No. 4 Men’s soccer picks up 13th victory

The No. 4 ranked University of Connecticut men’s soccer team recorded their 13th win of the season Saturday night when they defeated the University of Pittsburgh 2-1, moving into a tie for first place in the Big East Blue division.

Sophomore attacking midfielder Adria Beso helped UConn secure the comeback victory with a second half goal and an assist.

UConn started the better team, but failed to convert any of their nine chances into goals. The Huskies were punished when, in the 35th minute, Andy Clifford scored with Pitt’s first shot, netting his first goal of the season. After the goal, UConn continued to try and break down a tough Pitt defense, but halftime came just as the Huskies really began to pile on the pressure.

After the halftime break, UConn stuck to head coach Ray Reid’s gameplan. Thirteen minutes into the second half, Adria Beso launched a 35-yard shot past Pitt goalkeeper Dan Lynd, leveling the match at 1-1.

After evening the score, it took UConn just nine more minutes to find the go-ahead goal.

Senior captain Carlos Alvarez latched onto a through ball from Beso that befuddled Pitt’s back four, leaving Alvarez one-on-one with the Pitt goalkeeper. Alvarez calmly tip toed around the keeper and passed the ball into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season, giving UConn a 2-1 advantage.

After taking the lead, UConn looked likely to score again but failed to convert any more chances. More importantly, the Huskies never allowed Pitt to get back into the game, preserving the 2-1 victory.

Reid was happy with his team’s strong performance.

“This game just showed how resilient this team really is,” said Reid.

“We were all over them, dominating throughout. They get a fluky goal and we battled back. Our guys turned up the energy and were really focused tonight. This was a really good performance for us.”

With the victory, UConn moved level with No. 5 ranked Marquette University, both teams having a 5-1-0 (W-L-D) Big East record with two matches remaining. In their final two matches of the season, both teams face home and away series against Big East opposition.

UConn faces two matches with Providence College, who are currently 1-5-0, while Marquette face the much more daunting task of facing No. 9 ranked Notre Dame and their 4-2-0 record.

If Marquette wins their final two matches, they will win the Big East Blue Division. Any slip-up will leave the door open for UConn to win the title.

The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team travels to play Providence College this Wednesday in their penultimate match of the season before returning home for Senior Night celebrations vs. Providence next Saturday at 7 p.m. at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.