The University of Connecticut women’s soccer set a program record on Saturday, though not one that made for the most exhilarating achievement.
Finishing Saturday’s contest in a 2-2 tie with Xavier University (8-2-3, 2-0-3 Big East), the Huskies (3-2-7, 1-0-3 Big East) recorded their seventh draw of the year, a single-season team record, according to historical records on the UConn Athletics website. The previous record was held by the 2008 squad, which went 8-9-6 en route to a Big East Tournament Championship appearance against Notre Dame, according to the UConn website.
Despite the rather neutral final result and record, the Huskies jumped to a lead out of the gates with 39:38 left to play in the first half when junior forward Se-Hanna Mars headed a ball past Musketeers fourth-year goalkeeper Taylor Thomas. Ines Nourani assisted the goal after heading the ball toward Mars on a UConn corner kick.
Nourani is now tied with freshman midfielder Anya Montano and junior forward Chloe Shimkin with a team-leading two assists.
Leading the Huskies with 37 shots and 17 shots on goal this season, the goal was Mars’ first score since Sept. 6 against Long Island University and second on the year. The Manchester, Connecticut native again led the Huskies with five shots Saturday, placing four on goal.
One of those five shots resulted in a goal for one of Mars’ teammates. After Mars sent a long-range roller off the hands of Thomas, senior midfielder Anaya Johnson cleaned up the play on the resulting ricochet from a few feet out for her first goal of the season. Sending a strike into the middle of the net with 25:33 left to play in the second half, the score marked the second time in three games that Johnson has notched a point, also adding an assist on Oct. 3 against Providence College.
However, that goal did not extend a lead but rather marked the equalizer for the Huskies, as the Musketeers had scored two goals in the first half to take a lead into halftime.
Fourth-year forward and Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Peyton Kohls scored her fifth goal of the season within the first 10 minutes of the contest, while fourth-year defender Abby Unkraut added a score on a corner kick minutes before the half.
Fourth-year midfielder Alexis Morrison posted an assist.
UConn sophomore goalkeeper Ava Yamas matched those two goals with a pair of saves. It was just the second time in six starts this season that Yamas has allowed multiple goals.
Thomas finished the contest with a season-high six saves.
The Huskies outshot the Musketeers 11-10, with UConn placing four more shots on goal than Xavier. In her second game back since returning from injury, Huskies’ leading scorer Maeve Staunton did not record a shot attempt.
With the tie, the Huskies sit in fourth place in the Big East, while the Musketeers remain in second behind Villanova (8-05, 3-0-2 Big East).
UConn has five combined wins and losses on the season as a whole, two less than its tie total. The Huskies are now riding a five-game undefeated streak.
The Huskies will take the week off and return to the field next Saturday, Oct. 17 against DePaul (3-4-5, 0-2-2 Big East), who currently sits in last place in the Big East.
The Huskies currently hold a four-game winning streak against the Blue Demons and are 11-1 all-time.
Game time at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The contest will stream live on ESPN+.