The UConn women’s soccer team will begin Big East play on the road against St. John’s University on Sunday as they look to top the conference standings this season.
It has been a successful campaign so far for the Huskies as they enter conference play with an impressive 6-1-1 record. While starting the season with a draw and a loss was not ideal for Connecticut, the program has not looked back since and has dominated the competition. In their most recent game, they blew out Texas A&M 6-0 in a match marking the most goals scored at home since their matchup against DePaul in 2006. However, this success in attacking their opponents’ defense was just not seen in this game. In the last six games, UConn has outscored their opponents 16-2.
The Red Storm has also made a great effort so far at the conference. They enter the match with a 5-1-2 record and own a two-game winning streak. Their last loss came in their road game against Yale where they lost 1-0. In St. John’s most recent match, the Red Storm were able to hold off the Penn side who scored late in the half and were coming close to equalizing. The Johnnies remain undefeated at home so far and hope to continue this record as they host the Huskies.
Chioma Okafor, the junior from Blantyre, Malawi, leads the Huskies with six goals. Not to mention two games where she has recorded a brace; Okafor has been a key player for UConn’s offense. Even though she came up short of recording a goal, she still contributes to goal opportunities, which was seen with her one assist in the Texas A&M fixture. Okafor has also been critical for the Johnnies in her ability to create shots on goals for the Huskies. In two matches alone, she recorded five shots on goals in each, and currently has created 20 of those opportunities so far this season.
Defense will be key for the St. John’s program if they want to answer to UConn’s stellar offense. Senior Athina Sofroniou of Dix Hills, N.Y., brings much-needed versatility that the Johnnies need. Her defending abilities have been crucial to the team, only conceding three goals so far in the season. Additionally, Sofroniou in the midfield has created many scoring opportunities for the Red Storm offense. So far this season, she is fourth in the Big East in assists and surely has her eyes set on more.
Overall, the Huskies hold an 18-8-2 advantage over the Johnnies. UConn also has a better record in road games against the Red Storm 7-4-1. The last time these programs met was last season in Storrs, where UConn left the match victorious 2-1. St. John’s is looking to avenge that loss and start the season with a win while UConn hopes to continue to steamroll through the competition.
The Huskies’ Big East opener is set to kick off at 1 p.m. at Belson Stadium in Queens, N.Y. The match is available for streaming on FloSports.