Seton Hall University
Creighton
WSOC Earns 1-1 Draw at Creighton
10/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
OMAHA, NEB. - Junior Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) buried a 54th minute penalty kick to help the Seton Hall women's soccer team earn a 1-1 draw at Creighton and women's pick up its first point of the BIG EAST season on Sunday in what was the program's first-ever trip to Omaha.
The Pirates move to 3-7-3 overall and 0-3-1 in conference play and remain unbeaten in four overtime matches this fall (1-0-3).
Sophomore keeper Illissa Blackshear (West Orange, N.J.) tied a career high with eight saves against what was the most potent attack in the league entering the day. Blackshear was not beaten in the run of play in the 110-minute affair but could not keep out an Ylenia Sachau effort from the penalty spot as the Bluejays (9-3-1, 1-2-1 BIG EAST) equalized just under four minutes after The Hall had moved ahead.
The teams went into the intermission scoreless after Blackshear made three saves to keep Creighton off the board. Gulli fired a shot for The Hall in the 20th minute that traveled wide and helped set up another chance soon after when her corner kick was met by the head of junior co-captain Emily Hansinger (Mount Laurel, N.J.) but the Pirates failed to notch a shot on target in the period.
Freshman Jackie Saint John (Ridgefield, N.J.) provided the initial test for Creighton keeper Danielle Rice in the 52nd minute and Rice was called into action again when Angie Shehaj (East Brunswick, N.J.) found space for a shot just over one minute later but neither found the back of the net.
As The Hall continued to pressure, Gulli unleashed a shot with just over 53 minutes gone that was blocked on its way towards net. The referee ruled that it had been illegally deflected by the hand of a Bluejays defender; awarding a penalty kick to the Pirates.
Gulli stepped up to the spot and beat Rice to put Seton Hall on top, 1-0, with her first goal in a Pirate uniform. The Toms River product entered the match with three assists to her credit and now stands as the squad's points leader with five for the season.
Blackshear stopped the first shot from Creighton after the Pirates moved ahead but the advantage proved to be short-lived. In a scene reminiscent of what had transpired on the other end, The Hall was whistled for a hand-ball inside the area on a shot from Alyssa Jara. The substitute Sachau slotted the ensuing penalty kick home to level the score for the hosts with her fourth goal of the year.
Saint John and freshman Andrea Palermo (Caledon, Ontario) each landed a shot on target prior to the end of regulation but each was turned away by Rice. Blackshear came up with three more saves in the second half following the penalty kick, stopping Madelyn Buckner in the 88th minute to send the match into extra time.
The Pirates worked space for a shot in the opening minutes of both overtime periods but only a 105th-minute effort from Creighton's Summer Khalil found the target in extra time but Blackshear was there once again to quell the threat.
Blackshear's eight-save performance matches a personal-best she established earlier this year against Monmouth (9/1). For the week, the sophomore totaled 10 stops against #15/15 DePaul and the Bluejays, allowing just two goals to a pair of sides that were each averaging over 2.5 goals per game entering their contest with the Pirates.
Seton Hall returns home to host Xavier next Sunday, October 12. Start-time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Owen T. Carroll Field.
