No. 15 Pirates Draw No. 24 UConn in Physical Contest

Published: Saturday, September 28, 2024

by Jack Pine

STORRS, Conn. – In a hard-fought battle, the No. 15 Seton Hall Pirates held the No. 24 UConn Huskies to a scoreless draw in their second conference match of the season. The Pirates now hold a 7-1-1 overall record, with a 0-1-1 mark in Big East play.

Right from the opening whistle, it was clear that this was going to be a hard-fought battle, with the early minutes seeing little in the way of clear chances. However, the match quickly turned physical, with UConn’s Kieran Chandler committing a foul just two minutes into play. A series of fouls followed, with Til Kauschke heavily involved in the action. By the 17th minute, Kauschke had already been whistled for four fouls, setting the tone for the Pirates’ aggressive midfield play.

UConn responded with pressure of their own, and in the 16th minute, Eli Conway took the first shot for the Huskies, which was saved by Molina. The match's intensity continued to rise, with Kwame Adu-Gyamfi receiving a yellow card in the 28th minute, followed by a yellow card issued to the UConn team. Seton Hall’s Nico Rubio joined the list shortly after, receiving a yellow card in the 34th minute.

The Pirates began to push forward toward the end of the first half. Sam Bjork attempted a shot in the 37th minute, but Kerkvliet made a comfortable save. Seton Hall’s offensive momentum was stifled by two offside calls just before halftime, sending the teams into the break in a scoreless tie.

The second half saw a renewed attacking effort from both sides. UConn’s Eli Conway took another shot in the 47th minute, this time aiming for the top left corner, but Molina made a crucial save to keep Seton Hall in the match. The Pirates began to create more chances, with Kauschke finding a solid opportunity in the 63rd minute, though his shot sailed just over the crossbar.

Despite Seton Hall’s increased pressure, UConn’s defense held firm, anchored by Kerkvliet, who was having a standout night in goal. He made several key saves in the second half, including crucial stops on shots from Jack Kossoudji in the 73rd minute and Ralph Pascarella in the 86th minute. Even though Seton Hall earned multiple corner kicks, they couldn’t capitalize.

Tensions continued to flare as the match wound down. A string of yellow cards were issued in the final minutes, including cautions to UConn’s Evan Pickering and Guillaume Vacter, as well as the Pirates' Agustin Resch. Both teams were determined to find a winner, but neither could break through, and the match ended in a scoreless draw.

The Pirates showed resilience on the road but still failed to win their first conference match of the season. The Pirates will continue Big East play this Friday, as they now turn their focus to Marquette. Miguel Freire and Patrick Corsello will have the call for that match, and coverage will begin at 7 p.m. on WSOU.net. 

Jack Pine is an Assistant Sports Director at WSOU 89.5 and can be reached at john.pine@student.shu.edu.

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