University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Soccer Takes Down Sacred Heart, 2-0
9/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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STORRS, Conn. (September 20, 2006) - Akeem Priestley (Kingston, Jamaica) scored his team-leading third goal of the year as the University of Connecticut men's soccer team defeated Sacred Heart, 2-0, Wednesday night at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium in front of 1,014 fans. With the win, the Huskies improve to 4-2-2 on the year, while the Pioneers fall to 3-3-1.
Priestley scored the game-winner in the 51st minute and Karl Schilling (Canton, Conn.) sealed the deal 30 minutes later with his second successful penalty kick of the season. The Husky defense held Sacred Heart to just two shots on the night, the first not coming until the 63rd minute of play. Bolstered by three shots apiece from Priestley and fellow Jamaican national teamer O'Brian White (Scarborough, Ontario), UConn's attack tallied nine shots in the first half and an impressive 12 on the night.
The Huskies started things off quickly with the first shot coming 3:46 into play from the foot of Dori Arad (Hahotrim, Israel). The forwards continued to push up front and late in the 17th minute Mike Pezza (Jackson, N.J.) put up the first close one for UConn when he collected a pass from White on the right side of the penalty area and sent a rocket of a shot sailing wide right.
As the half started to wind down, Chukwudi Chijindu (Fontana, Calif.) and Priestley put up back-to-back shots from close range, each saved by Sacred Heart's keeper, Matthew Jones, who finished the night with just those two stops to his credit. Chijindu's shot from the right side was deflected out of bounds by Jones and following the ensuing corner kick, Priestley placed one towards the top of the goal that the Pioneer goalie punched up over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.
UConn came out with a very deliberate attack in the through the first five minutes of the second period, which paid off in the 51st minute when Chijindu played the ball upfield to White along the right sideline. The sophomore forward then crossed the ball right to left in front of the mouth to where Priestley was waiting in the middle of the box. From there, he headed into the left side of the net to put the Huskies on top, 1-0.
Sacred Heart started to push forward with a little more strength, finally getting a shot off at 62:23 from Luke Gagliardi who sent it flying high over the crossbar. Just a few minutes later, UConn's Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) did his best to increase the team's lead with a header goal of his own after Pezza sent a corner kick from the left side into James who knocked the ball wide right.
The Pioneers had one more legitimate scoring chance in the 70th minute when Brice Victor took a cross on the left side in front of an open UConn net, but was unable to get a shot off. Some 11 minutes later, the Huskies put away the game with Schilling's penalty kick after Toni Stahl (Tuusula, Finland) was fouled in the box right around the penalty mark. Schilling buried the shot into the left side of the goal and the Huskies went up 2-0 with just over 10 minutes to play.
The Huskies return to action this weekend when they travel to the Nation's capital to take on Georgetown Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
