After falling to DePaul 2-1 on Saturday, the UConn men’s soccer team will continue Big East play Friday, Oct. 16, when it travels to Milwaukee, Wis., to take on Marquette at 7 p.m. The matchup will mark the Huskies’ fourth Big East matchup of the season, currently holding a 1-2 in-conference record. UConn will look to bounce back from its loss and improve its conference standing as it faces the Golden Eagles on the road.
Offensively, the Huskies have relied on several players, most notably freshman midfielder Grant Emerhi, who scored his first career goal and UConn’s lone goal against DePaul. His goal gave UConn an opportunity to fight back and demonstrated his growing offensive impact. Sophomore midfielder Preston Alessio also has a consistent source of scoring opportunities, recording five shots, including two on goal, against DePaul. His ability to persistently generate chances will be important as the Huskies look to improve their record. Junior forward Alfonso Arredondo has also contributed to the Huskies’ attack, recording an assist to Emerhi’s goal and taking four shots against DePaul. Senior forward Rashid Nacif Joffre adds another scoring threat, having netted the game-winning goal in UConn’s victory over Villanova.
In the goal, redshirt junior goalkeeper Kyle Durham has been a formidable force for the Huskies. Against DePaul, Durham made six saves, helping to keep UConn within striking distance despite the loss. Durham also recorded two saves and a clean sheet in the Huskies’ victory over Villanova.
On the other side, Marquette enters the matchup at 8-4-1 overall and 1-3 in Big East play, with several key players leading its offense. Junior forward Mads Konrad Horgøien recorded a career-high five points, scoring two goals and adding an assist against Butler. He opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 12th minute before finding the back of the next again later in the match. Horgøien will be a key attacking threat for the Huskies to contain. Freshman Tomiwa Adewumi has also been a consistent scoring threat, netting Marquette’s third goal against Butler in the 79th minute to bring his season total to a team-leading nine goals. His scoring ability makes him one of the most important players for UConn’s defense to track.
On the defensive end, Marquette has been anchored by junior goalkeeper Cameron Simpson. Simpson made one save to earn his fourth shutout of the season against Butler. He was supported by a strong backline that limited the Bulldogs to just three shots.
The Huskies last matched up against the Golden Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, when UConn took a 3-2 win after overcoming a two-goal deficit. After trailing 2-0 in the first half, the Huskies scored three unanswerable goals to complete the comeback, with forward Scott Testori scoring twice, including the game-winner in the 81st minute. The Huskies and Golden Eagles have not faced each other since their 2023 matchup, as the two teams compete in different divisions of the Big East conference.
With both teams showcasing defensive and offensive strength, the Huskies will look to improve their Big East record in Wisconsin in their fourth conference matchup of the season. The matchup will kick off at 7 p.m. at Valley Fields, and Husky fans can tune into the game on FloSports.