University of Connecticut Athletics
First Sports Weekend Packed With Tourneys and Football Action
8/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
First Sports Weekend Packed With Tourneys and Football Action
Storrs, CT (Aug. 31, 2001)- With five different teams competing, the University of Connecticut fall athletic seasons kick into high gear over the Labor Day weekend.
The UConn football team heads into its second year of Division I-A Football this Saturday. The Huskies open, Sept. 1, at Noon versus 9th-ranked Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, VA. VaTech, coming fresh off an appearance in the 2000 Gator Bowl and an 11-1 record in 2000, is facing the Huskies for the first time in the sport of football.
Heading into year two of Division I-A competition, third-year head coach Randy Edsall and his staff are looking to improve upon last season's 3-8 record. The squad will be challenged immediately and often, however, playing one of the toughest schedules in recent history, headlined by this weekend's opener. UConn will field a young team with 27 of the 45 players listed on the depth chart being of sophomore eligibility or younger, including a redshirt freshman quarterback. Regardless, the 2001 has a solid foundation and will be as competitive and spirited as any in the country.
The Connecticut men's soccer team will begin defense of its NCAA championship title with a season opener at Morrone Stadium during the UConn Soccer Classic on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The Huskies host Akron at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, while Fairleigh Dickinson opens the tourney versus Washington at 5:00 p.m. The games continue into Saturday when UConn faces Washington, a 2000 NCAA participant, at 7:30 p.m., and FDU sees Akron at 5:00 p.m.
Finishing the season with a 20-3-2 record and the BIG EAST regular season champions, the University of Connecticut men's soccer team brought home the 2000 National Championship for the first time in 19-years, third time overall. En route to the title, UConn outscored their opponents 10-1 in NCAA Tournament play and shutdown Creighton University, 2-0, in the Championship game. Head coach Ray Reid was honored with National Coach of the Year accolades, while All-American Chris Gbandi earned the most prestigious award given to a Divisoin I college soccer player, the 2000 Hermann Trophy. The Huskies, under fifth-year head coach Ray Reid are looking to add another BIG EAST title as well as a return trip to the NCAAs in 2001.
The UConn women's soccer team opens its season in Notre Dame, IN, during the KeyBank Classic at Notre Dame. The field includes 10th-ranked Connecticut versus No. 25 Hartford at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31, while the 4th-ranked Irish face No. 8 Penn State at 8 p.m. Friday night. Sunday, Sept. 2, pits UConn against the Nitany Lions at Noon, while Notre Dame faces Hartford at 2 p.m.
UConn women's soccer qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 19th straight year in 2000, upsetting No. 2 nationally-ranked Nebraska to advance to the national quarterfinals. The Huskies also captured the BIG EAST Northeast Division Regular Season Title for the second consecutive year. The 2001 Huskies, headed by coach Len Tsantiris in his 21st season, are looking to build off last season with experienced players and a strong recruiting class and are facing a tough schedule with seven teams ranked in the preseason top 25.
The UConn volleyball team will host the IKON/Husky Classic in Harry A. Gampel Pavilion this weekend. The Huskies will face Massachusetts at 2 p.m. and Texas Christian University at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. UConn will next face New Hampshire on Sat., Sept. 1, at 5 p.m. and will finish tournament action on Sunday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. versus California.
The Huskies closed out the 2000 season with a 20-13 record, which included a 7-4 BIG EAST finish. The team became the fourth straight squad at UConn to finish with 20-or-more victories and earned a spot in the 2000 BIG EAST Tournament. Now in its fourth year under the direction of head coach Kelli Myers, the program looks to build upon its 2000 accomplishments and compete for a BIG EAST title.
Finally, the UConn field hockey team opens its season at home competing in the Husky Classic held at the George J. Sherman-Family Sports Complex on Sat., Sept. 1 and Sun. Sept. 2. UConn faces St. Joseph's on day one and will play Albany on day two, with both contests slated for an 11:30 a.m. start.
Having never experienced a losing season, the Connecticut field hockey team owns some of the sport’s most elusive hardware, including two Division I National Championships and five BIG EAST Conference Championships. The 2000 season was no exception to the program’s history, as the Huskies captured their third consecutive BIG EAST crown, advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships, and finished No. 7 in the country. Heading into the 2001 season under 12th year head coach Nancy Stevens, UConn celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first National Championship in 1981, also the first ever awarded in NCAA’s women’s championship history and in women’s intercollegiate field hockey history. With ten newcomers on the roster, the Huskies look to continue their winning ways as well as to build for a successful future.
