.46. Junior keeper Joe Ferrari has seen action in a dozen games and has 24 saves with  a 1.90 goals against average.

The Huskies are searching for their eighth Big East Tournament Title and first since 2007.

The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to face Rutgers, the No. 2 seed from the Red Division on Sunday at 1 p.m. Rutgers earned the No. 2 seed and a bye with a 6-1-2 record in the Big East Red Division and a 9-5-3 mark overall.

The semifinals and finals of the Big East Tournament will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on Nov. 11 and 13.

Students with a valid UConn ID will have free admission to Thursday’s contest. Just show the ID at the gates and admission is free for all students of Big East institutions.

For a video of the Huskies men’s soccer team, click here.

 

2011 MEN’S SOCCER BIG EAST TOURNAMENT UCONN TODAY

Men’s Soccer Team Begins Big East Tournament Play

The men’s soccer team (14-2-2/5-2-2 Big East) begins its first round of 2011 Big East Tournament play today the same way as it did last season, by hosting DePaul (6-10-2/3-5-1) at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at 6 p.m. The Huskies are the No. 3 seed and DePaul the No. 6 in the conference’s Blue Division.

Head coach Ray Reid’s No. 5/2 Huskies have a 9-0-1 record at Morrone this season as they try to advance to their 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. UConn spent four weeks at the top of the national polls this year.

The Huskies went 3-2-2 during the last part of the Big East regular season, with its only losses taking place on the road, on Oct. 18 at Louisville and last weekend at Seton Hall.

“We’ve had a couple of hiccups, but we’re going to be OK,” says Reid. “I’m happy overall with the effort for the year.”

Reid says the Huskies have improved throughout the season, noting “great strides” from top scorers sophomore forward Mamadou Doudou Diouf ’14 (CLAS), 21 points on 10 goals and 1 assist; junior forward Carlos Alvarez ’13 (CLAS), 10 (4,2); and freshman forward Allando Matheson ’15 (CLAS), 10 (4,2). He adds that senior midfielder Tony Cascio ’12 (ED) 10 (2,6) and junior forward Stephane Diop ’13 (CLAS) 10 (2,6) have picked up their scoring in recent weeks.

“We’re going in the right direction,” says Reid. “They’re more focused down the stretch. It’s coming from [the players].”

Freshman goalkeeper Andre Blake ’15 (CLAS), a member of the U-17 and U-20 Jamaican National Teams, has posted 66 saves and a 0.32 goals against average this season for the Huskies.

“We’re prepared for the postseason. We’re excited,” Alvarez says. “Everybody is going to lose games. We had a great season. We’re just worrying about DePaul right now. If you watch practice, the guys are communicating, working together. That’s a positive thing.”

Early in the season, Reid asked his team to be more aggressive from the opening whistle and continue that pace throughout the entire game and his players have responded.

“We have to play aggressive because they’re not giving us space, so you have to press and try to win the ball,” says Diouf. “[In the tournament] they now know every guy on the team, they’re ready to play you, and they’re going to run after you. You have to battle with them and when you have an easy ball, you have to put it into the net.”

Diouf says the Huskies worked hard earlier this year during their winter and spring training sessions to prepare for the 2011 season.

“All of that helped us to be ready mentally,” he says. “Right now when we are on the field we think about what we did during the spring. Last year we had a very good team, but this year we’re stronger mentally. This year I want to win so badly. It’s not over.”

DePaul is led in scoring by junior midfielder Antonio Aguilar, 18 points on 7 goals and 4 assists, and freshman forward David Selvaggi, 15 (7,1). The Blue Demon goalkeeper is sophomore Eric Sorby, who has 55 saves and a goals against average of 1.46. Junior keeper Joe Ferrari has seen action in a dozen games and has 24 saves with a 1.90 goals against average.

The Huskies are searching for their eighth Big East Tournament Title and first since 2007.

The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to face Rutgers, the No. 2 seed from the Red Division on Sunday at 1 p.m. Rutgers earned the No. 2 seed and a bye with a 6-1-2 record in the Big East Red Division and a 9-5-3 mark overall.

The semifinals and finals of the Big East Tournament will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on Nov. 11 and 13.

Students with a valid UConn ID will have free admission to Thursday’s contest. Just show the ID at the gates and admission is free for all students of Big East institutions.