Seton Hall Women's Soccer Win Season Opener against Marist Red Foxes

Published: Friday, August 16, 2024

by Patrick Corsello

[SOUTH ORANGE, NJ] After a long wait, Seton Hall athletics have finally begun. Owen T. Carroll Field was the place to be Friday night, as a women's soccer tilt held a matchup between the Pirates and the Marist Red Foxes. The Pirates prevailed 2-1 thanks to the goalscoring efforts of Natalie Tavana and Chiara Pucci. 

Additionally, this was the season opener for both squads, as each looked to start on the right foot (pun not intended). However, neither team were able to produce much offense in the first half, as both defenses and goalkeepers (Maddy Catalanotti of Marist and Anna Prawer of Seton Hall) were on point. It was a back-and-forth half, with both sides having good chances but no success. Like all teams do, the Pirates worked tirelessly this offseason to prepare for the upcoming year. However, in a season opener, there is usually some rust that needs to be shaken off. This game seemed to be the case; it was a feeling-out process in the first half, as besides a few solid chances, not much offense was produced. 

But the second half was when things got interesting. With the way things went, you could say it was straight out of a movie. Former Seton Hall Pirate Mailee McDermott opened the scoring for her Red Foxes squad. This was McDermott’s first career goal against her former team, as she transferred to Marist from Seton Hall this past summer. But just one minute after play had resumed, Natalie Tavana quickly answered with a goal of her own, tying the score at 1 apiece. Still, the Pirates were not done just yet. In the 76th minute, Tavana was knocked down, at first to no call from the referee. It was then reviewed, which at the ref’s discretion, resulted in a penalty kick for the Hall. The kick was taken by senior Chiara Pucci, who after a little stutter step, scored her first goal of the season and the first of her collegiate career.

That would ultimately do it, as the Pirates walk away with a 2-1 victory. Natalie Tavana is my player of the game today, scoring the goal that tied the game and drawing the penalty that resulted in the game-winner. The Pirates look to stay on the right track in their next matchup away this Sunday at Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Patrick Corsello can be reached at patrick.corsello@student.shu.edu

 

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