Seton Hall University
Monmouth
Victor Manosalvas Lifts Pirates Past Monmouth, 1-0
9/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Box Score | Box Score 
| Highlights
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall University men's soccer team will be riding a bit of momentum into the start of BIG EAST play as the Pirates closed out a three-match home stand with a 1-0 victory over Monmouth University on Tuesday night.
Redshirt senior Victor Manoslavas (Clifton, N.J.) continued his capital senior campaign, netting the game-winner in the 33rd minute, his team-leading fifth goal of the season and the first game-winner of his career. Manosalvas, who had scored one goal through his first three seasons at Seton Hall, currently ranks in the top-30 nationally in total goals and points per game.
As important for The Hall was the defensive effort. Coming off a 5-4 loss to Princeton on Sept. 14, the Pirates have now posted back-to-back shutouts, blanking No. 18 George Mason in a 0-0 tie last Friday. It is the first time Seton Hall has recorded a shutout in consecutive games since 2010, when it held Saint Peter's and Pittsburgh scoreless in two-straight efforts at Owen T. Carroll Field.
Seton Hall finished its longest home stand of the season with a 1-1-1 record, and improved to 2-2-2 overall heading into the start of BIG EAST play this weekend. The Pirates head to the Windy City to face DePaul University in its conference opener on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (ET).
On Manosalvas' game-winner on Tuesday night, senior midfielder Bolu Akinyode (Lagos, Nigeria) initiated the scoring play, dribbling through the Monmouth defense in the middle of the field.
As he entered the area, Akinyode dumped a pass to senior forward Kai Greene (South Orange, N.J.), who flanked him on the left side, and a moment later, Greene played up to Manosalvas, who was wide open 10-yards out from net, and he converted the easy finish to the far post.
Akinyode recorded his first assist of the season on the play while Greene picked up his second; Greene is second for The Hall in scoring with three goals and a pair of assists for eight points.
Five minutes after giving SHU the lead Manosalvas nearly found the back of the net a second time. Freshman John Philbin (Emmaus, Pa.) played a pass into Manosalvas at the 18-yard line and he bent a screamer toward the far post, missing by little more than a foot.
Late in the second half he recorded his second shot on goal, narrowly missing an opportunity to pad the Pirates' lead once again. Monmouth kept Seton Hall pinned in its own zone for a majority of the second period, but after finally clearing a goal nearly materialized off a counter on the other end.
Freshman Patrick Burd (Hillsborough, N.J.) crossed from the right side to Manosalvas at the near post, and he swiftly placed a header on frame, but Eric Klenofsky had the answer, knocking the shot out of play.
The Hawks had their best look at tying the game with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Julian Spindler (Weiersbach, Germany) came up with the biggest of his four saves on the night to snuff out the attack.
Monmouth's leading scorer Dom Sarle came out of the midfield, and played a pass to Dan Pizzimenti behind the Pirate defense. Spindler made an aggressive play out to the ball, meeting Pizzimenti as he attempted the shot, and sophomore back Shawn Morrison (York, Pa.) was there to clear the ball out of play.
Spindler, who was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week after making seven saves against George Mason last Friday, now has a career-high three shutouts, and has posted consecutive clean sheets for the first time in his career. He made four saves against Monmouth and lowered his GAA to 1.40.
