Connecticut Huskies men's soccer

Connecticut Huskies men's soccer
University	University of Connecticut
Conference	Big East
Founded	1939
Location	Mansfield, CT
Head Coach	Ray Reid (15th year)
Stadium	Joseph J. Morrone Stadium (Capacity: 4,407)
Nickname	Huskies
Colors	Blue and White
Home Away
NCAA Tournament Champions
1948, 1981, 2000
NCAA College Cup Appearances
1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000
NCAA Quarterfinal Appearances
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007
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
Conference Tournament Champions
1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Conference Regular Season Champions
1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009

The Connecticut 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.

History

Connecticut 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".^[1] Morrone would ultimately coach the team until he retired in 1994.

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.^[2]

However, in recent years, the Huskies have struggled in the NCAA Tournament, losing their openers on penalty kicks in both 2009 ^[3] and 2010.^[4]

The Present Day

UConn's student section is known as the Goal Patrol, and as of 2007, it is the largest in America with 540 members.^[5] 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.^[6] The Huskies and Red Storm have consistently been among the best teams in the Big East, and games between the two are always fiercely competitive.

External links

• UConn Men's Soccer

References

1. ^ If you build it, they will come, Daily Campus, September 30, 2008. Accessed September 4, 2011
2. ^ Division I Men's Soccer Champions, ncaa.org
3. ^ UConn Huskies 2009 schedule
4. ^ UConn Huskies 2010 schedule
5. ^ ESPN Soccernet
6. ^ College Soccer News Lists St. John's - UConn rivalry as sixth best RedStormSports.com, May 10, 2011, retrieved September 4, 2011