The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team improved its record to 3-3-2 on the season following a 2-2 tie against Harvard on Saturday.
Harvard struck first, scoring in the 10th minute to give the Crimson a strong 1-0 lead early into the game.
UConn’s offense pressured Harvard goalkeeper Jason Broom throughout the first half, but neither team was able to find the back of the net before halftime. Harvard held a 7-5 advantage in shots through the first 45 minutes as UConn entered the break trailing by one.
In the second half, UConn attacked with three shot attempts in the opening ten minutes to show some momentum. The pressure paid off when junior midfielder Aidan Sheppela tied the game for the Huskies in the 57th minute.
This was Sheppela’s second goal of the season after his first came in UConn’s 6-1 win over Fisher College last week.
UConn continued to build momentum after Sheppela’s goal and quickly turned the tie into a lead.
Junior forward Evan Pickering gave the Huskies their first lead of the game when he netted his third goal in his last two games.
Pickering now has four goals this season and has shown to be a strong offensive player for UConn.
The Huskies, however, were unable to hold onto their lead.
With nine minutes remaining in the second half, Harvard’s Phoenix Wooten scored to even the game at 2-2. Neither team could find the back of the net for a game-winning goal during the final minutes, ending the game in a tie.
Both goalkeepers stayed strong in the net for their teams. Broom and UConn goalkeeper Kyle Durham each recorded four saves on six shots.
Although UConn was unable to secure its fourth win of the season, the Huskies showed resilience after falling behind early and responding with two goals in the second half.
“For us, going down a goal and then showing some fight, I was happy with the way we responded,” head coach Chris Gbandi said in a post-game interview on the program’s X.
The tie comes as UConn prepares for its first Big East matchup of the season. The Huskies will host Seton Hall on Friday at Morrone Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
Seton Hall enters the matchup with a 2-2-2 record following a loss to the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday. The Pirates will look to get back in the winning column against the Huskies as both teams begin conference play.
The Huskies will need to look out for Seton Hall players such as Til Kauschke and Tim Valentine who lead the team in goals scored (six) and have proven to be strong offensive players for the Pirates.
UConn will need to continue its recent offensive momentum against Seton Hall while also looking to avoid another slow start to the game after Harvard scored just 10 minutes into the first half.
The Huskies will look to bounce back from the tie and secure a win in their first Big East matchup of the season.