The UConn Huskies men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the University of Connecticut. The team is a member of the Big East Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
| UConn Huskies men's soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 2022 UConn Huskies men's soccer team | |||
 | |||
| Founded | 1939 | ||
| University | University of Connecticut | ||
| Head coach | Chris Gbandi (1st season) | ||
| Conference | Big East | ||
| Location | Mansfield, Connecticut | ||
| Stadium | Morrone Stadium (5,100) | ||
| Nickname | Huskies | ||
| Colors | National flag blue and white[1] | ||
| |||
| NCAA Tournament championships | |||
| 1948, 1981, 2000 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Semifinals | |||
| 1960, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | |||
| 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 | |||
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
| 1960, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 | |||
| Conference Tournament championships | |||
| 1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007 | |||
| Conference Regular Season championships | |||
| 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012 | |||
History
editConnecticut soccer existed prior to 1969, but was not considered a major sport and did not even have a real stadium. However, in 1969, Joe Morrone was hired as head coach, and made significant changes that would make the Huskies a premiere program. He started by building Connecticut Soccer Stadium, which now bears his name as Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. Eventually, in Morrone's words, the team became "the Notre Dame of college soccer".[2] Morrone would ultimately coach the team until he retired in 1994.
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In 1981, the Huskies won their first NCAA-sanctioned College Cup, defeating Alabama A&M 2–1 in overtime at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. The Huskies also won a title in 1948, although that was before the NCAA. The Huskies, under coach Ray Reid, would win their second title in 2000, beating Creighton 2–0 in Charlotte.[3]
However, in the latter part of the 2000s decade, the Huskies struggled in the NCAA Tournament, losing their openers on penalty kicks in both 2009[4] and 2010.[5] The Huskies would advance to the 2011 Quarterfinals, but PKs would once again prove to be their undoing, losing to Charlotte at home in a shootout.
UConn's student section is known as the Goal Patrol, and as of 2007[update], it is the largest in America with 540 members.[6] The Goal Patrol is known for being very rowdy, and has made Morrone Stadium one of the toughest places to play. In 2011, College Soccer News ranked the rivalry between UConn and St. John's as the sixth best college soccer rivalry in America.[7] Two Uconn players have been selected first overall by the MLS SuperDraft in consecutive years, Andre Blake in 2014 and MLS Rookie of the Year Award winner Cyle Larin in 2015. While other players such as Sergio Campbell (2015), Carlos Alvarez (2nd overall 2013), Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Tony Cascio in 2012 and Hermann Trophy winner O'Brian White in 2009 have been other recent MLS SuperDraft selections.
Stadium
editUConn plays its home games at Morrone Stadium, a 5,100-capacity soccer-specific stadium in Storrs, Connecticut.
Head coaches
edit| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Roy Guyer | 1 | 2–1–0 | .500 |
| 1929 | Jack Seman | 1 | 0–4–0 | .000 |
| 1930–31 | Billie Darrow | 2 | 1–12–2 | .133 |
| 1932–36 | Jack Dennerley | 5 | 11–27–0 | .289 |
| 1937–41 | John Squires | 5 | 15–26–1 | .360 |
| 1942 | Carl Fischer | 1 | 3–6–0 | .333 |
| 1946–68 | John Squires | 23 | 133–114–14 | .536 |
| 1969–96 | Joe Morrone | 28 | 358–178–53 | .653 |
| 1997–2021 | Ray Reid | 19 | 267–92–56 | .711 |
| 2022- | Chris Gbandi | 1 | 0–0–0 | – |
References
edit- ^ "University of Connecticut Brand Colors" (PDF). Brand.UConn.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ If you build it, they will come, Daily Campus, September 30, 2008. Accessed September 4, 2011
- ^ "If you build it, they will come - Sports - The Daily Campus - University of Connecticut". 2011-09-29. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ UConn Huskies 2009 schedule
- ^ UConn Huskies 2010 schedule
- ^ ESPN Soccernet
- ^ College Soccer News Lists St. John's - UConn rivalry as sixth best RedStormSports.com, May 10, 2011, retrieved September 4, 2011
External links
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