Saturday, October 6
Owen T. Carroll Field (South Orange, N.J.)
7:00 PM
Seton Hall University
4
vs
1
Pittsburgh
Pirates Pummel Panthers, 4-1
10/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - For the second straight match the Seton Hall men's soccer team got on the board early and on Saturday night, the Pirates never looked back. SHU racked up four first half goals to power their way to a second conference win in four days, defeating visiting Pittsburgh, 4-1.
With the win, Seton Hall improved to 20-8-3 all-time against Pittsburgh (6-5-3, 0-4).
The Pirates dominated the run of play in the first half, keeping Pitt pinned deep in their own half. The offense set the tone early and posted the fastest goal scored in a match this season for the second-consecutive outing.
Fresh off a three-point performance in a win over Providence, junior George Velasquez (Union City, N.J.) provided the first strike of the night, starting what turned into an avalanche of goals for SHU in the period. The opener came in the fifth minute when Velasquez launched a volley from the top of the 18-yard box that tucked inside the right post. Max Garcia (Jersey City, N.J.) was credited with his second assist of the year on the play.
With just over nineteen minutes gone, Velasquez put his first career multi-score game in the books, finishing a play that featured a great display of skill from junior Christian Battistesa (South Sound Brook, N.J.). Battistesa eluded a number of defenders and fought off several challenges as he worked the ball down the left wing. Once he found himself in space, he sent a low driven ball across the face of goal that needed only a slight re-direct from Velasquez to give The Hall a two-goal advantage.
It was the second time that the two juniors have linked up in as many matches. Against Providence, Velasquez found Battistesa for a sixth-minute strike.
Moments after the lead was stretched to two, Garcia finished another offensive rush for the Pirates with a goal from point-blank range. Junior defender Chris Garcia (Rutherford, N.J.) started the play, taking the ball at midfield and working his way up the right side. His cross took a deflection from the head of Velasquez and caromed in front of the net. A rushing Garcia held off his defender and hammered it home off the crossbar.
The goal was a team-leading sixth of the season for Garcia, setting a new career high for the Pirates' leading scorer.
Pittsburgh would pull one back against the run of play, aided by an advantageous deflection. Seton Hall keeper Kevin Bonder (Whippany, N.J.) came off his line to punch away a probing long ball, stopping the initial rush. The ball eventually made its way out near midfield where Pittsburgh defender Alex Harrison collected and sent a chip from 45 yards out that cleared Bonder's head and found the back of the net.
The Pirates would increase the gap to three once again minutes before the horn as Garcia worked an effective 1-2 with substitute John Gurel (New Dorp, N.Y.). Gurel initiated the attack, bursting into space just past the midfield line. He carried towards the edge of the area and played to Garcia in a central position. Pitt goalkeeper Lee Johnston knocked the ball off Garcia's foot with a sliding challenge, but Gurel was there to slot it home for the first goal of his career and the fourth for the Pirates on the night.
It was the first four-goal half for Seton Hall since the Pirates put four on the board in the first period during a 4-1 win over VCU on September 7, 2008.
The second half did not pass without incident as each team produced a number of chances. In the end, the 4-1 score held up as the final tally thanks in part to Bonder, who came up with three saves in the final 45 minutes to keep the Panthers from inching closer.
SHU's four-goal outburst represents the most goals the team has scored since a 4-0 win over Pittsburgh on October 2, 2010, the last time the Panthers visited South Orange.
Seton Hall is now 6-5 overall on the year and 2-1 in BIG EAST play. The six total wins and two conference victories are the most since the 2008 season for the Pirates, and SHU moved its overall record above .500 for the first time this season.
During SHU's current two-game winning streak, the junior trio of Battistesa, Garcia and Velasquez has led the way. In the victories over Providence and Pittsburgh, Battistesa and Garcia each tallied one goal and two assists to add four points to their ledger. Velasquez erupted for three goals and two assists, more than doubling his career point total entering the week.
