No. 21 Pirates Draw Villanova in Rain-Soaked Affair

Saturday, October 11

Villanova, PA

1 PM

Seton Hall University

5-2-5, 2-0-2

Villanova

4-4-4, 1-1-2

Seton Hall

Villanova

No. 21 Pirates Draw Villanova in Rain-Soaked Affair

10/11/2025 3:34:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

VILLANOVA, PA. – Amid a rain-soaked afternoon, the No. 21 Seton Hall men's soccer (5-2-5) drew Villanova (4-4-4, 1-1-2 BIG EAST), 1-1, at Higgins Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
In the opening stages of this matchup, the Pirates' offense pressured Villanova's defense, but they would not break. As the momentum shifted, however, a Sam Bjork goal in the 40th minute put The Hall in front 1-0. The Wildcats quickly responded, however, scoring two minutes later to draw the game even at 1-1 heading into the break.

As the rain poured in the second half, both teams struggled to find a blow that would put them in front. Despite a late charge from the Pirates, they could not find an answer, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

With the draw, The Hall moves to 5-2-5 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
As the wind swirled amid oncoming weather, the Pirates pressed hard at the start of the game to find the lead. Through the first 33 minutes, the Pirates' pressure led to seven corner kicks and multiple free kicks. However, The Hall remained unable to convert any of them into goals. A trio of Wildcat substitutions shifted momentum in favor of the home side, but the Pirates quickly shut that down. Amid another attacking blitz, sophomore Pyry Lampinen passed a ball to Sam Bjork, who, with swiftness, layered the ball through levels of Villanova players to the far post, handing the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute.

Bjork did all the calculations for that goal📏#HALLin🔵⚪️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/yHC1x3by9n
— Seton Hall Men's Soccer (@SHUMSOC) October 11, 2025

That lead would not last long, however, as in the 41st minute, Villanova's Zachary Miles floated a header that just glanced off the far post and into the goal to tie the game at 1-1. That goal ended Matias Molina's three-game shutout streak and was his first allowed in BIG EAST play this year.

As the rain poured down at the start of the second half, the Pirates began to struggle for footing on the defensive end. While they held off the Wildcats in the early stages, they desperately needed to find a counter punch to break the deadlock. As the clock ticked down, after a flurry of yellow cards and increasing rain, the Pirates eventually found multiple chances in the final twenty minutes. The Hall logged six shots in that span, but Villanova kept them all out of the back of the net, drawing the game 1-1 as the final whistle sounded.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Seton Hall recorded 11 corner kicks to Villanova's five.
The Pirates outshot the Wildcats 13-10.
Bjork netted his second goal of the season and sixth of his career.
Lampinen logged his first collegiate assist.
Molina allowed his first goal in over 300 minutes and his first in BIG EAST play this season

NEWS & NOTES

Seton Hall moves to 5-2-5, while Villanova moves to 4-4-4
The Pirates are now 2-0-2 in BIG EAST play, while the Wildcats move to 1-1-2.
The Pirates now hold a 23-16-3 record against the Wildcats.
- This was the 42nd all-time matchup against Villanova, with the first meeting occurring in 1984.

UP NEXT
Seton Hall will return to action on Friday, October 17, when the Pirates play host to Akron in South Orange. Game time is scheduled for 6:56 p.m. EST and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.