University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Hand No. 20 Boston College First Loss of Season
10/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
CHESTNUT HILL, MA (Oct. 4) – In a match up that billed the two top team in the Northeast, the University of Connecticut women’s soccer team reamianed top dog in its region with a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 20 Boston College thanks to an overtime game-winner off the foot of Brittany Barakat (Arlington, TX) at Newton Field in Chestnut Hill, Mass. No. 13 UConn improves to 6-2-2 in 2003 and 2-1-0 in BIG EAST Northeast play. UConn handed BC its first loss this season as the Eagles slip to 8-1-2.
UConn’s defense was smothering against the Eagle’s high-octane attack, holding BC to only eight shots and a meager two shots on goal. The lone tally BC had was an own goal by the Husky defense at 45:54. The defensive miscue awoke the Husky offensive attack as UConn scored just five minutes later. Reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Week Meghan Schunr (Butler, PA) controlled the ball at midfield and dished to a streaking Kristen Graczyk (Albuquerque, NM) up the middle. Graczyk found a seam in the Eagle defense and dribbled into the goal box where she fired a shot over the out stretched arms of BC keeper Kate Taylor to knot the score at one.
The game-winner came at 96:16 off the foot of Brittany Barakat (Arlington, TX). After a corner kick was served into BC’s goal box, Taylor punched the ball away from the net and towards a lurking Barakat. The sophomore forward controlled the ball and fired a shot into an open net as a hush overcame the record crowd of 1,589.
Erin Rice’s (Keller, TX) two saves were all the Huskies needed, while Taylor was tested much more frequently, turning away eight Husky shots.
UConn concludes its four game road trip with a journey to Pittsburgh on Sunday October 5. Game-time is set for 3:00 p.m.
