No. 22 Pirates Shutout Columbia to Remain Undefeated

Published: Friday, September 6, 2024

by Tommy Fee

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The No. 22 Seton Hall Pirates (4-0-0) faced off against the Columbia Lions at 7:00 p.m. at Owen T. Carroll Field. Entering the match undefeated, Seton Hall aimed to maintain their strong start to the season.

The Pirates dominated early and maintained control throughout the first half. A foul on the Lions during a rare one-on-one breakaway allowed the Pirates to regain possession, with the breakaway being one of the few offensive opportunities for Columbia. Jared Smith’s shot for the Pirates was saved with 24 minutes remaining, followed closely by another save from Columbia’s netminder, Dean Kelliher, off a shot by Seton Hall’s Virgil Dall’Agnoll. A sharp-angled shot by the Pirates was deflected out in the 26th minute, leading to an unconverted corner kick. Shortly after, Tim Stroebeck's attempt narrowly missed wide.

Shortly after, the Pirates regained possession, and the mounting offensive pressure overwhelmed the Lions. The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when sophomore Thomas Sellwood found the net, assisted by Rikard Cederberg and Jack Kossoudji, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. As the first half wound down, the Pirates remained in control, allowing only two shots from the Lions, neither on target. Meanwhile, the Pirates’ relentless attack produced five shots, with three on goal, including the successful conversion.

Following a strong first half and a miscued pass from Columbia, the Pirates nearly capitalized on a high-danger opportunity, but the Lions' goalkeeper snatched the ball to stop the momentum. This triggered a rare counterattack for Columbia, resulting in a shot on goal saved by Seton Hall’s goalie, Soren Jensen. In the 62nd minute, two rapid shots from Columbia’s Ryan Yang were thwarted by Jensen, who deflected the first and caught the second, keeping the Lions scoreless. Another Lions’ shot was quickly deflected, and the ensuing corner kick in the 66th minute was cleared. Shortly after, Rikard Cederberg’s shot for the Pirates was followed by a Lions' attempt, which was easily saved by Jensen.

In the final 10 minutes, the Lions, feeling desperate, intensified their physical play. The Pirates responded in the best way possible, with a goal from Sam Bjork in the 81st minute to extend their lead to 2-0. Bjork later received the first yellow card of the match in the 85th minute. As the game neared its conclusion, two quick shots from the Lions' Luka Peric in the 87th minute were stopped by Soren Jensen, who made another crucial save shortly after on a shot by Joe McDaid, sealing the Pirates' victory.

With a commanding 2-0 win, the Pirates improve to a perfect 4-0-0, their best start since 2008, reinforcing their No. 22 ranking in the AP polls. Their unrelenting offense and stalwart defense allowed them to control possession for most of the match, recording 13 total shots. This undefeated record puts them at the top of the Big East standings. Top performers included Thomas Sellwood and Sam Bjork, each scoring a goal, while goalkeeper Soren Jensen made 7 saves, leading the Pirates to a dominant shutout victory.

Up next, the Pirates face a road matchup against in-state rival Rutgers (3-2-0) on Monday, September 9, at 7 p.m. in Piscataway. 

Tommy Fee can be reached at thomas.fee@student.shu.edu. 

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