University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Down Syracuse, 4-2
11/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, CT (Nov. 3) – Cesar Cuellar (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) netted a hat trick, his second of the season, in the University of Connecticut men’s soccer victory over Syracuse University, 4-2, at Morrone Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The victory secures home field for the BIG EAST Quarterfinals next weekend, improving the Huskies to 13-4 overall, 7-3 in the BIG EAST. Syracuse ends the regular season with an 8-8-2 record, 3-6-1 in the league.
Syracuse took a 1-0 lead at the 22:25 mark of the first half on a shot from Jarett Park. Kirk Johnson sent a pass to Park, who ran up the left wing and shot the ball into the opposite corner of the goal. UConn evened the score with 13:52 left in the half. William Osorio (Miami, FL) sent a pass to Leandro de Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who sent a cross in from the right and was punched out by Syracuse keeper Alim Karim. Cuellar collected the rebound and shot it into the middle left of goal. At the 38:08 mark of the half, Cuellar took a shot from the left side, hitting a Syracuse defender in the stomach and brushing his arm. A penalty kick was awarded, and taken by Cuellar who shot it to the right and Karim made the diving save.
Connecticut took the lead 14:10 into the second half on a Syracuse own goal. After a UConn corner kick, Shavar Thomas (Kingston, Jamaica) headed the ball towards the net, but Jorge Rodriguez went to redirect the ball out of the net and headed it in himself. Cuellar collected another rebounded shot at the 63:39 mark from in front of the net to raise the score to 3-1. Cuellar completed his hat trick at the 70:39 mark. Rui Fernandes (Bridgeport, CT) touched the ball down right to Andrew McLeod (Kingston, Jamaica) who crossed the ball in to Cuellar, sealing the goal with a left footed inside shot. Syracuse was able to put one more on the board when Robert Alexander took a pass from Park and sent it past Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, WI), who was coming out for the save.
Schuerman made three saves in net for the Huskies, as Karim stopped eight for the Orangemen.
UConn will host a quarterfinal game on Saturday, November 9. Time and opponent will be determined upon the results of the Rutgers/Boston College and West Virginia/Georgetown regular season games.
