University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 10 Huskies Defeat Notre Dame, 2-1
10/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (October 8, 2005) - Ryan Cordeiro (Highland Mills, N.Y.) scored late in the 53rd minute of action to propel the 10th-ranked University of Connecticut men’s soccer team over Notre Dame, 2-1, Saturday night at Alumni Field. The win, which was the first for the Huskies in South Bend since 2000, moves the team to 9-2-1 on the season and a 4-2-1 mark in the BIG EAST.
Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) scored first for UConn putting the Huskies on top early in the first half. Cordeiro’s goal in the second period gave the team a two-goal lead, which the Irish (7-4-1, 3-3-1) cut in half in second period.
The Huskies mustered several close scoring opportunities in the opening frame. Dori Arad (Hahotrim, Israel) started things off eight minutes into the game when he collected the ball outside the penalty box, passing it inside to Stanley Ford (Liverpool, N.Y.) who poked the ball into the lower right corner of the net, only to be called back by an offsides violation. The Irish counterattacked four minutes later when Ian Etherington dribbled the ball downfield, beating the Husky defense before taking a shot wide left.
Missed opportunities weren’t the story for long, as James found the back of the net at the 20:23 mark off a cross from Cordeiro. Following the UConn corner kick, the ball was played around in the box for several seconds before findings its way to Ford, who quickly got the ball off to Cordeiro. The sophomore forward then played it up to James, who was able to direct a leaping header beyond the reach of Notre Dame’s keeper, Chris Cahill to put the Huskies on top 1-0 midway through the first half.
The Irish held the ball in its offensive end for much of the remainder of the half, but the stifling UConn defense kept all scoring attempts at bay. Adam Schuerman (Brookfield, Wis.) snagged several close calls in the waning minutes of the period, as Notre Dame posted four consecutive corner kicks in the last five minutes only to nabbed out of the air by UConn’s keeper.
With a 1-0 lead going into the second period, the Huskies resumed their stealthy attack. Ford came up with a close call in the 50th minute when Cahill saved his shot but bobbled the ball, letting the ball loose for a moment before regaining control. Cordeiro came through three minutes later, however, to put UConn on top 2-0 in the 53rd minute of play.
Moshe Shalchon (Rishon Lezioh, Israel) played the ball to Ford in the right side of the box, who then crossed the ball inside. Cordeiro took control of the pass and sent a high shot into the upper left corner of the goal.
Just four minutes later, the Irish sent a hurried corner kick into play, causing a scramble in the box. Early in the 57th minute, Ryan Miller came up with the ball and sent a cross from the middle of the box to Ben Crouse. Crouse then sent a header into the upper right corner of the net.
Notre Dame put up a barrage of shots in the ensuing minutes, but was unable to tie up the ballgame. Play was sporadic over the final 30 minutes of action, as the two teams swapped substitutions down the stretch. Despite the fresh players on the field, neither team scored again and UConn came away with the 2-1 win.
The Huskies return to action on Saturday, Oct. 15, as they welcome Pittsburgh to Joseph J. Morrone Stadium for a 7 p.m. contest. The Panthers are currently 2-7-1 overall with a 1-5-0 mark in the BIG EAST after dropping a 2-0 game against West Virginia Saturday evening.
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
UConn 1 1 2
Notre Dame 0 1 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
1 20:23 UC Julius James (Ryan Cordeiro, Stanley Ford)
2 52:59 UC Ryan Cordeiro (Stanley Ford, Moshe Shalchon)
3 56:01 ND Ben Crouse (Ryan Miller)
Shots: UConn 7, Notre Dame 15
Saves: UConn 3 (Adam Schuerman 3), Notre Dame 4 (Chris Cahill 4)
