On Tuesday, the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team will host the Greyhounds of Assumption University as the team looks to a return to form.
Connecticut enters Tuesday with an overall record of 6-5, including a 2-2 mark against Big East opponents. The latest loss came last Saturday against No. 8 Georgetown, which marked the second loss for the Huskies in their previous two games. It is the first time this season that UConn has dropped multiple matches in a row.
The Husky defense held strong over the first half of the Georgetown game, not allowing the No. 8 team in the nation to record any goals. However, that quickly changed in the second half when the Bulldogs were able to penetrate the UConn defense for a couple of short scores. Despite having a few opportunities to score, UConn could not convert on any of their shots to put pressure on the Bulldogs.
The Greyhounds have played to a 3-5-2 mark on the campaign, including 1-3-1 versus fellow New England-10 opponents. The team was victorious in their previous contest last Saturday, defeating Adelphi University 3-0. Assumption has had difficulty stringing wins together, as at least three losses or ties have seperated each of their three victories.
Against Adelphi, Assumption was able to score an early goal off the foot of Peter Hasund to take a lead that they would not relinquish. That goal came in the 14th minute, and the Greyhound defense did a tremendous job stopping their opponent from tying the game until the 81st minute when a Johannes Sundgot score extended Assumptions lead to 2-0. The team hammered the final nail in the coffin with a third goal mere seconds before the end of regulation. Again, it was Hasund who scored the goal for the Greyhounds to give him two scores in the contest.
One player that UConn hopes to get hot will be forward Scott Testori. A junior from Madison, Connecticut, Testori was an essential part of the Huskies’ hot start to the season as he tallied eight points over the team’s first six games of the season. Over that period, he scored three goals and added two assists. The last time that Testori recorded a point for Connecticut was back on Sept. 15 against St. John’s, making him scoreless over his last five appearances. The forward has had chances to convert goals for his team, but bad luck has kept him off the scoresheet. A rebound performance would do wonders for both Testori and the offensive capabilities of the Huskies.
On the season, the Greyhounds’ two leading scorers have been Vegard Pernes and Sundgot, who have both garnered seven points apiece. However, one player that the Huskies will need to prepare for will be the talents of Hasund on the defensive side of the ball. A freshman from Bergen, Norway, Hasund was named the NE10 Defensive Player of the Week thanks to his two-goal effort versus Adelphi over the weekend. On the season, he has scored three goals and has amassed six total points, the second-best point total for Assumption. According to the NE10 website, aside from scoring two goals, “on the defensive end, he was a crucial part in Assumption stifling the Adelphi attack, as they limited the Panthers to just one of their 20 shots on target.”
Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. from Joseph J. Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn. Fans can watch the Huskies live with a subscription to UConn+.
