Senior midfielder Andrew LoManto’s score in the 69th minute helped the Seton Hall University men's soccer team shock Georgetown, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field. It was the Pirates’ first Big East win of the season.
Shupirates.com
Redshirt senior Victor Manosalvas sent a long through-ball to sophomore defender Shawn Morrison and the ball sent him toward the end line down the right side.
The Pirate defender dashed down the pitch and controlled the ball and sent a centering pass with his left foot back to the middle of the area.
LoManto, who was running to get open, came in 15-yards out from net, received the pass and took a low shot toward the far post for the score. It was LoManto's first goal of the season, third of his career, and the second time he netted a game-winner for The Hall. The previous time was in 2012 in a match against Rider.
Seton Hall's (4-6-3, 1-3-1) remarkable win was the first over a top-five team since the Pirates defeated No. 3 Connecticut at Owen T. Carroll Field back on Oct. 30, 2011. It is also the highest-ranked opponent to fall to The Hall since head coach Gerson Echeverry took over prior to the 2012 season.
Echeverry stressed all week on the importance of capitalizing on opportunities when the Hoyas were susceptible on defense.
“We needed to know that we could get them on a counter and when we counter we have to counter with numbers and that’s how the goal came,” Echeverry said.
The Pirates had lost six-straight to Georgetown (7-3-4, 2-2-1) and seven of the last eight in the series, picking up their first win over the Hoyas since 2006. Seton Hall has now defeated at least one ranked opponent for the fourth-straight season.
With the win, Seton Hall strengthened its position in the race to qualify for the Big Est tournament, a distinction reserved for the top-six teams in the conference. With four conference matches remaining, the Pirates currently have four points and sit in a tie for fifth place with Marquette, Villanova, DePaul and Butler.
“Every time you get a win over a team like this, it’s a boost and this game solidifies us because it’s one of the best teams in the country so it gives an opportunity for guys to believe in ourselves,” Echeverry said after the match.
Seton Hall will look to keep the momentum rolling next weekend, when the team hosts the Providence Friars on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Owen T. Carroll Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Christian Pierre-Louis can be reached at christian.pierrelouis@student.shu.edu or on twitter @CPierreLouis_.
