Seton Hall University
Marist
Players Mentioned
Riley Tallies Game-Winner in 2-0 Win at Marist
8/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 22, 2014
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Junior D'Yonna Riley (Washingtonville, N.Y.) tallied the first goal of her collegiate career in the 23rd minute of the season opener at Marist on Friday, a strike that would ultimately prove to be the game-winner in a 2-0 Seton Hall victory over the Red Foxes.
The victory was the first for Seton Hall (1-0) under new head coach Rick Stainton and improved the Pirates' record against Marist to a perfect 4-0 all-time.
Despite the home field advantage for the Red Foxes, it was The Hall that produced the most dangerous opportunities in the early going. Sophomore Frankie Maier (Oradell, N.J.) tested Marist (0-1) keeper Andrea Wicks in the ninth minute, opening a stretch in which Seton Hall would out-shoot the hosts, 4-to-0, over the first 28 minutes.
The fourth and final shot in that spell came from Riley, who collected a cross from classmate Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) and fired a shot past Wicks to put the Pirates on top for good. The score doubled the career point total for Riley who entered the season with two assists over 35 appearances after occupying a primarily defensive role in her first two campaigns in blue & white.
Inserted in a starting role after playing in 13 matches during her first year at The Hall, Gulli also notched her first career point on the play.
Junior goalkeeper Gina Maiorana (Street, Md.) made her first start since 2012 and helped keep the Pirates in front in the 29th minute when she denied Preseason All-MAAC honoree Amanda Epstein. The Seton Hall defense turned away the ensuing effort from Nicole Gerber to quell the threat and would limit Marist to just two attempts over the remainder of the match.
The Hall took a one-goal lead into halftime and after a back-and-forth first 20 minutes of the final period, sophomore Sarah Cortes (Paramus, N.J.) nearly doubled the Pirates' advantage. Less than a minute after coming on for Gulli, Cortes - the team's top returning scorer from 2013 - found space for a shot that once again forced Wicks into action.
In the 75th minute, Cortes would factor in the play that ultimately led to the second goal of the night as she was the last Seton Hall player to get a touch on a cross from Maier before the ball eventually ended up in the back of the net as an own goal for Marist.
The Red Foxes nearly pulled one back soon after but freshman midfielder Jackie Saint John (Paramus, N.J.) came up with a key clearance to help maintain the clean sheet.
The final threat came in the 86th minute when Jamie Strumwasser rung one off the post for Marist but Maiorana would close out the fifth shutout of her career as Seton Hall sealed the victory. The win also pushed the junior's career total to six in nine matches in which she has been credited with the decision (6-3-0).
One of the toughest defensive squads in the BIG EAST last season, the Pirates starting back line of Melissa Blevins (Laurel Springs, N.J.), Emily Hansinger (Mount Laurel, N.J.), Andrea Palermo (Caledon, Ontario) and Alyssa Stipcak (Mt. Airy, Md.) effectively stifled the Marist attack, yielding just one shot on goal.
Seton Hall returns home to host Rider on Monday, August 25 at 7 p.m. The Pirates will be looking to extend a 13-match unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents at Owen T. Carroll Field that dates back to the 2010 season.
A live broadcast will be available on the Pirate Sports Network and game updates will be available through @SetonHallSoccer on Twitter.
