It would have been quite a site to see the Hartford Hawks return from a road trip with two more wins. It would have been quite a feat to beat not one but two Big East teams. It would have been quite outstanding to see an upset over a nationally ranked team. Unfortunately the sports world is not one of should of, would of, could of. Soccer is a game of dids and did nots. The men DID NOT return from there road trip with two more wins. They DID NOT beat two Big East teams. They DID NOT upset a nationally ranked team.
Two games ago when Coach Gaspar decided to start Jordan Barr over Matt McElroy in goal, he thought this move would turn around the troubles of this team. McElroy did not get a the Hawks any victories in their first two games. The decision to take Matt out was indeed a smart one. Jordan Barr who spent last year as the backup for cartwheel expert Nenad Cudic finally got the start he waited so long for. He spectacularly shut out both Quinnipiac and CCSU in his first two games. On our newscast Friday night I mentioned that you should keep your eye on him. Perhaps he wasn’t ready for the big lights of the Big East. Luckily he has some time to get things together before conference games start.
Now that the record is 2-4 the decision is on Dan Gaspar whether or not he should change UHA’s strategy. Not a single goal was scored against St. John’s on Friday. Obviously going against a dynamic young goalie like Rafael Diaz and a fantastic defense shouldn’t equal much scoring. However when you know you’re playing a better team it is important not to let them score 3 goals.
The men did start to click against Rutgers. Gaspar commented to Hartfordhawks.com that, “The Hawks managed to get on the scoreboard first. Statistically, the match was well-balanced. The Hawks won their battles and competed…”. After a close bout they managed to walk off the field as the losers after allowing a goal in double overtime.
Next on tap for Hartford is Hartwick next Saturday and then Conference matchups start with UAlbany the week after. Will the men lie down and let the season go down hill like they did against St. Johns or will they fight and stay close like they did against Rutgers? This is a team with dual personalities, which one will show up on Saturday?