University of Connecticut Athletics
#MorroneMemories – Top 10 Countdown
10/27/2018 5:29:00 PM | Men's Soccer
As we gear up for the final regular season home game, check out our TOP-10 favorite #MorroneMemories!
10 October 4, 1969 – First game in Morrone Stadium
In 1969, the UConn soccer program was largely unknown and unpopular in Connecticut. Thanks to the urging of first year-head coach Joe Morrone, a new stadium (known back then as the Connecticut Soccer Stadium) was built for the team. "The fall of 1969 saw us move to a new field beside the ice rink," said Morrone. "…A covered swamp I was told. One row of bleachers and for the dozen or so fans and we were in business."
After playing its first two soccer matches of the 1969 season on the road, the UConn men's soccer program hosted the home opener on October 4, leaving the game with a 2-0 win over the New Hampshire Wildcats.
9 November 29, 1981 – NCAA Quarterfinal Game vs. LIU
Following a 4-3 defeat to Philadelphia Textiles, the UConn men's soccer team received negative comments from an NCAA coach in a few newspapers. Coach Morrone made copies of those comments and put them on the team's lockers to use for extra motivation.
UConn faced LIU in the NCAA quarterfinal game, a match that would decide who would advance to the national semifinals. Leading up to and even right before the game, Coach Morrone didn't say a word – he knew his team was ready to play.
In front of 10,000 screaming fans, UConn crushed LIU, 3-nil to advance to the National Semifinals, avenging the previous year's quarterfinal defeat to Hartwick. Elvis Comrie, Graziano Cornolo and Shawn Sullivan each tallied one goal on the night, respectively. Comrie dished out two assists, while Pedro DeBrito and Charlie McSpiritt added one assist apiece.
UConn would go on to win the 1981 National Championship, beating Alabama A&T in a 2-1 overtime contest.
8 December 5, 1999 – NCAA Quarterfinal Game vs. Furman
After failing to make it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament from 1983-1998, the 1999 UConn Huskies were back amongst the nation's elite teams. Entering the tournament with a 17-4 record, the Huskies found that their road back to the final four would be a daunting one.
In the first round, UConn needed four overtimes as they rallied to beat Hartford, 2-1. The second round saw the Huskies return to form, as they shutout the Yale Bulldogs, 3-0, to advance to the National Quarterfinal. In the quarterfinals, UConn battled Furman, coming from behind twice to beat the Paladins 3-2 to earn a trip to the Nation Semifinal.
"We didn't panic when we were down," said head coach Ray Reid. "That's a testament to our players. The only pressure we have is what we've put on ourselves."
7 November 25, 2012 – UConn Beats New Mexico to Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
After UNM's Devon Sandoval put the Lobos ahead in at 31:48 with a toe poke into the right side, Mamadou Doudou Diouf equalized with his 15th tally of the season - Max Wasserman drove in a cross from the right side towards the back post. Sean Weir headed back across the six where Diouf out-jumped the defense to head the ball into the left side.
Freshman Nicholas Zunig checked into the game as the Huskies were searching for a jump start. After missing his first two attempts, the freshman came up clutch with the season on the line. Zuniga's first goal of his collegiate career was also the biggest of his young career, as he freshman buried the game-winning goal 4:18 into the second overtime to lead UConn past New Mexico, 2-1, in the NCAA Third Round held at Morrone Stadium in front of 4,315 fans on Sunday afternoon. Zuniga took a through ball from Carlos Alvarez at the top of the box and beat New Mexico keeper Victor Rodriguez into the lower left corner to give the Huskies a 2-1 edge.
"We said to him at the start of overtime that the third one's the charm. It was a clinical finish," said head coach Ray Reid. "Maybe he hasn't played as much as he should because of the guys ahead of him, but he's a great player. An MLS player maybe in the future."
6 Oct. 12, 1997 – Huskies Shutout Defending Champion St. Johns, 2-0
Despite sporting a relatively young team, first-year head coach Ray Reid and the UConn men's soccer team proved to the world that they were already good enough to knock off a perennial power as they shutout the defending National Champion St. John's, 2-0, in front of 2700 fans at Morrone Stadium.