Bonder has also been steady in two straight starts in net, making six total stops and allowing just one goal in each match.
Seton Hall will look to continue its winning ways on Tuesday, Oct. 9, when the Pirates step out of conference for a road date with NJIT. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
With the win, Seton Hall improved to 20-8-3 all-time against Pittsburgh (6-5-3, 0-4).
The Pirates dominated the run of play in the first half, keeping Pitt pinned deep in their own half. The offense set the tone early and posted the fastest goal scored in a match this season for the second-consecutive outing.
Fresh off a three-point performance in a win over Providence, junior George Velasquez (Union City, N.J.) provided the first strike of the night, starting what turned into an avalanche of goals for SHU in the period. The opener came in the fifth minute when Velasquez launched a volley from the top of the 18-yard box that tucked inside the right post. Max Garcia (Jersey City, N.J.) was credited with his second assist of the year on the play.
With just over nineteen minutes gone, Velasquez put his first career multi-score game in the books, finishing a play that featured a great display of skill from junior Christian Battistesa (South Sound Brook, N.J.). Battistesa eluded a number of defenders and fought off several challenges as he worked the ball down the left wing. Once he found himself in space, he sent a low driven ball across the face of goal that needed only a slight re-direct from Velasquez to give The Hall a two-goal advantage.
It was the second time that the two juniors have linked up in as many matches. Against Providence, Velasquez found Battistesa for a sixth-minute strike.
Moments after the lead was stretched to two, Garcia finished another offensive rush for the Pirates with a goal from point-blank range. Junior defender Chris Garcia (Rutherford, N.J.) started the play, taking the ball at midfield and working his way up the right side. His cross took a deflection from the head of Velasquez and caromed in front of the net. A rushing Garcia held off his defender and hammered it home off the crossbar.
The goal was a team-leading sixth of the season for Garcia, setting a new career high for the Pirates' leading scorer.
Pittsburgh would pull one back against the run of play, aided by an advantageous deflection. Seton Hall keeper Kevin Bonder (Whippany, N.J.) came off his line to punch away a probing long ball, stopping the initial rush. The ball eventually made its way out near midfield where Pittsburgh defender Alex Harrison collected and sent a chip from 45 yards out that cleared Bonder's head and found the back of the net.
The Pirates would increase the gap to three once again minutes before the horn as Garcia worked an effective 1-2 with substitute John Gurel (New Dorp, N.Y.). Gurel initiated the attack, bursting into space just past the midfield line. He carried towards the edge of the area and played to Garcia in a central position. Pitt goalkeeper Lee Johnston knocked the ball off Garcia's foot with a sliding challenge, but Gurel was there to slot it home for the first goal of his career and the fourth for the Pirates on the night.
It was the first four-goal half for Seton Hall since the Pirates put four on the board in the first period during a 4-1 win over VCU on September 7, 2008.
The second half did not pass without incident as each team produced a number of chances. In the end, the 4-1 score held up as the final tally thanks in part to Bonder, who came up with three saves in the final 45 minutes to keep the Panthers from inching closer.
SHU's four-goal outburst represents the most goals the team has scored since a 4-0 win over Pittsburgh on October 2, 2010, the last time the Panthers visited South Orange.
Seton Hall is now 6-5 overall on the year and 2-1 in BIG EAST play. The six total wins and two conference victories are the most since the 2008 season for the Pirates, and SHU moved its overall record above .500 for the first time this season.
During SHU's current two-game winning streak, the junior trio of Battistesa, Garcia and Velasquez has led the way. In the victories over Providence and Pittsburgh, Battistesa and Garcia each tallied one goal and two assists to add four points to their ledger. Velasquez erupted for three goals and two assists, more than doubling his career point total entering the week.
Bonder has also been steady in two straight starts in net, making six total stops and allowing just one goal in each match.
Seton Hall will look to continue its winning ways on Tuesday, Oct. 9, when the Pirates step out of conference for a road date with NJIT. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
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