SHU Makes Home Debut to Kick-Off Holiday Weekend
9/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
ON TAP:
MATCH 5: Seton Hall (0-3-1) vs. Duquesne (2-1-0) | Friday, September 4 (4:00 p.m.) | | Pirate Sports Network (FREE)
MATCH 6: Seton Hall at Monmouth (3-0-0) | Monday, September 7 (2:00 p.m.) | ESPN3
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Soccer season finally makes its way to South Orange this weekend as the Seton Hall women's soccer team is set to make its home debut against Duquesne on Friday as part of a two-match weekend slate that will see the Pirates visit Monmouth on Labor Day.
The Hall (0-3-1) opened up with four matches away from home and returns to Owen T. Carroll Field where the squad has finished unbeaten against non-league foes in three of the last four years.
Senior Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) has led the offense thus far, tacking on two goals in four games to her team-leading point total from a season ago. While the veteran once again tops the Pirates' scoring list, it was one of the team's 11 freshmen in Delaney Suarez (Bergenfield, N.J.) who came up huge for SHU at LaSalle, heading home a Frankie Maier (Oradell, N.J.) corner kick in the dying embers to help the Pirates emerge with a 1-1 draw at LaSalle.
Another newcomer, goalkeeper Anna MacLean (Thunder Bay, Ontario), turned away 11 shots against the Explorers - a season-high for BIG EAST goalkeepers two weeks into the 2015 campaign. A starter in the first three contests, MacLean's 11 stops were the most by a Seton Hall keeper since Jennifer Pettigrew recorded 15 saves against top-ranked Virginia in 2013.
The Pirates and the Dukes will be meeting for the first time in the history of the respective programs while SHU and Monmouth have squared off in 20 of the Pirates' 21 seasons. Friday's matchup can be seen live, as can all five of Seton Hall's home events this weekend, on the Pirate Sports Network.
The match against the Hawks can be seen live on ESPN3 on Monday. Throughout both matches, live updates will be available on Twitter through @SHUWSOCCER
PIRATE POINTS
- Monmouth is the most frequent opponent in program history with The Hall holding a 12-5-3 all-time advantage
- Seton Hall will be in West Long Branch for "Christie Rampone Day" as the Monmouth product and FIFA Women's World Cup champion will be honored by her alma mater. SHU head coach Rick Stainton previously worked with Rampone while at Sky Blue FC
- Freshman and Mexico U-20 International Eva Gonzalez (Mesquite, Texas) picked up her first collegiate point with an assist on the Pirates' lone goal at Penn last time out
- Senior Emily Hansinger (Mount Laurel, N.J.) has played all 380 minutes through four matches
- Senior goalkeeper Gina Maiorana (Street, Md.) started in place of MacLean and made a career-high eight stops
- MacLean and Maiorana have combined to make a BIG EAST-best 28 saves entering the weekend
- 15 different players have earned a start for Seton Hall through the first four matches
