University of Connecticut Athletics
Rematch with Mountaineers set for semifinals
11/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
STORRS, CT (November 5) - The University of Connecticut women's soccer team will take on West Virginia in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship on Friday, November 9 at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ.
The Huskies advanced with a 1-0 victory over Villanova in the quarterfinals on Sunday. UConn has won its last eight games and improved to 16-4-0 overall on the season. West Virginia, the No. 2 seed in the Mid-Atlantic Division, blanked Miami 2-0 on Sunday to earn its ticket to the semifinals. The win improved the Mountaineers to 14-3-1 overall on the season.
Friday's game will be a rematch between the Huskies and Mountaineers, as UConn came away with a 1-0 win at West Virginia on October 12. That game marked Connecticut senior Shanna Caldwell's first start of the season in goal, and since that game she's compiled an 8-0-0 record while manning the nets.
Connecticut is led by freshman Kristen Graczyk with nine goals and three assists for 21 points. Three other Huskies also have double-digit point totals: senior Alexa Borisjuk has six goals and a team-high six assists for 18 points, sophomore Jessica Gjertsen has seven goals and one assist for 15 points and senior Mary-Beth Bowie has four goals and three assists for 11 points. Caldwell sports a goals against average of 0.22 and has five solo shutouts to her credit in eight starts.
West Virginia, the highest scoring BIG EAST team during the regular season, is led by BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Katie Barnes. Barnes has recorded 12 goals and added nine assists for 33 points, tops in the conference. Goalkeeper Melissa Haire, who started in goal against the Hurricanes, boasts a 0.94 goals against average and has made 27 saves in nine appearances.
No. 1 Mid-Atlantic Division seed Notre Dame and No. 2 Northeast Division seed Boston College will meet in the championship's other semifinal. The Irish scored a 2-0 win over St. John's to advance while the Eagles topped Rutgers 4-3.
2001 BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship Schedule
Friday, November 9
(MA #1) Notre Dame vs. (NE #2) Boston College, 5 p.m.
(NE #1) Connecticut vs. (MA #2) West Virginia, 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 11
Championship game, noon
