STORRS, Conn. — Michael Mordocco won a national championship as a UConn player two decades ago.

On Friday night, he took the LIU men's soccer team to Joseph J. Marrone Stadium and beat his alma mater.

Ben Assane Fall scored the game-winner and fellow lethal striker Emil Jaaskelainen added a second-half goal as the Sharks topped UConn, 2-0.

"This is certainly a very, very big win for me personally and for our program," Mordocco said. "I'm just glad my guys gave me that performance tonight. Hopefully we can maintain it.

"This was a special one. I wanted this one badly. The guys really gave it their all for me tonight."

Goalkeeper Eoin Gawronski made four saves to produce his first clean sheet as a Shark.

It marked the second time this season that Fall has scored the decisive goal. He also produced the game-winner in the season opener at Stony Brook, in his return from an ACL tear that cost him all but one game last season.

Against UConn, Fall collected the ball after a defender muffed it and then dribbled past the goalkeeper before rolling the ball into the goal with his left foot.

LIU beat Stony Brook 2-1 in the season opener, then took an early lead at Monmouth in Game 2. However, things unraveled in the latter match, with the Hawks tallying three second-half goals.

The Sharks (2-1) more than rebounded Friday before the announced crowd of 2,328 in Storrs.

On the traffic-laden, 4½-hour bus ride from Long Island to the stadium in Connecticut, Mordocco showed the team a behind-the-scenes video chronicling the 2002 U.S. men's soccer team's run to the final eight at the World Cup.

The Sharks then enjoyed their own big moment upon arriving in Storrs.

"The group really stayed together," Mordocco said. "They were brave. And they were committed to the game plan.

"We defended a lot. But we have two really special players up top who can change a game. And that's what happened tonight."