After a devastating loss to Georgetown in the Big East Conference Tournament Championship last weekend, the thirteenth-seeded UConn men’s soccer team (11-4-4) will take on Cornell (13-3-2) this Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament. This marks the Huskies’ first appearance in the postseason since 2018, where they’d lose to Indiana 4-0 in the second round.
While waiting for their name to be called amid the NCAA’s tournament selection show on Monday, the Huskies were notified that they’d received a first-round bye as a 13-seed, giving them a much-needed rest before their second-round match against Cornell.
Head coach Chris Gbandi’s Huskies are currently playing some of their best soccer. After clinching their first Big East Conference Tournament berth since 2011 with a win over Seton Hall, the Huskies took down second-seeded Akron by a score of 2-1 in the tournament semi-final before their loss in the finale to Georgetown.
The centerpiece of UConn’s late-season success is arguably redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Durham. The 2025 All-Big East Conference Second Team selection has been amazing in the net, recording the most saves (45) in the entire conference.
Also playing massive roles down the stretch are senior midfielder Nicolas Tomerius (Berlin, Germany), junior defenseman Ayoub Lajhar (Brattleboro, Vt.) and senior forward Charlie Holmes (Seattle, Wash.). All named to the 2025 All-Big East Conference Second Team as well, each has been instrumental in driving UConn’s late-season surge while providing balance in multiple facets of the game.
Fans should also have their high beams on freshman midfielder Preston Alessio (Beacon Falls, Conn.), who scored his third goal of the season in UConn’s Big East semi-final matchup against Akron. He provides much versatility to the Huskies’ midfield, making big-time plays for such a young player.
Despite playing so well, the Huskies cannot take their opponents lightly.
Cornell dominated in Ivy League conference play this season, dominating opponents to amass a 13-3-2 record.
While they did lose to archrival Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament Finals, the Bears were awarded a first-round matchup with Lafayette on Thursday night, swiftly defeating them 4-0.
Leading the Bears are All-Ivy League First Team selections Andrew Johnson, Connor Miller and Westin Carnevale. The three have formed a formidable Ivy League trio, driving the Bears’ attack while setting the tempo on both sides of the ball each game.
The Huskies will have to overcome one of the best defenses in college soccer to win the game. Cornell has scored over two goals a game while only giving up 0.58. This poses a huge obstacle for the UConn offense, which has sometimes gone completely static at points of the season.
However, what the Huskies do have over the Bears is home field advantage, something critical during postseason play.
Kickoff is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium (Storrs, Conn.). If the Huskies walk away with a victory, they’ll face the winner of North Carolina and No. 4 Maryland, with a date, location and time to be determined.