University of Connecticut Athletics
2003 Men's Soccer Season Preview
8/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Coming off five straight NCAA Tournament berths, the University of Connecticut seventh-year men’s soccer head coach Ray Reid is looking forward to the challenges facing him in the upcoming 2003 season. While the schedule is going to be competitive and demanding, Reid will be rebuilding his roster with experienced players and a pool of talented incoming freshmen. The roster is lacking the senior leadership of 2002, as this year’s squad is minus the seven graduated seniors and All-American Shavar Thomas who left for Major League Soccer (MLS).
THE SENIORS
Connecticut’s senior class is small in size but has the playing experience needed to help lead a young 2003 Husky pack. A 2002 BIG EAST First team selection, Cesar Cuellar had a strong season in 2002 after returning fully from an ACL tear in his sophomore year. He will be the spark needed to jumpstart the Husky offense, after outputting a career-high 16 goals in 2002. Cuellar has 53 career games played at UConn and currently stands 13th in overall scoring. Also leading the senior class is Lindon Pecorelli, who jumped in and out of the starting line-up in 2002. Pecorelli spent part of the 2002 season at the midfield position but will be looked to help Cuellar more offensively this year. He was named to the 2002 All-BIG EAST Third Team after playing in 19 games and scoring one goal.
THE JUNIORS
The junior class has size in number but lacks playing experience from the 2002 season. A transfer before the start of last season, Andres Rota saw the most action of the class. Seeing time in 20 games and making seven starts, Rota was a key component of the midfield playmakers, assisting on seven goals. His attacking skills will make him an asset in the midfield. Joe Coyle will be competing for a starting spot in the Husky backfield, after playing in 18 games as a reserve in 2002. With the loss of three defenders from last year’s roster, Coyle’s leadership will be counted on.
Seeking time in the midfield will be William Osorio and Stephen Arias. Osorio saw time in seven games in 2002, but looks for a starting role this season. Arias, a transfer at the start of last year, is a versatile player who may see some time in the backfield. He notched five starts at the end of last season.
Goalkeepers Stephen Behonick and Jamie Verab will challenge for time in the Husky net. Behonick played in the second half of last year’s exhibition opener, and looks for more action in 2003, while Verab continues to excel in an already deep position. A newcomer to the roster in 2003 is Easton Wilson, a transfer from neighboring University of Hartford. Playing two seasons at Hartford, Easton scored 28 points with his fast style of play on the front line.
THE SOPHOMORES
The sophomore class is highlighted by the solid goalkeeping of Adam Schuerman. He started and played in all 23 of UConn’s games in 2002, allowing 22 goals for a 0.95 average. Schuerman held a 17-6 record and added 11 shutouts to his stats. In 2003, Schuerman will look to build on his rookie performance and keep the Husky backfield secure. An emerging defensive midfielder, Mpho Moloi ended last season with consistent and solid play. Moloi took over for BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Anthony Curtis, who suffered an injury during the conference tournament. Moloi will be looked upon to keep the midfield line steady, while backing up the defense in certain situations.
Drew Brown, Brad Ferguson and Sohaib Qureshi will all battle for time, after playing a combined 12 games between the threesome. Qureshi adds depth to the midfield line, Brown will seek time in either the midfield or back positions and Ferguson will challenge for action in the backfield. Another new face to the roster in 2003 will be South Carolina transfer Willis Forko. He is a versatile player that can see action from the midfield to the back. Forko, brother of former Husky Sam Forko, played in 20 games for the Gamecocks.
THE FRESHMEN
The freshman class is one of Coach Reid’s largest in recent years. He is bringing in a talented pool of young athletes, to help rebuild and carry-on the Husky soccer traditions. Kevin Burns’ is a talented player, whose versatility will help to strengthen the midfield and back lines. Burns played his senior season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, after being named a three-time All-Conference, Metro and District member at Greenfield Central in Indiana. Also a flexible player, Sean Cameron can be seen at three positions on the playing field. He was an invaluable player for his club team Matchfit, earning five state championship titles with the highly touted team.
Glen Carnahan will bring his competitiveness to the team at the central back or defensive midfield positions. An All-State selection all four years at Broomfield High School (CO), Carnahan was also a member of the Colorado Rush Club Team. Yuval Ezer is one of two Israelis joining the Husky squad in 2003. He is a left-footed attacking player who will help to stabilize the midfield position. An athletic player from upstate New York, Stanley Ford will be looking for time at the left back and midfield slot.
