Morrone hosts NCAA first round game vs. Fairfield

By: Marc Gauthier

Posted: 11/21/08

It's been 12 days since the men's soccer team's last game - a 1-0 loss to DePaul in the Quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

A lot has happened since then.

Senior O'Brian White, who has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury, was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. White finished the season with 14 points, six goals and two assists.

White and teammate junior Toni Stahl were also unanimous picks for the First Team All-Big East team. They were the only two unanimous picks selected to the first team.

Three other Huskies earned All-Big East honors. Senior Akeem Priestley, who has also missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury, was named to the All-Big East second team. Junior Oscar Castillo was selected to the All-Big East third team, while junior Mike Pezza was named an All-Big East honorable mention.

But with the season-ending awards piling up for the Huskies, there was still one accomplishment left up in the air - a selection to the NCAA Tournament. But earlier this week, UConn managed to get its hands on that too.

No. 22 UConn (9-4-6) will take on in-state opponent Fairfield (11-7-0) tonight at 7 at Morrone Stadium.

With a season rife with ups and downs, the selection to the tournament gave the Huskies one more chance to do what coach Ray Reid has been preaching all season long - win the next game.

There's a little bit of history between the Huskies and the Stags. Two years ago, UConn and Fairfield met up in the first round of the NCAA Tournament which was hosted at Morrone Stadium. The Stags won that game 2-1, scoring the go-ahead goal with eight minutes to play in regulation.

But as has been the case all season, Reid doesn't preach history lessons to his players; he doesn't worry about stats or records. All Reid wants to do is prepare his players to win the next game.

Fairfield managed to get to the NCAA tournament by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship in a 1-0 upset of No. 11 Loyola. The win earned the Stags the MAAC's automatic bid to the tournament.

Fairfield goalkeeper Justin Burse has been a big part of the Stags' success this season. Burse has not allowed a goal in 490 consecutive minutes, posting five straight shutouts since a road loss to Niagara on Oct. 31.

Much like Burse, UConn goalkeeper Josh Ford has been a big part of the Huskies' stingy defense. Ford has allowed only 12 goals in 19 games and boasts a .59 goals-against average to compliment a .860 save percentage with 74 saves on the season. In 19 games, Ford and the rest of the Huskies defense' have posted 10 shutouts.

On the offensive end for Fairfield, Christian Uy, who scored a goal in the Stags' win over UConn in 2006, leads the team in scoring with 16 points. He is tied for first in goals scored (five) with teammates Erik Ilisije and Jack Burridge and is also tied with teammate Mike Lentine for most assists this season with six. Uy was named the MAAC MVP after tallying four points in the MAAC tournament.

The winner of the tonight's game will head south to play Virginia on Tuesday.