Last Saturday marked the first game for UConn women’s soccer team in the NCAA tournament since 2016. Connecticut made sure it would not be their last this season and defeated Rutgers 2-1. Saturday’s win marked the 30th time that the Huskies have earned at least one NCAA tournament win throughout their 32 appearances since 1982. The No. 14 ranked Stanford Cardinals are the next test this Friday.
UConn continues to stay hot at the perfect time, winning their sixth consecutive game last Saturday. The 2024 Big East Champions have only allowed a total of three goals in the past six games due to stellar goalkeeping by Kaitlyn Mahoney. Mahoney racked up six saves against the Scarlet Knights, including several early saves in the fixture to keep the game tied. Defenders such as Laci Lewis and Kelly Monaco have also been huge factors on the defensive end.
With their win last Saturday, the Huskies are now 11-0-2 when they score multiple goals in a game. The scoring started when Chioma Okafor made a beautiful shot fake on the goalie and chipped in her shot to put Connecticut on the board. Lucy Cappadonna also got her name on the board by putting a header in the perfect spot, resulting in the second and game winning UConn goal.
As for Stanford, Haley Craig’s goalkeeping has been dominant, though the Huskies can do damage if they can get the ball towards Craig and her defenders.
Stanford’s first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference was enough to earn them a three seed in the NCAA tournament despite some hiccups during regular season play. The biggest win of the Cardinals season came when they defeated No. 2 ranked North Carolina 1-0. Stanford also beat Santa Clara at a time when the Broncos were ranked No. 11 in the country. The Cardinals stumbled at the end of ACC play, getting shut out at Notre Dame and then losing 3-2 against a very game California squad.
Stanford bounced back in a big way during the opening round of the NCAA tournament, defeating UC Santa Barbara 5-0. The Cardinals had four different players score a goal, along with an own goal conceded by the Gauchos in the 21st minute.
Stanford had four players receive All-ACC recognition in their inaugural ACC season. On the second team, junior defender Jasmine Aikey was joined by midfielder Mia Bhuta. Defender Elise Evans was named to the All-ACC third team while Elanor Klinger rounded out the awards with an all-freshman team nod.
The Huskies and Cardinals will meet for the fourth time ever this Friday. The first meeting between the two squads came in 2007 when Stanford defeated UConn 1-0 . Connecticut’s lone win came later that same season as the Huskies got their revenge in the sweet sixteen by a score of 2-0. The rubber match came in Storrs as Stanford walked away with a 1-0 victory at the beginning of the 2013 season.
Friday’s contest will be played in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Fans can tune into ESPN+ to watch Connecticut in the round of 32.