Pirates Season Comes to an End in Rhode Island With 1-0 Loss to Bryant

Published: Monday, November 24, 2025

by Jack Pine

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The Seton Hall Pirates 2025 season came to an end on Sunday night, as they fell to the Bryant Bulldogs 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA DI Men’s Soccer Championship. Bryant will now face Saint Louis in the next round.

Seton Hall immediately got off on the wrong foot in this one, allowing multiple breakaways by Bryant, which quickly put pressure on the backline. The Pirates’ calling card has always been their toughness, a trait that usually helps them control a match. On Sunday, however, it was the Bulldogs who controlled the match with their speed.

The Bulldogs’ went into the bag of tricks early, attempting a bicycle kick early on. This would not reach the net, but it would set the tone for how the rest of the game played out. Anytime a Pirate attempted to dribble the ball up the pitch, a Bulldog or two was there waiting to contest him.

It looked as if Bryant’s early pressure would yield quick results in the 7th minute, after yet another breakaway resulted in a ball sneaking by Pirates’ goalkeeper Matias Molina, but the goal was called back due to an offsides. Despite the Bulldogs’ quick pace, the first half was still full of mistakes and missed opportunities.

After 45 minutes, Bryant had control of the match, but no points to show for it. The Pirates and Bulldogs entered halftime in a scoreless tie.

The start of the second half was a mirror image of the first half, as the Bulldogs once again came out with their hair on fire, stealing the momentum again. Bryant played with absolutely no hesitation from start to finish.

Seton Hall, meanwhile, struggled to create any sort of offensive attack. The Pirates had a decisive edge in corner kicks, but each attempt looked worse than the one before it. Of course, none of these were converted.

The Bulldogs finally pulled ahead in the 57th minute, after Mamadi Jiana found Muslim Umar for a header that sailed to the right of Molina, putting Bryant up 1-0 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Not only did Bryant outpace The Hall with their energy and speed, but they outmuscled them too. The Bulldogs committed 14 fouls, while the Pirates were only called for seven. On a night when toughness is usually the Pirates’ edge, Bryant managed to beat them at their own game.

The Pirates began to get desperate after this, as their time continued to run short. They were able to create some last chance opportunities in the attacking zone, but none resulted in a goal.

One last corner kick in the final minute was pulled down with ease by Enzo Carvalho and safely discarded toward midfield as the seconds bled away and the Pirates season came to an end in a 1-0 defeat.

The Pirates will look very different next season, with countless seniors and graduate students set to depart. But with players like Til Kauschke, Giacomo Mana, and many others set to stay and grow as team leaders, the expectations will always be high for the Seton Hall Pirates.

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

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