No. 8 Pirates Fall 1-0 to Providence in BIG EAST Opener

Published: Saturday, September 21, 2024

by Lauren Reese

PROVIDENCE, R.I - The No. 8 Seton Hall men’s soccer team looked red hot going into their matchup against Providence College, staying unbeaten in six games, with numerous player accolades from weeks on end. But in a Friday night matchup of two aggressive sides battling for their first conference play win, the Pirates could not keep their streak alive, facing their first loss of the season to the Friars in a 1-0 score. 

As kickoff commenced and the teams settled into their playing styles, the Friars repeatedly utilized quick through-balls and give-and-go plays. The Pirates could not keep up with that pace, as a give-and-go play in the 21st minute resulted in a Friars goal. Providence midfielder Rodrigo Vaza received the quick ball on the left side from his teammate, tore into the box leaving multiple Pirates helpless, and slotted the ball on the far post of Pirates’ goalkeeper Matias Molina. Molina went on to have four saves total on the night, but the one goal allowed proved to be all the Friars needed. 

The Pirates struggled to find a shot of their own until the 36th minute, when Sam Bjork had a screamer that ripped too far to the left. The whistle for halftime blew shortly after, and Seton Hall found themselves down a goal, going into the half, for the second straight game.

Coach Andreas Lindberg's side hoped to have a result similar to their most recent game against Harvard, where they came back and scored three goals out of the break to win it. Sure enough, they came back out looking reenergized and more pressing, trying to test the Friars' backline as much as they could in an attempt to force a defensive mistake. 

But physicality soon became the story of the night, as 12 fouls occured in the second half, alongside 10 in the first. The aggressive energy tested both teams throughout the half, but it wasn’t until the 84th minute that the Pirates found themselves in the most ideal position to attack. Jack Kossoudji was fouled in the penalty box, drawing both a penalty kick and an opportunity for a last-minute hero. Instead of the usual penalty kick taker Jon Vignir Petursson, who has converted his last 2-2, the Pirates sent Virgil Dall’Agnol to the spot. But Dall’Agnol drove too much force behind it, sending it way over the crossbar. The Pirates could not find any more energy left in the tank after such a demanding matchup, as the game concluded with a final score the same as it was at the half. 

The last time the Pirates were held scoreless over 90 minutes was a little over a year ago, in their 3-0 loss to St John’s in mid-October 2023. Their next matchup will be against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on September 24th, with kickoff at 6:56 pm on the home turf of Owen T. Carroll Field. 

Lauren Reese is a Sports Web Editor and Assistant Sports Director at WSOU

She can be reached at lauren.reese@student.shu.edu

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