University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Drop Third of the Season to Rutgers
9/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, NJ (September 20) – The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team suffered its third shutout of the season with a 2-0 loss to Rutgers University on Saturday night before 2,315 fans at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ.
Rutgers struck first in the 22-minute of the first half on an UConn defensive breakdown. As the Rutgers offense surged down the field, UConn goalie Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, WI) came out of the goal box to try and make a save, but he headed the high bouncing ball back towards his peers. The ball was misplayed and Scarlet Knight Josh Gros took a 16-yard shot that sailed into the open net for the first score of the game, and his seventh of the season. Connecticut’s best chance of the half came just 15-minutes into play. Joe Coyle (Belle Meade, NJ) played a ball up to rookie Steve Sealy (St. James, Trinidad), who worked up field and took a hard shot that went shyly wide as he fell to the ground, and was deflected by Rutgers’ goalie Scott Conway. The Scarlet Knights also had another solid scoring chance when UConn’s Moshe Shalchon (Rishon Lezioh, Israel) took down Gros outside of the Rutgers offensive box, saving perhaps another goal. After setting up the direct kick from 20-yards out, Ricardo Arenas hit the shot over the cross bar.
To open the second half, the Huskies were dominating play. Transfer Easton Wilson (Hartford, CT) took a hard shot that a backing up Conway tipped just over the crossbar for the save and to preserve the shutout. Connecticut had a series of three shots starting by an effort from Mpho Moloi (Soweto, South Africa) who hit the right post, Andres Rota (Kingswood, TX) gathered the ball posted up a shot that was sent out by the Rutgers defense, and then Stephen Arias (Bakersfield, CA) took the last shot in which Conway made the save. Minutes later, Arias connected with Sealy, who found the back of the net for the Huskies, but was called offsides and the goal was disallowed. Rutgers sealed the deal when Anthony Schiavino hit a glancer from six-yards out with 22:23 to go in regulation.
Schuerman had 10 saves in net, a new career-high, while Conway stopped nine. Rutgers edged UConn in shots, 20-18, but the Huskies gathered 12 of them in second half.
Connecticut will play host to BIG EAST rival Boston College on Wednesday, September 24 at Morrone Stadium in Storrs.
