After climbing up the national rankings to No. 22 following their win against Manhattan (0-3-0), the Seton Hall Men’s soccer team hosted Columbia University (0-2-0) on Friday, Sept. 6. Looking to start the season 4-0-0 for the first time since 2008, the Pirates secured a 2-0 win against the Lions to extend their series lead against them to 14-4-3.
Although their considerable series lead may suggest Seton Hall dominates their local rivals, this particular win was anything but easy. The game started slow for the Pirates as they struggled with staying onside and containing Columbia’s early offense. And yet, the Hall would control the tempo of the first half through their savvy possession and playmaking as they waited patiently for a chance to score.
Their chance would finally come late in the first half following a group substitution in the 30th minute; with this substitution, the Hall would bring on sophomore midfielder Thomas Sellwood, who scored the first goal of his collegiate career in the 32nd minute thanks to a perfect pass from fellow substitute Jack Kossoundji.
Interestingly, it was a week of firsts for Seton Hall. Like Sellwood, Til Kauschke would also score the first goal of his collegiate career earlier this week, while being named Big East Freshman of the Week for the first time in his career as well. In addition, goalkeeper Soren Jensen would earn his first shutout of the season in this game against the Lions.
Although the Pirates were winning at halftime, it seemed neither team had the edge going into the second half. Columbia would start the second half far more aggressively than before, contributing to a highly competitive and tense environment, which saw the Pirates playing a more defensive game as the Lions were on the hunt for an equalizer.
The Pirates responded to this early aggression with their own as they tried to take back control of the game through a series of counter-attacks and corner kicks. They would finally seize control late in the second half as their bench continued to play a significant role in earning them the victory. Following a mistake at the back for the Lions, substitute defender Sam Bjork scored an easy insurance goal in the 81st minute to guarantee the win for the Hall.
Graduate goalkeeper Jensen was a key to the Pirates’ win, as he earned his first shutout of the season with seven saves; all of these saves came in the second half. His clutch performance showcased his quick reflexes and reaction time, which were essential in securing the win for the Hall against their local rivals.
Following the 2-0 victory, the Pirates look to go 5-0-0 for the first time since 2017. They head to Piscataway to face their rivals, Rutgers on Sept. 9.
Zachary Mawby is the assistant editor for the Setonian’s sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
