Seton Hall University
Bucknell
Men's Soccer Falls to Bucknell, 2-0
9/21/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 21, 2013
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - In its final warm-up before the start of the BIG EAST season the Seton Hall University men's soccer team fell to Bucknell University, 2-0, on Saturday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field.
In a game the Pirates (2-3-2) seemed to dominate on the offensive end, at least in terms of scoring chances, the Bison (5-2-0) were able to sneak an early goal past the SHU defense and add the insurance score in the 83rd minute.
Overall, Seton Hall fired a season-high 23 shot attempts and 12 shots on goal, but was unable to finish despite a plethora of quality chances and shots. Bucknell keeper Mike Lansing finished the game with 11 saves.
Forward Jesse Klug, who was named to the Patriot League Weekly Honor Roll last week, scored both goals for Bucknell. The early score came in the sixth minute as Connor Willings served a ball toward Klug near the far post that Seton Hall keeper Julian Spindler (Weiersbach, Germany) came out to play. Spindler was unable to knock the pass down and Klug easily finished into an empty net for his first goal of the game.
With time running low for the Pirates, Klug struck again in the 83rd minute to provide Bucknell with a two-goal cushion late in the game. Chris Thorsheim started the scoring play on the left side, passing to Austin Lenart who fired a shot off the far post. The rebound came out to Klug and he converted into an empty net for a second time for his fifth goal of the season.
Seton Hall was not without its chances and two of the best looks came late in the first half. With a little more than 9:30 remaining in the opening period, senior forward Max Garcia (Jersey City, N.J.) was fouled just two yards outside of the Bucknell goal box on the right side.
Freshman Samuel Geiler (Offenburg, Germany) attempted the free kick and passed it to Garcia on the far side; his initial shot was blocked but the rebound landed on the foot of junior Bolu Akinyode (Lagos, Nigeria) and Lansing was there to make the save on his attempt.
Just two minutes later Seton Hall would have been able to tie the game if not for a spectacular save from Lansing. Garcia chased down a long pass from Geiler on the right side of the field, and once controlled the pass he served a precision cross to sophomore Eric Lagg (Lafayette, N.J.) on the far side, and his powerful header on frame was snatched away by Lansing.
The Pirates outshot Bucknell by an 11-5 margin in the first half, and that disparity was even greater in the second half, where Seton Hall held a 12-4 edge. Early in the second period junior Konrad Plewa (Maniowy, Poland) found redshirt freshman Danny Bartok (Union, N.J.) through the Bucknell defense, but his shot from 15-yards out found Lansing.
While Seton Hall continued to apply pressure throughout the period the best chances to knot that game up came in succession with fewer than 13 minutes remaining.
The Pirates' best look of the day came with 12:30 left in the game, as Geiler served a corner kick to sophomore Julian Kennedy (Nindorf, Germany) at the near post. The 6-4 SHU defender managed to direct a headshot away from Lansing and toward the far side of the net, but a defender managed to clear it away just inches before it crossed the goal line.
Less than a minute later Plewa played a nice through ball to senior John Gurel (Istanbul, Turkey) and he dribbled down the left side and fired on net from 12-yards away, but failed to beat Lansing.
The loss was the first of the year for the Pirates at home, who sit at 2-3-2 overall heading into the start of BIG EAST play; after starting the season 0-2 Bucknell has now won five straight.
Seton Hall returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 28, when it heads to Providence, R.I., to face the Providence College Friars in its BIG EAST opener. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
