The UConn women’s soccer team (8-3-5, 5-1-3 Big East) travels to Seton Hall (6-6-5, 2-3-4 Big East) for the last match of the regular season on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Heading into the game, UConn sits in third place in the Big East standings, one point behind Xavier. With a win over Seton Hall and a Xavier loss or tie against Marquette, the Huskies can move into second to earn a bye to the Big East semifinals.
In the event of a UConn loss, the Huskies will remain in third place and will prepare to host the Big East quarterfinal at Morrone Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 29. They will host whichever team finishes sixth in the league.
The Huskies are coming off an impressive week where they collected two convincing wins over Villanova and Providence. The offense scored six goals and the defense only allowed one goal over that stretch.
The weekly awards continue to rack up for UConn with senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Mahoney earning her second-straight Big East Goalkeeper of the Week honors. Graduate student Cara Jordan was also named Big East Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Mahoney has locked down the net this season; she’s collected nine shutouts and ranks seventh in the country in goals against average percentage. What’s more impressive is all goalkeepers ahead of her have played less minutes in relation to the total team minutes, showcasing Mahoney’s durability.
Jordan has also been stellar for the Huskies during conference play. With her four goals, she ranks third in the Big East and is tied for third in total points with 10.
For the current season, Jordan leads the team in goals with five and shares the team lead in points with 12. Her five goals is her career high, with plenty of soccer left to be played to extend the personal record.
Seton Hall welcomes the Huskies not having collected a win in the past four games, but they are playing in the comfort of their own home. The Pirates have not lost a game at Owen T. Carroll Field since the season opener against Lafayette on Aug. 17.
Thursday’s game is a must-win for the Pirates if they wish to play in the Big East Tournament. They currently sit in sixth place, one point ahead of DePaul. The top six teams will qualify for the Big East Tournament.
UConn’s defense will have their hands full with junior Natalie Tavana. The Middletown, Connecticut native tops the Big East with 12 goals scored, which has her tied for thirteenth in the country. She also sits second in points in the Big East at 26 behind St. John’s Jessica Garziano.
The UConn defense should remain confident despite Tavana’s offensive impact this season. The Huskies have shut out opponents ten times this season, only allowing an impressive seven goals in 16 games, leading the Big East.
After a three-game skid without scoring a goal, the Huskies’ offense has come alive in the past four games. Over that stretch, UConn has scored 11 goals for 42.3 percent of the season’s total.
The Pirates have not had any success against the Huskies in 14 total matchups. UConn remains unbeaten in the history between the two programs, scoring an average of 4.07 goals per game. Seton Hall will need to break this streak to keep their postseason hopes alive.
As another season nears a close, the Huskies will gear up to play for another Big East Championship title.
For those unable to travel, the game will be streamed on FloSports.
