Seton Hall University
1-6-2
Albany
4-5-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT 1 | OT 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALBANY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seton Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Team Stats
GULLI, Amanda (3)
Assisted By: DAO, Lauren , STIRPE, Julia
Bicycle kick at far post after corner de
100:52
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Gulli's Golden Goal Lifts Pirates over Albany
9/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Senior Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) came up huge in the clutch on Sunday afternoon, putting the Seton Hall women's soccer team back on course with a bicycle kick that proved to be the decisive strike in a 1-0 double-overtime victory for the Pirates over visiting Albany.
The golden goal was the third of the season for the Toms River product and lifted The Hall (1-6-2) to its first win of the season. The Pirates' leading scorer over the last two seasons, Gulli also collected the first-career game-winning goal of her career at Seton Hall with that moment of brilliance.
Less than a minute into the second period of extra time, Seton Hall earned a corner kick that was delivered from the flag on the right wing by junior Frankie Maier (Oradell, N.J.). Maier's service floated into the center of the area where amongst a mass of players where freshman Julia Stirpe (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) knocked it back into the scrum for fellow newcomer Lauren Dao (Collegeville, Pa.) to get a touch that directed the ball to Gulli at the far post where she acrobatically powered it past a sprawling Alana Brennan for the win.
Both Stirpe and Dao were credited with an assist on the play; earning the first points of their respective collegiate careers. For Dao, the touch sealed a milestone afternoon that also saw her make her first start for the Pirates on Sunday.
The opportunity to come away with a win in extra time came on the strength of a stellar defensive performance in which a back line of Cathy Chukuka (Marlboro, N.J.) and co-captains Emily Hansinger (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and D'Yonna Riley (Washingtonville, N.Y.) severely limited the number of quality chances for Albany (4-5-0) throughout the day.
After making her first appearance of the season against Cornell Thursday, junior Illissa Blackshear (West Orange, N.J.) returned to a starting role between the posts for the Pirates and totaled three stops to keep the Great Danes at bay and pick up the clean sheet.
Turning Point
Early pressure for The Hall in the second period of extra time led to the team's third corner kick of the afternoon and the sequence that produced the golden goal
Goals
SHU - 101st minute - Gulli (3) - Bicycle kick from short range at far post following corner kick
Head Coach Rick Stainton on the victory:
"This means a lot for us, because it's a result that shows that our team has believed in the process. We have challenged ourselves with a competitive schedule, and this is a very pleasant way to finish off the non-conference schedule before we start a brand new season in BIG EAST play."
Inside The Numbers
- Gulli has now scored four of the Pirates' last seven goals dating back to last season
- Blackshear has yet to allow a goal in over 167 minutes of action this season and recorded the sixth shutout of her career in the win. All six of those games have reached double-overtime with Seton Hall posting a 2-0-4 record
- Head coach Rick Stainton and The Hall continued what is now a nine-match unbeaten streak in games that have reached overtime over the last two seasons. The run has seen the Pirates post a 2-0-7 in matches that have reached extra time, including a 1-0-2 record this season
- Helpers from Dao and Stirpe were the second and third by a Seton Hall freshman this season, as the two joined fellow newcomer Eva Gonzalez (Mesquite, Texas) on the scoresheet. Gonzalez, who missed Sunday's contest while away at training with the Mexico U20 side, assisted on Gulli's previous score against Penn (8.30). Newcomer Delaney Suarez (Bergenfield, N.J.) also headed home a late corner kick to help SHU earn a draw at LaSalle
- The shutout was the eighth for The Hall in 1+ seasons under Stainton
News & Notes
- Blackshear has now allowed one goal or less in 13 of her 17 career appearances (15 starts); all of which have come over the last two seasons.
- Seton Hall improved to 4-0-1 when scoring first in the Rick Stainton era
- Two of the Pirates last three non-conference wins have now come by a 1-0 score line in double-overtime. Jackie Saint John (Ridgefield, N.J.) netted the first goal of her career to lift The Hall to victory at Army on September 12, 2014
- Despite missing Sunday's contest, Gonzalez is expected to return to the Seton Hall lineup ahead of next week's BIG EAST opener at St. John's (9.27)
Up Next
SHU and St. John's will kick-off conference play next Sunday in Queens. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. as the Pirates will make their first of seven appearances on the BIG EAST Digital Network and FOX Sports Go this season.
