University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies End Season in Penalty Kicks Against St. Johns'
11/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
JAMAICA, NY (November 26) – St. John’s University advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks over the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team on Wednesday night in Jamaica, NY. The Huskies ended the season with a record of 9-8-4 overall, while St. John’s advanced to 14-4-3.
Although the score was at a 0-0 deadlock, St. John’s held control of the game out shooting the Huskies, 8-2, and 5-1 in shots on goal through the first half. The Huskies most solid chance of the game came with 4:31 left in the half. Drew Brown (Middletown, CT) took the ball baseline, and sent it into a swarm of players in the penalty box. Steve Sealy (St. James, Trinidad) one-timed the ball sending it high and left, shy of the goal.
Connecticut came out strong to begin the second half, and continued to pressure for the remainder of regulation with several chances. With five-minutes gone, Easton Wilson (Hartford, CT) shot a bullet from the 18-yard line that went just wide of the goal post. On the other side of the field, with 15-minutes left in regulation, Angel Rodriguez took a blinding shot almost parallel to the field. UConn keeper Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, WI) jumped up and punched the ball over the top of the net to preserve the shutout. Both teams recorded seven shots in the second half, and Schuerman recorded nine saves through regulation.
St. John’s had the only quality shot on goal in the first overtime, when Chris Corcoran aimed a header into a commotion of players, Schuerman moved forward and found the ball in his hands for another save, tying his career-high at 10 stops. In the second overtime period, Lindon Pecorelli (LaCrescenta, CA) made a run up the middle of the field, dishing a perfect pass to Cesar Cuellar (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) at the top of the box. He settled the ball and played just forward, sending the hard shot ball left of the goal.
Schuerman had a career-high 11 saves, while Bill Gaudette ended with two stops in goal. St. John’s held the 18-11 shot advantage.
For the penalty kicks, St. John’s changed goalies using Guy Hertz, while Connecticut stayed with Schuerman. St. John’s took the 3-1 lead, and Cuellar took UConn’s fourth penalty kick keeping the Huskies alive. Simone Salinno scored SJU’s final penalty kick for the 4-2 win on shots.
Earlier this season, SJU scored with 2:37 left in the second overtime to take the victory from UConn in Storrs, CT. Last season, in the 2002 BIG EAST Semifinal game, the Huskies defeated St. John’s in penalty kicks, 6-5, after a 2-2 double overtime tie in Piscataway, NJ.
