Seton Hall University
Xavier
Pirates' Win Streak Snapped at Xavier
10/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 23, 2013
CINCINNATI, OHIO - The Seton Hall University men's soccer team saw its two-match winning streak come to an end with a 3-0 loss to BIG EAST foe Xavier University on Wednesday night at the XU Soccer Complex.
In the first-ever meeting between the two programs it was the Musketeers getting on the scoreboard early as senior John McDermott corralled a long pass from Nick Hagglund and beat Seton Hall keeper Julian Spindler (Weiersbach, Germany) with an effective shot off his left foot.
Xavier controlled the first part of the game, outshooting Seton Hall 6-0 before a frenzied Pirate attack to end the half nearly resulted in a tie game before the intermission.
Senior midfielder Max Garcia (Jersey City, N.J.) registered the first shot of the game for the Hall, a blocked attempt in the 40th minute that served as a catalyst for the SHU offense.
Four minutes later freshman midfielder Samuel Geiler (Offenburg, Germany) tested Musketeer goalkeeper Eric Osswald for the first time and fewer than 30 seconds before halftime Garcia fired a shot off the post, but Xavier managed to hold onto its one goal lead.
Having survived the Seton Hall surge at the end of the period, Xavier scored in the 69th minute to extend the lead to 2-0 and the Musketeers tacked on a third score in the waning moments of the contest; Gino De Paoli finished on a free kick that hit the bottom of the cross bar and bound and into the net in the 86th minute.
Xavier finished with a 9-7 advantage in shot attempts and a 5-2 edge in shots on goal; in addition to Geiler's shot late in the first half defender Jason Wellington (West Palm Beach, Fla.) sent the only other shot toward Osswald all night.
Seton Hall continues BIG EAST play on Saturday, Oct. 26, when it welcomes the No. 22 Creighton University Jays to Owen T. Carroll Field. Creighton won at Butler, 3-2, on Wednesday night, leaving the Pirates three points behind the Bulldogs for the sixth and final BIG EAST Tournament berth with three regular season matches still to play. Game time against Creighton on Saturday is 1 p.m.
