White Scores Two As Second-Ranked Men's Soccer Bests Yale, 2-1

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 24, 2007) - O'Brian White (Scarborough, Ontario) scored his NCAA-leading 16th and 17th goals to propel the No. 2 University of Connecticut men's soccer team's 2-1 win over Yale Wednesday night at a rain-soaked Reese Stadium. With the win, the Huskies improve to 13-2-1 on the year, while the Bulldogs dip to 2-6-4.

White started things off at the 26:00 mark with a goal off assists from Oscar Castillo (El Monte, Calif.) and Ryan Cordeiro (Highland Mills, N.Y.). The junior forward received the ball about 20 yards out and beat two defenders while crossing into the penalty area. He then fired a hard grounder into the lower right 90.

The goal stood as the Huskies' lone tally of the half, marking the fifth time in six games that UConn scored in the opening period and the 10th that they have led at the half.

The sloppy weather slowed the second half down on both sides as it took until the 68th minute for either team to get a shot off. Chukwudi Chijindu (Fontana, Calif.) persevered, receiving a pass from Roberto Sgueglia (Schenectady, N.Y.) on the right side and getting off a hard shot that was saved by Yale's Erik Geiger (four saves).

Yale fired back in the 75th minute when Aden Farina-Henry tried to advantage of an open net and sent a hard shot that was blocked by Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Chino Hills, Calif.) in front of the goal to keep the score 1-0 in favor of the Huskies.

White stretched it to two just about five minutes later with his 17th goal of the year on a give-and-go with Chijindu. White brought the ball through the middle of the penalty area and passed it out to the right to a waiting Chijindu, who fired it back to White on the left side of the goal box for him to stuff it into the left side of the net.

Kevin Pope foiled the shutout in the 89th minute when he poked the ball in from four yards out off an assist from Liam Leonard.

The Huskies return to action Saturday against Marquette at 7:00 p.m. in Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. The match is the last home regular season game of the year and marks senior night for six members of the UConn soccer family: Chukwudi Chijindu, Cordeiro, Julius James, Louis Jones, Robert Naverette and Steve Sealy.