University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Soccer Takes BIG EAST Championship on Penalty Kicks
11/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 14) – The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team won its fifth BIG EAST Tournament Championship in school history on Sunday as it defeated Seton Hall in penalty kicks by a 5-3 count after the two teams played to a 0-0 tie through regulation and double overtime.
The Huskies become the third school to win both the BIG EAST men’s and women’s tournament in the same year as Notre Dame achieved the feat in 1996 and St. John’s in 1994. The game puts UConn’s record at 11-7-3 on the season and will be recorded as a tie for both teams.
After regulation and overtime, UConn made all five of its penalty kicks which were scored by seniors Stephen Arias (Bakersfield, Calif.) and William Osorio (Miami, Fla.), juniors Mpho Moloi (Soweto, South Africa) and Willis Forko (Houston, Texas) and freshman Karl Schilling (Canton, Conn.). Seton Hall only made three of the four penalty kicks that it attempted.
UConn sophomore Steve Sealy (St. James, Trinidad) was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player while Schilling was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
To open the contest, Seton Hall threatened in the 28th minute of the first half, but UConn goalkeeper Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, Wis.) turned aside Sacha Klijestan’s free kick opportunity with a fingertip save to preserve the scoreless deadlock through the first half.
The Huskies came out of halftime with several second half opportunities .The first came in the 52nd minute as a ball fed in front was narrowly missed by Forko as Pirates goalkeeper Boris Pardo managed to diffuse the play. Sealy fired off two shots, one from the right side of the box and another on a redirection, but was unable to complete on either chance.
Another flurry of shots came off a UConn corner kick, ending with Schilling going just wide of the left post at 83:10. Seton Hall put four shots on goal in the second, all of which were stopped by Schuerman.
For the game, the Pirates out-shot the Huskies 16-6, with Seton Hall also tallying a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
UConn will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship with the field for the tournament being announced on Monday, Nov. 15 at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN News.
Connecticut 0, Seton Hall 0 (UConn wins on PKs, 5-3)
Seton Hall 0 0 0 0 - 0
Connecticut 0 0 0 0 - 0
Scoring
1st Half – None.
2nd Half – None.
OT – None.
2nd OT – None.
Shots – UC 6, SHU 16
Saves – UC Adam Schuerman 6 (90:00); SHU Boris Pardo 2 (90:00).
Corner Kicks – UC 3, SHU 4
Fouls – UC 22, SHU 15
YC – UC Steve Sealy (30:31); SHU Mark Pedreikas (30:38); SHU Matt Salotti (43:41); UC Karl Schilling (57:38).
