Despite a stellar defensive effort, the UConn men’s soccer team (8-3-4, 3-2-1) couldn’t piece together anything on offense, tying Big East Conference rival Providence 0-0 on Saturday night. The game was played under the lights of Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence, R.I., being one of the last matchups of the regular season. At a brisk 50 degrees with light winds, the night was perfect for an in-conference defensive slugfest.
UConn goalkeeper Kyle Durham was excellent, recording six total saves for his seventh shutout of the season. His 37 saves rank among the best in the conference, while averaging 6.17 per game.
Both squads had several opportunities to score, with UConn outshooting Providence 15-11. But the Huskies could not sneak anything past the hands of Providence goalkeeper Ryan Carney, whose goalkeeping play kept the Friars competitive for the entirety of the match. He also amassed three saves of his own, adding to his season total of 13.
Redshirt sophomore Sabri Hanni took three shots in the Huskies’ offensive effort, while senior midfielders Nicolas Tomerius and Marco Valentic tallied two shots each. Providence’s Bruno Rosa and Sam Montalto, the team’s leading scorers, took on the majority of the workload for the offense, with Rosa taking a team-high five shots, including three on goal.
The officiating crew issued five yellow cards throughout the course of the game, including a chippy two-minute span where warnings were issued to Providence’s Sam Montalto and UConn’s Balthazar Saunders and Austin Brummett. This aggressive behavior certainly translated into each team’s stout defensive performance.
With the tie, the Huskies improved their conference record to 3-2-1, moving one spot ahead of the Friars in the conference’s East Division standings. If they maintain their current spot as one of the league’s top eight teams, the Huskies will secure themselves a bid for the upcoming Big East Tournament.
The Huskies take the field again on Saturday, this time at Joseph J. Morrone Field at Rizza Performance Center in Storrs, Conn., against Butler (5-9-1, 2-3-1), with kickoff set for 7 p.m. After Butler, UConn will play one more game against Seton Hall to conclude the regular season, a pivotal point as they vie for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2018.