Women's Soccer Spring Update

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall University women’s soccer team continued its spring season with a pair of abbreviated scrimmages against Princeton and Stony Brook at Princeton’s Roberts Stadium on Saturday, April 13

The Pirates played to a 2-2 tie against Princeton in the first game of the day before getting back to work against Stony Brook in a game that also ended up all square, this time 1-1.

Both contests were 60-minute games featuring a pair of 30 minutes halves, providing head coach Kazbek Tambi with several quality opportunities to gauge how the team has developed and progressed during the spring.

“The main thing about Saturday is that we played two NCAA level opponents. It also was a bit of a fitness test because many of our players played 120 minutes and came through without problem which was a good sign,” Tambi said.

After giving up an early tally to Princeton within the first several minutes of the game the Pirates came back to score twice on the way to a 2-2 draw.

Junior Ashley Clarke (Paramus, N.J.), who tied the Pirates’ single-season assist record of eight last season, started the first play with a tremendous diagonal through ball to classmate Katie Ritter (Hagerstown, Md.). Ritter handled the pass on the run and made a strike from 15-yards out into the far left corner to put her team on the scoreboard.

Later junior Marie Klemme (Berlin, Germany) connected with freshman Christie Cherup (Wayne, N.J.) for SHU’s second score. From the right wing Klemme sent a perfect cross to Cherup in the area that she headed in for her second goal of the spring.

Against Stony Brook a heads up extra effort play from Ritter led to her second score of the day and third of the spring.

She took advantage of a poor pass along the backline intended for the Seawolves’ keeper by stepping in to create the takeaway and a fast-break chance. Ritter hustled to create some room to work and fired a shot on net from a wide angle to finish the play.

“We scored some really solid sophisticated goals which were really fun to see,” Tambi said. “The weekend was a great learning tool, we did take in some goals on a few mental mistakes that are very correctable and we came away with some good information.”

Playing two opponents Tambi had the opportunity to provide senior Jennifer Pettigrew (Kearny, N.J.) and freshman Gina Maiorana (Street, Md.) with work in the nets for a complete game. Pettigrew played all 60 minutes against Princeton with Maiorana stepping in against Stony Brook.

Seton Hall returns to the pitch on Friday, April 19, when it heads to Long Branch, N.J., to take on Monmouth University at 7 p.m.