The UConn men’s soccer team has only a few games left in their regular season before the Big East tournament begins. Coming off a shutout victory against St. John’s last Friday, UConn will look to continue their winning streak against the Providence Friars on Saturday, Oct. 25.
UConn (8-3-3) last faced off against Providence (5-6-1) in the Big East quarterfinals last season where the Friars defeated the Huskies 1-0, eliminating UConn from the tournament.
This season, Providence has struggled in non-conference play, often losing to teams in shutouts. However, the Friars have been more successful in Big East play, winning three of their five games against fellow Big East teams.
UConn is coming off last weekend’s 1-0 victory against Big East competitor St. John’s. Senior forward Charlie Holmes scored the game-winning goal with just seven minutes left in the match. This was his fifth goal of the season and his first game-winning goal for the Huskies.
Holmes has points in seven of his last ten games with the Huskies, and his successful game play earned him a spot on this week’s Big East Honor Roll.
“He’s such a good player and he can do so many different things and I’m just so happy that he was able to get a goal tonight,” said UConn men’s soccer head coach Chris Gbandi. This was a needed win for the Huskies as they improved their Big East record to 3-2.
The Huskies will need to keep possession of the ball against Providence, as the Friars have a tendency to out-shoot their opponents. Senior forward Bruno Rosa of the Friars started and played in all 22 games last season and led the team in points (16) and assists (six). His last two goals were against Villanova, which resulted in a 5-0 win for the Friars.
UConn will also need to keep an eye on senior Sam Montalto, who has four goals this season for Providence. Montalto has significant time on the field and is a strong offensive player who might give UConn some trouble.
The Huskies will continue to rely heavily on goaltender Kyle Durham, who is a consistent goal stopper in the net. In their game against Creighton, Durham made 10 saves and even assisted the Huskies’ third goal of that game.
Senior Austin Brummett is the current lead goal scorer for the Huskies (six) and leads the team in points (14). Brummett also spends significant time on the field, averaging about 80 minutes each game.
With only a few games remaining in the regular season, both teams will look to secure another Big East win before the tournament.
UConn will travel to Providence to face off against the Friars this Saturday, Oct. 25, with a start time of 7 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+.