Edwin Rivera scored a goal in the 40th minute to put the Huskies up 1-nil, with the lead increasing to 2-0 just four minutes later – Gerneil Lorne's shot bounced out of the arms of the Red Storm's keeper and across the goal line to give UConn a two-goal advantage.
"Today we beat a very good team," said Reid. "Let's not celebrate too much – we still have a lot of work to do but these kids showed a lot of character."
The 2-0 lead was significant to the men's soccer team and UConn as a whole, as it marked the Huskies first win over St. John's since the 1990 season.
5 November 19, 1975 – UConn Beats Vermont in Overtime, 4-3.
Behind two goals from James Evans and a goal apiece from Merrick Innocent & Thomas Nevers, UConn beat Vermont, 4-3 OT, to advance to the National quarterfinals in front of an over-packed crowd at Morrone Stadium. There were so many people in the stadium, the bleachers collapsed midway through the first half.
4 November 10, 1996 – Morrone's Final Game at Morrone Stadium as Head Coach.
In what ended up being his final home game as head coach of the UConn men's soccer team, Joe Morrone's team gave him a worthy tribute. UConn needed less than 30 minutes of game time to assert its dominance, running over the Seton Hall Pirates on the way to a 3-nil Big East quarterfinal victory at the UConn Soccer Stadium.
Martin Kagerer put the Huskies on the board six minutes into the game. Jim McManus scored a goal in the 21st minute to make the game 2-0, and Bobby Rhine extended the Husky lead to 3-0 in the 27th minute and the rest was history.
"It was a great win, just great to be here today," said Coach Morrone. "We really exploded out of the blocks today and played very well. I can't say enough about a terrific season. The chemistry has been greats. It's been fun working with this bunch."
3 December 3, 2000 – Huskies beat Brown to get to College Cup Final Four.
The University of Connecticut men's soccer team used a first half goal by senior All-American Brent Rahim (Diego Martin, Trinidad) to down Brown University 1-0 Sunday in an NCAA Division I national quarterfinal round matchup.
The win, achieved before a crowd of 5,204, advances the Huskies to the NCAA Men's College Cup national semifinals to be held at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, NC. The Final Four trip is the second in as many years for the Huskies. UConn will battle Southern Methodist University, a 2-1 winner over Stanford in the quarterfinal round, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 8. The other semifinal game will see Creighton battle two-time defending national champion Indiana at 5:00 p.m. The national championship game will be played on Sunday, December 10, at 1:00 pm.
UConn, which improved its overall record to 18-3-2 with the win over Brown, got the only goal of the match 19:10 into the first half. Freshman Cesar Cuellar (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) received a long ball from junior Mansour Ndiaye (New York, NY) and delicately passed to Rahim, who was breaking in from the right, ahead of a Brown defender. Rahim calmly rifled a shot from 18 yards out pass the lunge of charging Brown keeper Matt Cross into the left corner of the net.
Other than UConn's one goal, defensive play dominated the contest. UConn held a slim 8-6 edge in shots on goal and both clubs managed three corner kicks apiece. Brown concluded its season with a 13-6-1 record.
Connecticut junior goalie Bryheem Hancock (Middletown, DE) made three svaes in goal to record the shutout, his 13th of the season.
The trip to the NCAA Division I College Cup national semifinals marks the fifth time in UConn men's soccer history that the Huskies have gained a berth in the "Final Four".
UConn won the 1981 NCAA Division I National Championship in its first trip to the "Final Four" and Connecticut returned to the national semifinals in both 1982 and 1983.
The Huskies would go on to win the 2000 Championship, blanking Creighton 2-0.
2 December 10, 2000 – Huskies beat #1 Brown in front of a Sold Out Morrone Stadium.
The Huskies welcomed #1 Brown to Storrs for a midseason tilt, and UConn dethroned them for a 1-nil victory. There were more than 6,000 people who witnessed the Huskies' win, including several late arrivers who watched from the trees.
All-American Frantz Innocent scored the deciding goal for the Huskies.
1 December 6, 1981 – UConn wins its First National Championship in Program History