Brandon Guishard will help to strengthen the defensive line either as a center back or at flank. Patrick Halligan has been a part of the successful Maine Coast United Club Team, and will be seen as a midfielder or front player for the Huskies in 2003. A former teammate of current Husky Brad Ferguson, Louis Jones can play either the left side or center in the back and midfield positions.
The only goalkeeper of the incoming class, Brett Pollock was a high school teammate of Brandon Guishard. Pollock will add depth and look for time at an already strong position. A striker, who could impact the scoring column immediately, Steve Sealey comes to UConn from Trinidad, home to former Husky standout Darin Lewis. An experienced player, Sealy is a member of the full Trinidad and Tobago National Team. Lastly, also hailing from Israel is Moshe Shalchon. He is a defensively strong player, who will find time at the center back and also in the midfield slot.
THE SCHEDULE
The 2003 schedule will provide a constant challenge with several nationally ranked opponents. On this season’s schedule, the Huskies will face five teams that ended its 2002 schedule in the national Top 25 and nine that advanced to the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies open their schedule with two strong exhibition games to test their skills early on. The season will begin on August 19, when UConn will play host to in-state rival Fairfield University. On August 23, the Duke Blue Devils will travel to Storrs for the team’s final test before the season opener.
UConn will open its regular season at the highly touted Wake Forest Tournament in Winston-Salem. In the first day’s action (Aug. 29), the Huskies will be tested against host Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are expected to be a Top 5 team in the national rankings as they return 10 of 11 starters from the 2002 season. In second day action, North Carolina will be matched-up against UConn in the tournament. UNC is in a similar spot as UConn, returning only five players from last year’s roster, but have added a solid incoming freshmen class to fill the holes.
Connecticut returns home to host its annual adidas/UConn Soccer Classic on September 5 and 6. In the predetermined schedule, Indiana and Georgetown will show down in game one, while UConn looks to avenge a loss from the 2002 season to Boston University on home turf. On Saturday, Georgetown and Boston University will play in the evening’s first game, and the Huskies will face Indiana later in the night. Indiana will be searching for the win after UConn knocked the Hoosiers out of the NCAA Tournament last year, breaking the program’s five-year streak of advancing to the College Cup’s Final Four.
BIG EAST play begins in mid-September, allowing the Huskies to play its next six of seven games in conference match-ups. UConn will play host to Seton Hall (Sept. 13), another team in which the Huskies will seek revenge on after an early season loss in 2002. The Pirates were one of five teams to secure a spot in the 2002 NCAA Tournament and should be a competitive force within the BIG EAST. On September 20, UConn will travel to Rutgers, before returning home to take-on nemesis Boston College. After beating BC in the regular season in 2002, the Eagles fought back to take the BIG EAST Championship title from the Huskies, along with the regular season title. A road trip to Morgantown, WV caps off the month of September, in another clash of BIG EAST schools with West Virginia.
The month of October opens with a non-conference contest, pitting in-state rivals Yale and UConn against each other at Morrone Stadium for the first of the month. UConn will play host to Villanova on October 4, and then head to Virginia Tech (Oct. 8), both night games. Mid-month for a rare Sunday game (Oct. 12), the Huskies will be visitors at Maryland. UConn was knocked out by the Terrapins in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 2002, and would like to come out victorious over the top-ranked team.
The men and women’s soccer team will host a double header on October 15, and will be the start of a three-game home stand for the men. The Husky women will take to the field in the earlier game against Providence, while men will be pitted against BIG EAST foe St. John’s. Last season, the teams split in their two games each capturing a win. The Red Storm was victorious with a 1-0 win at the St. John’s Tournament, while the Huskies claimed an overtime win on penalty kicks in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals. St. John’s should be a strong force in both the conference and in the national rankings.
A participant in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame will come to Storrs on October 18. Last season, the Fighting Irish claimed a 3-1 win over UConn, and the Huskies will look to claim back its winning ways over Notre Dame. After not facing each other in 2002, in-state opponent Hartford will close the home stand on October 22.
UConn will close out the regular season with a non-conference match-up and two BIG EAST games. On October 26, UConn will play its second day game of the season at Syracuse, and then close out its home regular season schedule against non-conference opponent St. Peter’s on October 28. The last regular season game will be played in the nation’s capital on November 1 at Georgetown.
