Robert Cavicchia was ‘in the zone.’

The senior goalkeeper on the Syracuse men’s soccer team turned aside shot after shot from No. 5 Connecticut. UConn kept trying to find a way to beat Cavicchia, which had only happened four times this season.

In the 101st minute, though, UConn found a way to beat Cavicchia – a beautiful header from reigning Big East offensive player of the year and M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner (best collegiate soccer player) O’Brian White.

The shot gave the defending Big East champion UConn a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Syracuse Sunday afternoon at SU Soccer Stadium and overshadowed a great effort by Cavicchia.

‘I think for me personally this was probably my best game so far,’ Cavicchia said. ‘Minus the Notre Dame game, this is the most I have been challenged, and I think I did what I had to do, and unfortunately, that last goal I think was perfectly placed.’

While Syracuse (5-2-2, 2-2) out-shot UConn (5-1-3, 3-1), 19-12, the Huskies had more shots on goal, 7-6. Cavicchia saved two shots each half and two in the first overtime. Several times, he stopped shots that he had minimal time to react to, sometimes leaving the Huskies frustrated.

In the 11th minute, Cavicchia fully extended to make a diving stop to his right on White’s shot, a common sight Sunday. White had six of UConn’s seven shots on goal.

‘Rob is doing his job, and there are going to come times when you play against good teams that are going to threaten the goal and he did his job,’ said SU head coach Dean Foti. ‘A goalkeeper makes the saves they are supposed to make and makes a couple of really good ones when you play against the good teams, and he did that today.’

As the game wore on, UConn’s opportunities to score increased because of Syracuse’s lack of offensive production. The Orange had 14 shots in the first 60 minutes, but managed only five more over the last 41 minutes.

In the first overtime, UConn spent time on the attack for about nine of the 10 minutes. Cavicchia punched a floating ball out of the Syracuse goal area to prevent a possible close-range shot early in overtime.

In the 96th minute, Cavicchia again stoned White by deflecting the ball just enough with his right cleat to prevent the goal. After seeing the ball safely roll out of bounds, Cavicchia took a deep breath, almost in relief. His ability to keep such a highly touted team off the board for more than 100 minutes of play earned praise from his teammates.

‘It’s a big time game playing No. 2 (Soccer America Poll) in the country,’ said junior defender Pete Hill. ‘He’s worked hard the entire last year to get ready to make saves like that and play in big games like this and keep us, with the exception of that one last play, in the games and he’s done a great job all year.’

Cavicchia could only do so much. Before a minute passed in the second overtime, Akeem Priestley found White in the center of the box for a header that sailed right of Cavicchia’s dive and ended the game.

Cavicchia said it was a beautifully executed goal. Hill said there was a little breakdown in the defense, but when White gets opportunities like that, he’s going to convert them. Foti said the play is why the Huskies are so highly ranked and why White was the recipient of the Hermann award, which he called soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

The goal left a sour taste in Syracuse’s mouth, but the goalie seemed to take the loss rather upbeat. He knew he had played a great game and at least could take some consolation that it took a header by the best player in the country in the 101st minute to beat him.

‘Definitely, it feels better to get beat by something I felt was beautifully executed,’ Cavicchia said. ‘I mean, yeah, I’m not happy but I’ll take away the fact it was great goal. If they had scored on a questionable goal, it would not feel good at all. It makes it a little easier.’

mrehalt@syr.edu

Published on September 28, 2008 at 12:00 pm