MSOC Stay Perfect at Home, Beat Dartmouth, 1-0

Saturday, September 8

Storrs, Conn.

7:00 P.M.

University of Connecticut

3-2

Dartmouth College

0-3

Dartmouth

UConn

9/8/2018 11:08:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

STORRS --- It's been a long time – 10 years to be exact – since a UConn-Dartmouth men's soccer game ended without an overtime. Saturday, however, the Huskies made sure it was an early night.

Although UConn found the net only once – on Abdou Mback Thiam's header off a clothesline pass from Dayonn Harris in the 78^th minute – the Huskies had plenty of other chances in the second half before settling for the 1-0 victory before 4,021 at Morrone Stadium.

"I don't think we finished poorly at all tonight, I just thought their goalkeeper made some pretty good saves," UConn coach Ray Reid said. "I thought our guys did a pretty good job creating the chances. We were much more clinical on the finishes tonight, it just didn't go in. Give their keeper some credit."

The win breaks a two-game losing streak for the Huskies (3-2) and ups their record at home to 3-0. Dartmouth, ranked No. 22 at the start of the season, drops to 0-3.

"That's a pretty good Dartmouth team," Reid said. "They're organized, they're good on restarts, they're big, they're difficult. We were patient as the first half wore on and in the second half, we did a good job in a tough situation, the way they play."

The breakthrough finally came with 78:59 on the clock, when Harris settled the ball some 25 yards out, found himself in the clear and sent a liner across the goal that Thiam timed perfectly and sent it past Dartmouth goaltender Chris Palacios for his second goal of the season.

"We've been working hard this week on crosses and making sure we've got guys in the box," Harris said. "So I just wanted to get a really good ball in. I saw Abdou coming and I knew he'd be there to finish it."

Thiam had no doubt that Harris could put the ball in the right spot.

"I knew once he got the ball, the first thing, he was going to look at me," he said. "I just waited for the perfect time and I saw him look at me and I knew he was going to cross it."

It was one of many good chances in the second half for the Huskies, who had a14-7 advantage in shots on goal and a 6-0 edge in corner kicks.

Thiam almost had a goal in the 60^th minute when he grabbed control inside the box and let fly, but Palacios made the stop. Three minutes later, UConn's Ibrahima Diop launched a 30-yard rocket that Palacios barely managed to push over the crossbar. Just two minutes after that, the Huskies' Munir Saleh put another shot on goal that Palacios stymied.The Dartmouth goaltender piled up seven saves.

But with 11:00 remaining, the Huskies finally got the goal they needed.

None of Dartmouth six shots on goal were threatening. The best chance for the Big Green came in the 66^th minute, when Matthew Ranieri found the lower left corner, but the goal was disallowed by an offsides.

UConn had dropped its last two games, both on the road, 3-0 to No. 24 Notre Dame and 1-0 to No. 6 Indiana, but Reid was encouraged as the Huskies came back home.

"We were not good at Notre Dame, but we were very good in the Indiana match," he said. "That game was even and they are sixth in the country. So these guys know what they can do when they want to play."

And playing at home always helps.

"Every time we play at home, we have such an advantage because of the fans," Thiam said. "They give us more energy. Last weekend, when we didn't have them, that had a big impact on us."

Energy the Huskies will likely need Tuesday night when they challenge Rhode Island at Morrone Stadium.

"This is a tough stretch of games," Reid said. "We have to be ready Tuesday night. Rhode Island is 5-0 and that's going to be a huge game for the NCAA Tournament."