On a night where the sky was lit up by lightning, UConn traveled down to New Haven for its first road game of the season. Yale, searching for their first win of the season, hoped to stun the Huskies in their first matchup in two years.
Though no team was able to break the tie in the first half, it was filled with plenty of chances for both teams.
UConn got the first opportunity of the game in the seventh minute. A cross from sophomore Pierce Bateson set up Adil Iggoute with an opportunity in front of the net, but Iggoute just wasn’t able to get it past the diving Bulldog goalie.
In the very next minute, Yale took the ball down the pitch and was threatening to score but was stopped by an outstanding play from the Huskies’ keeper. UConn’s Jayden Hibbert blocked a header from the oncoming Yale attack. However, the deflection gave Kai Moos a shot, but a falling Hibbert was somehow able to capture it, preserving the tie early in the game.
Chris Edwards, Yale’s goalkeeper, made a great play himself in the 30th minute of the game. A loose ball found its way to an open Eli Conway who had just the keeper the beat. The sophomore was able to put the shot on goal, but an Edwards foot save was just able to change the direction of the ball to keep the game tied at zero.
The game was paused around the 39th minute due to lighting strikes in the area but resumed after just around an hour break. Neither team could gain the advantage in the few remaining minutes leading to half and the teams went back into their locker rooms scoreless to start the night.
Coming back from the break, Yale came out firing. Forward Eric Lagos secured the lead with his first goal of the game and then guaranteed the win with a dagger shot for the Bulldogs. The senior from Minnesota netted his first two goals of the season which were vital to the Bulldogs’ first win.
Lagos’ first goal came in the 51st minute when a Yale cross landed in front of Quanah Brayboy that pulled Hibbert away from the goal. Brayboy passed to an open Lagos who kicked the easy shot in to take the first lead of the night. Two minutes later in the 53rd minute, Lagos scored again, this time with a header on the back post on a cross from Moos.
UConn finally found the back of the net in the 89th minute of the game. Freshman Lucas Almeida headed the ball in on a cross by Bateson for his second goal of the season to bring the Huskies within one, but there just wasn’t enough time for UConn to score again.
Despite only one goal to show for it, Connecticut was solid on the attack, putting up 17 total shots, nine of which ended up being on goal. Yale had 13 shots themselves, but the two goals by Lagos proved to be enough to spoil the Huskies’ night.
In total there were six yellow cautions handed out throughout the game, three for each side but no ejections. The Huskies once again struggled with offside penalties, getting four calls against them while Yale didn’t receive one.
With the loss, UConn settles in at 2-2-0 through its first four and heads back to Storrs to take on Manhattan College on Monday. It’ll be the fourth ever meeting between these two schools and the Jaspers are looking to get their first ever win against the Huskies.
Manhattan enters Monday night with a 0-2-2 record for the 2023 season and has really struggled in their last two games. After tying Holy Cross and George Washington to start the season, the Jaspers have been blanked in two consecutive losses against La Salle and Columbia.
An important thing to note, UConn has also played Holy Cross this year and dominated. In what became its season opening following a canceled game against Charlotte, UConn crushed the Crusaders in a 4-0 victory. Manhattan had a different experience when they played Holy Cross just two days earlier. The Jaspers took the lead on a penalty kick in the first half and fought to preserve it before Matt McGonigle hit the eventual game tying score with a penalty kick of his own.
Those looking to stream Monday’s game against the Manhattan Jaspers can follow online with UConn+.
