University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Falls to No. 4 Wake Forest
8/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, CT (August 29) – The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team opened its regular season schedule with a 2-0 shutout loss to No. 4 Wake Forest on Friday evening at the Wake Forest adidas Tournament in Winston-Salem, NC. The 10th ranked Huskies were dominated by Wake Forest in front of a Demon Deacon home crowd of just over 3,000, the fourth largest in Spry Stadium history.
The teams played to a scoreless tie after the first 45-minutes of play. Despite the scoreless effort by both teams, Wake Forest controlled the tempo of the half out shooting the Huskies, 8-0. UConn goalkeeper Steve Behonick (Bohemia, NY), who saw his first career regular season game for the Huskies, made five first half saves. Behonick has tended net for the last three games while regular goalie Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, WI) returns from playing with US National Under-20 squad in Spain.
The second half turned in favor of the Demon Deacons as they scored two goals. Stephen Keel scored the eventual game-winner just 3:35 into the half on a left-footed angled shot. Keel was one of three reserves to start the second half for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons put the insurance goal in the board in the 69-minute on a shot from Ryan Alexander. UConn’s only shot of the game came from Andres Rota (Kingswood, TX), a head-on shot from 17-yards out at the 64:11 mark of the game, sending the shot wide and to the right.
In the end, Behonick totaled 10 saves in net, a career high, while Wake Forest keeper Willliam Hesmer was not forced to stop a shot. The win was Wake Forest's 21st straight regular season home victory at Spry Stadium dating back to September 2001.
Connecticut will face No. 19 North Carolina in the second day action of the Wake Forest adidas Tournament at 5:00 pm in Winston-Salem, NC. In the day’s earlier action, BIG EAST foe St. John’s fell to North Carolina in overtime, despite the Red Storm outplaying the Tar Heels in the second half.
