UConn’s women’s soccer team bounced back from their 2-2 draw against Marquette with a commanding 2-0 win over Butler on Wednesday night.
The Huskies move to 8-3-3 on the season and more importantly get a Big East victory to improve their conference record to 4-1-2. An all-around team performance for Head Coach Margret Rodriguez’s team.
It was not the cleanest game played by Connecticut, but it got the job done.
Butler controlled possession of the ball for the first five minutes of the game until UConn got a chance on a Chioma Okafor through pass to Se-Hanna Mars which was halted by an offside call on Mars.
The Huskies defense was on display the whole first half starting with Lydia LeBlanc blocking consecutive shots from Talia Sommer and Mary Beth Sizemore. Leila Lister had a chance moments after, but Husky goalkeeper Ava Yamas scooped the ball up off the pitch. Sommer had three shots in the first half sail high over the net and out of bounds.
Okafor had another chance off a UConn corner kick, but it landed on top of the net. She bent it from the left side of the pitch and almost got it over the head of Butler goalie Addison Ash.
The senior Sommer had another opportunity halfway through the first half, but Butler took one too many touches and squandered a fantastic opportunity in the open field.
On the other side of the pitch, Anaya Johnson rushed the ball downfield and it ended up at the feet of Mars. The sophomore centered the ball to Naia Ocio who headbutted the pass. Ocio’s header deflected right to the left foot of Okafor tapped it in from inside the box to make it a 1-0 Connecticut lead.
Okafor’s goal was her seventh of the season, continuing her scoring hot streak after netting two against the Golden Eagles on Saturday.
Yamas got her first save of the contest 32 minutes into the game when Lister sent a shot right to her hands. The freshman bounced back well after conceding two goals against Marquette the last time out.
The last chance for UConn in the first half was on a beautiful corner kick by Maree-Anne Van Doesburg. The ball lingered around in the box for a bit, but no Husky could get a proper foot on it.
The halftime whistle sounded and the Huskies held a 1-0 lead despite some sloppy passes.
Connecticut continued the offensive momentum that they gained at the end of the first half. Lina Dantes crossed a pass to Okafor who had an open look at the goal. Okafor could not lift the ball and it trickled to Ash for the save.
The Bulldogs had two decent chances within minutes of each other that they could not capitalize on. Lister sent a slow rolling pass to Alyssa Carson who had her back facing the net. She tried to flick it in with her back foot, but Yamas read it perfectly and recorded a scoop save. Immediately after, Sommer had her best opportunity of the night when she had a clean shot from just outside the box. The native of Israel fired a strong shot wide left, past a diving Yamas and out of bounds.
Then came the Huskies on the offensive. After minutes of relentless defense, Okafor found herself on a 3 on 2 with a chance to put the game on ice. Ash came sprinting out of the need and all Okafor had to do was put the right touch on the ball and it would be a 2-0 Connecticut lead. Unfortunately, the pressure from Ash forced Okafor’s shot to just miss, keeping the score 1-0.
UConn forced a turnover on the ensuing pass leading to Alayna Taylor finding an open Mars. The Manchester, CT native buried the shot, giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
This was the first career goal for Mars in her collegiate career. The sophomore has had a massive impact for the Huskies in her second season in Storrs. She has played consistent minutes and has tallied three assists on the season.
The last few minutes ticked off the clock and UConn were victorious for the third time in four games. With three games left in the regular season, Connecticut has a few more chances to gain momentum before defending their Big East title in November.
Their next match will be at home against Villanova on Saturday night.