No. 22 Pirates Stave Off Late Surge, Defeat Rutgers 3-1 On the Road

Published: Monday, September 9, 2024

by CJ Weipz

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Seton Hall traveled down the NJ Turnpike tonight to defeat in-state rival Rutgers 3-1 in their first matchup in 15 years. The Pirates capitalized on an early red card given to Rutgers' captain Joey Zalinsky, granting the visiting squad a man-up advantage for nearly 70 minutes of play.

Before the red card, both teams were playing evenly. Seton Hall created some quality chances early, including a key opportunity for senior Tim Strobeck, but the Pirates remained empty-handed. Rutgers responded by maintaining good possession, slowly developing their attack, but struggled to break into the Pirates' defensive third. Defenders Arnar Adalsteinsson and Devon Stopek controlled the middle of the field, anchoring the defense.

Seton Hall kept pushing, generating several more chances on breakaways, including a two-on-one situation for Mans Saeebo, who just missed the net. The Pirates also recorded the first booking of the match, with Jon Vignir Petursson receiving his first yellow card of the season. Although Rutgers began gaining some momentum, the red card for Zalinsky forced the Scarlet Knights into a more cautious offensive approach.

Despite it being their fourth consecutive game playing a man down, the Scarlet Knights needed time to adjust to the ten-man formation, giving the Pirates an opportunity to settle in and finally convert. Liam Guske opened the scoring in the 31st minute for Seton Hall, off a lofted ball from Axel Burglend into the box. Ten minutes later, Tim Strobeck scored his first goal of the year, extending the Pirates' lead to 2-0 at halftime.

Rutgers came out strong after the break. Despite being down a man for 25 minutes, the Scarlet Knights grew more comfortable and began applying pressure, creating several opportunities in the attacking third. Rutgers recorded all seven of their shots in the second half, with Matty Lynch and Kristofer Arnarsson each contributing two shots off the bench. The pressure finally paid off when Ola Maeland took advantage of a Matias Molina mistake, slotting the ball into an open goal and cutting the lead to 2-1 with under 20 minutes remaining.

The Scarlet Knights kept pressing, but the Seton Hall back line—having allowed only one goal in their previous five matches—held firm, preventing any dangerous threats from Rutgers. With time running out, Rutgers goalkeeper Ciaron Dalton joined the attack, allowing Jared Smith to score the game-sealing goal on a breakaway in the 88th minute, ending Rutgers’ comeback hopes.

The win marked Seton Hall's first victory at Rutgers since the 2006 season, and their 6-0-0 start is the first time the Pirates have remained undefeated through six games since 1971. Seton Hall will face Harvard on Saturday, September 14, at 1 p.m. at Owen T. Carroll Field.

CJ Weipz is an Assistant Sports Director at WSOU 89.5 and can be reached at christopher.weipz@student.shu.edu. 

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