The UConn men’s soccer team hosted No. 17 Bryant at home and fell 4-1. The Huskies just came off their biggest win of the season as they took down No. 10 Akron on the road. This led to the Huskies getting ranked as they climbed up to No. 22 in the national rankings.
The Bulldogs netted their first goal in the 27th minute as Fermin Rodriquez gave Bryant an early lead. However, the Bulldogs were not done as they quickly went back on the attack. Just two minutes later, they scored again as Mamadi Jiana put one past Huskies’ goalie Kyle Durham to make the score 2-0.
Just a few minutes after their second goal, Bryant netted their third goal of the game off the foot of Jiana. The Huskies struggled on the offensive end as they let up three goals in just about ten minutes.
Going into the second half, the Huskies’ defense made strides to sustain some momentum. Evan Pickering was able to break free in the 58th minute as he slotted one home to cut the Bryant lead to just two with plenty of time to play. However, that deficit was short-lived as the Bulldogs netted their fourth goal of the game off the foot of Rodriquez.
Goalie Enzo Carvalho was a huge asset to the Bulldogs as he faced just two shots on the day, earning a .500 save percentage for the game. UConn’s Durham earned a .333 save percentage in the game.
Bryant’s Rodriquez and Jiana were essential to success, leading their team to a big win on the road. The duo put the Huskies’ defense and goalie Durham in hot water as they created open space.
Next, the Huskies will host Villanova on Saturday at 6 p.m. at home.