The UConn men’s soccer program entered this past week unbeaten and standing at No. 22 in the Division 1 rankings. Husky fans could not have asked for a better season kickoff.
Hopes were high for Connecticut heading into their matchup against the No. 14 Bryant Bulldogs. However, the Bulldogs handed the squad their first loss of the season, with the score ending 1-4.
On Saturday night, the program looked to redeem themselves against the Villanova Wildcats in front of a sold-out crowd to kick-off Big East play. However, the Huskies could not capitalize, racking up their second loss of the season.
The Huskies’ offense was favored in the first half of the match, with the Huskies having eight shots on goal, compared to the Wildcat’s six.
Players like Balthazar Saunders and Sabri Hanni were the main catalysts for the Huskies’ offensive possession in the first half, working to get a goal on the scoreboard.
However, even with multiple opportunities, neither team could capitalize.
In the second half of the match, history repeated itself, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock.
In the 57th minute, though, Max Gummeson netted his first of the season, giving the Huskies the advantage. Rebounding it off a player from Villanova, the midfielder found an opening in the bottom right corner of the net to get it past the Wildcats.
“I thought Max [Gummesson] did a pretty good job.” head coach Chris Gbandi said in a postgame interview. “I think, ultimately, Max [Gummesson] is there to keep the ball out of the back of the net and him getting a goal helped us.”
With both teams still attempting to get some more offense going, Connecticut kept their 1-0 lead.But that only lasted until the last few moments of the match.
In the 88th and 89th minute of the match, Villanova knotted the score at one, and then eventually scored the game-winning goal.
Brady Crampton of the Wildcats netted his goal in the top corner of the goal post, off the dish from his teammate Michael teDuits.
The second goal, which ended up being the game-winning goal, was scored in a similar fashion for the Wildcats, with Lorenzon Avalos also notching his goal in the top right corner of the net.
Despite this loss, the Huskies have proven time and time again the resilience that they bring every season.
“That’s soccer and that’s college soccer for you,” Gbandi said postgame. “You can dominate a game and most likely should’ve gotten three points, but with how good some of these teams are, it changes the game.”
Next up, the Huskies will take on the Creighton Bluejays to continue their Big East game slate. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Joseph J. Morrone Stadium and fans are encouraged to wear white for a white-out game. The match can be streamed on ESPN+.