University of Connecticut Athletics
Connecticut Ends Preseason Play
8/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, CT (August 23) – In a physical, hard fought game, the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team fell to Duke University, 2-1, in exhibition play at Morrone Stadium on Saturday night. The game completes the Huskies, ranked No. 10 preseason, exhibition games and will start regular season competition Labor Day weekend.
Duke came out strong in the first three minutes of play. The Blue Devils earned three corner kicks, but were all played out by the Husky defense. The corner kicks payed off as Duke scored on its fourth of the game. Danny Kramer took the kick from the right flag, centering the ball in the box. Joe Kelly directed the ball to the left side, where Danny Wymner sent the shot to the opposite side of the net, past a screened UConn keeper Steven Behonick (Bohemia, NY) 18:36 into half. The Huskies countered 10-minutes later (28:28) on a penalty kick from Cesar Cuellar (Santa Cruz, NY). Cuellar was in the goal box, with two defenders on him, he went to push forward and was tangled up and taken down by the Blue Devils backline and awarded the corner kick. Duke again surged ahead with 6:42 left in the first half. Behonick lost his footing on the line and Duke’s Kramer shot the ball to the left side of the goal out of the reach of Behonick, who was trying to regroup. Both teams had several other solid scoring chances in the half, including UConn’s Easton Wilson (Hartford, CT) who was one-on-one with a Duke defender after beating the goalie. He attempted to head the ball in from just outside of the net, but the attempt failed and went just right of the goal. Duke goalie Justin Trowbridge was not forced to make a save, while Behonick recorded three in goal in the first 45-minutes of play.
The Huskies came out strong in the second half, taking four shots and four corner kicks in the first 10-minutes. The half’s best scoring opportunity came when Cuellar fired the ball from 30-yards out grazing the top of Duke’s net at 57:30 mark of the game. The Duke defense packed the back half of the field denying UConn any solid scoring chances for the remainder of the game.
After Duke out shot Connecticut in the first half, UConn dominated in the second half, in the end out shooting the Blue Devils, 11-9. Behonick ended the night with three saves, and the team backed him up with two others, while Duke’s Trowbridge stopped three in net. A combined total of 31 fouls was committed between the two teams, and two yellow cards were issued.
UConn will open the regular season on Friday, August 29, when the Huskies participate in the Wake Forest Tournament, taking on the host Demon Deacons at 7:30 pm.
PICTURED: Senior Cesar Cuellar
