Looking to end their three-game losing streak, the Seton Hall women’s soccer team faced the Creighton Bluejays at Owen T. Carroll Field on Thursday, Oct. 24.
The Pirates fell short of their goal after a dominant performance from Creighton; the Bluejays outshot them 13-8 with seven shots on goal compared to Seton Hall’s three. Creighton extended their winning streak to four games, while the Pirates suffered their fourth straight loss.
Although starting the game strong, Seton Hall would concede early on. After earning a free kick in their half, Creighton’s junior goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac would step up to take the set piece with her teammates waiting in Seton Hall’s box. Once taken, the ball would fall to Stella Downing, a senior midfielder for Creighton who would score for the Bluejays in the seventh minute of the game.
Connecting with her fellow Canadian teammate, Zalac would earn the first assist of her collegiate career with the goal – an impressive feat considering her limited role in the offense as a goalkeeper.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, the Bluejays would extend their lead in the 20th minute with a goal from senior forward Ariana Mondiri. After a deep cross from the right wing delivered by fellow senior Maddie Radke, Mondiri would score via a header in the Pirates’ box.
This would be Mondiri’s fifth goal and Radke’s third assist of the season, both of which led the Bluejays in their respective categories. As such, the Bluejays would end the first half with a comfortable 2-0 lead and a dominant performance thus far.
Going into halftime with a 10-2 shot differential in favor of Creighton, the Pirates hoped to be more aggressive in the second half. They would do so, as they would record six more shots, one of which resulted in a goal for the Pirates.
The goal would be credited to freshman midfielder Nina Davis, who converted her second goal of the season via a deflection in Creighton’s box. However, the goal would come with less than 10 seconds left in the game, too late for the Pirates to mount a real comeback. In the end, the Bluejays dominated the game against the Pirates, with their defense being too suffocating and their offense too difficult to stop.
The Pirates’ current record is 4-11-3, and they faced the Marquette Golden Eagles at Owen T. Carroll Field on Thursday, Oct. 31.
Zach Mawby is the Assistant Sports Editor for The Setonian. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu
