The UConn Huskies (6-2-2, 0-1-0) continued their Big East Campaign against No. 21 ranked Xavier (8-2-1, 1-1-0) with a 1-1 draw.
Going into this game UConn had the tall task of outplaying the ranked Xavier side. Knowing it would take a lot out of the UConn offense, they started with the energy to pull off an upset.
It took a while for the Huskies to start progressing towards the net; they spent most of the half defending the Musketeers. It wasn’t until the 35-minute mark that UConn would create goal-scoring opportunities. Junior Chioma Okafur attempted a shot, but it was blocked. Later in the 40th minute, Abbey Jones had an open shot, but she hit the ball too high and missed the opportunity to put UConn in the lead going into the break. The first half ended scoreless, and the prospect of an upset increasingly weighed on both teams.
Connecticut had all their energy going into the second half, seen by their persistence as they sought a lead. Their closest attempt at the opening score came in the 56th minute after Okafur’s shot was once again blocked after the ball was passed to her from midfield. The momentum soon flipped during the game when in the 65th minute the Musketeer’s own Samantha Erbach managed to score, putting Xavier in the lead. Minutes later they would pick up the first yellow card of the match.
Even though the Huskies were down one, the drive and passion seen from the kick-off never left the team’s spirit. Just moments after the goal, UConn nearly equalized through a free kick from Jones, which almost slipped past the Musketeer defense. For the next few minutes, there was an exchange of attempted shots and fouls. This would benefit UConn in the end as they were awarded a penalty kick in the 82nd minute of the match. Okafor stepped up and inevitably converted the penalty, putting the Huskies on the board. This marks the eighth goal the junior has scored for UConn. With the game almost finished, both teams were left scrambling to find a lead and secure a last-minute victory.
At the end of the game, UConn was mostly playing defense and holding off the Musketeer offense to go home with at least one point. Xavier’s frontline could not materialize any opportunities and ultimately had to settle for a draw when the final whistle blew. While it’s a tie of 1-1, one could argue it was a confidence booster for UConn to earn a point on the road against an impressive, ranked team. UConn now sits in sixth place in the Big East Standings while Xavier is in a four-way tie for second.
UConn will return home on Sunday to continue Big East play against Georgetown (6-1-3, 2-0), who currently sits in first place in the standings. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m. with the game being live streamed on FloSports.