Seton Hall
An ejection was costly in the Pirates' 4-0 loss to Butler
Date: October 19, 2019By: Justin Morris
Penalties, penalties, and more penalties would be an accurate way to summarize the performance put on by the Seton Hall men’s soccer team in their game against conference opponent Butler on Saturday.
The penalty bug that has bitten this team as of recent seems like it has had a lasting effect. Seton Hall was forced to start the game without one of their leading goal- scorers, senior forward Carlton McKenzie, who was required to sit out due to a red card he received in their previous matchup against No. 12 Georgetown. That trend continued as Butler rolled into town, and it was mental miscues, not physical ones, that ultimately led to the Pirates downfall.
The crowd for the game was a sea of Seton Hall blue, and one of the biggest the men’s soccer team has had on the year. The occasion: Seton Hall weekend, an annual event put on by the University to bring parents, alumni and fans together for a celebration of their beloved school.
The weekend featured tons of food, attractions, and even an open practice and autograph session with the men’s basketball team. The designated sports event for the day was the men’s soccer game, at which the Seton Hall faithful hoped to continue their celebratory fun. Visiting Butler, however, did not provide a warm welcome for fans, controlling the majority of the game from the outset.
Time of possession was superiorly owned by the Bulldogs, and they used their dominating ball control tactics to score two early goals on a Hall defensive line that looked desperate for answers. Joel Harvey put the first goal in, tapping in an easy dribbler from a well-placed through pass to take a 1-0 lead, and Butler never looked back from there. Freshman speedster Wilmer Cabrera Jr. scored their second, rifling past the defense to blast a header past goalkeeper Andreas Nota.
Things turned from bad to worse in the second half. Pressure began to mount on a frustrated Pirates squad, and the penalties started to stack up. Sean McLeod received a yellow card for a push to the back of a Butler defender, and multiple whistles blew throughout the second’s opening minutes.
The real blow though for Seton Hall though, came on a controversial play call that was deemed “violent action” on captain Stephen Elias, for which he was given a red card. This put their leading goal-scorer out for not only the rest of the Butler contest, but the Pirates’ next game as well.
The Bulldogs quickly capitalized on a shorthanded Hall squad, putting in two more goals before the game’s final whistle to make the score 4-0. On offense, production was few and far in between, and any chances the Pirates had on goal were abruptly thwarted by Butler goalkeeper Gabriel Gjergji.
McLeod barely missed a curler over the top right corner of the net in the closing minutes of the second half, but otherwise Butler was able to keep their offense at Bay. The Hall’s goalkeeper, Andreas Nota was not too shabby either, but he wasn’t able to get much support from his defense.
His slew of saves couldn’t have been untimelier, with many coming during irrelevant garbage time minutes. The outlying discrepancy between the Pirates and Bulldogs: shots on goal. Butler absolutely outmatched the Pirates in that category, and that, along with penalties, were listed as key areas to fix entering the remainder of their conference schedule according to coach Andreas Lindberg.
They will see Xavier for their next matchup, which will be played on Wednesday in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 7 p.m.
Justin Morris can be reached at justin.morris@student.shu.edu.
