On Thursday, the UConn women’s soccer team’s season ended at the hands of No. 22 Xavier in the Big East Championship semifinal by a score of 7-0. Xavier flipped the script from last year’s Big East Final, where UConn won 2-1 in extra time. The star of the match was Xavier’s Samantha Erbach, who finished the night with a hat trick.
The match started with high energy at both ends of the field. Ava Yamas picked up multiple saves early on, including a leaping save to keep the game tied.
The freshman keeper and the Huskies’ defense went into Thursday with four straight shutouts.
The defense stood strong in the first half, led by Taylor Jenkins. The sophomore was all over the field, with multiple deflections from Xavier’s shots. However, with 15 minutes to play in the first half, a lengthy VAR review determined Jenkins committed a handball in the box, giving the Musketeers a penalty.
The Big East goal leader, Erbach, stepped up to the spot and buried her 15th goal of the season. Yamas dove left and was nearly able to save the shot.
This was the point in the match where the tide turned. UConn was getting into Xavier’s third of the field early on. But as soon as the penalty occurred, the Huskies looked deflated for the rest of the match.
Erbach did not stop there, as the sophomore received a long ball from freshman Elizabeth Powell that deflected off a few defenders right to her feet. She sent in the shot at Yamas and put Xavier up 2-0. Xavier dominated the first half in shots with 10 to UConn’s 1 shot.
Coming out of the halftime break, Xavier did not take their foot off the gas.
Emma Flick sent a perfect pass to attack Elin Hansson. The senior dropped a low shot in to make the score 3-0.
Regan Dancer got in on the fun for Xavier, sending a perfect shot from the right side of the box just over a leaping Yamas, adding a fourth goal for the Musketeers.
Erbach finished off the hat trick, receiving a cross from freshman Flick, blasting off her foot into the right side of the net.
With just 10 minutes to play, the Musketeers had a corner that was punched out by new keeper Elizabeth DiBlasi, which was pinballed around in the box. The ball was picked up by Presley Pennekamp and she sent it past the junior to add a sixth goal.
Penny Brill added the seventh and final goal for Xavier on a beautiful header inside the box as her first collegiate goal.
Xavier will take on the winner of Creighton and Georgetown in the Big East Final on Sunday afternoon.
As for UConn, their season ends here.
This season was stellar for the Huskies. Many young players stood out and could build this program even more. The Huskies will certainly miss All-American and three-time Big East 1st team player Chioma Okafor, who played her final game for UConn. They will also miss other key contributors, Anna Carson and Lina Dantes.