The UConn Huskies are set to face off with No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas for the second time this year, with a spot in the Big East Championship game on the line.
After outlasting St. John’s in double overtime Saturday night, UConn advanced to the semi-finals of the Big East tournament. Scott Testori’s eighth score of the year pushed the Huskies in front, but the Red Storm answered with a 47th minute goal of their own. It would take two overtime periods for either team to break ahead, and UConn did just that with a breakaway goal by Eli Conway. The 2-1 victory marked their second win over the Johnnies this year and earned them a spot in the next round.
On the other side of the bracket stands the Georgetown Hoyas. The overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, Georgetown comes in with a conference record of 6-1-1 with their lone loss coming against Providence. Similar to UConn, Georgetown opened the first round with Kyle Linhares’ fifth goal of the year to put them up on Seton Hall in the 12th minute. The Pirates responded with a quick second half goal, but the Hoyas secured the victory on a bullet by Matthew Van Horn, his first collegiate score.
These two teams met previously on Oct. 7 when three second half goals lifted the Hoyas to a 3-0 victory at home. UConn was able to keep the Hoyas silent for the first 45 minutes, but the flood gates opened coming out of the break. Maximus Jennings got the scoring started in just the first five minutes and Marlon Tabora tacked on two goals of his own to bring Georgetown the victory.
Georgetown has had UConn’s number in years past, owning a 6-0-1 record against the Huskies since 2016. UConn’s last win against the program came back in 2012, but overall, the teams have been pretty even against each other historically.
Looking ahead, the winner of this matchup will play the winner of Xavier/Providence for the Big East Championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Last year’s winner, Creighton, was knocked out by Providence in the first round. Seton Hall, St. John’s and Akron met a similar fate and were all first round exits in this year’s tournament.
Thursday’s match is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.aryland. Fans can follow all the action from home on the Big East Digital Network.
