The shots were firing against Villanova in the final game of the season for Seton Hall, but the Pirates could not get any past the keeper on Wednesday night, ultimately losing by a final score of 1-0.
The lone goal of the contest came in the second half, with Villanova midfielder Zach Zandi putting in a shot from the right side of the field off a cross. The Pirates were unable to respond, dropping the game which was the final contest for seven seniors – Nico Andersen, David Arvidsson, Spencer Burkhardt, Tomas Greco, Nick Najera, Gabriel Viola and Morten Wenaas.
The first half of the match was quiet from both sides. There were 12 combined shots from the teams, with seven of them coming off the boots of the Pirates. Making his first start of the season, goalkeeper Steven Catudal was able to keep a clean sheet for the first 45 minutes of the game, fending off five Villanova shots with two saves.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
In the second half, after an early goal with only ten minutes passing, Seton Hall played as aggressive as it could, totaling 17 shots in the final half of the season. Although forwards Carlton McKenzie and CJ Tibbling gave it their all with a combined 13 shots, five and eight, respectively, Seton Hall could not avoid the shut out.
Despite being held scoreless tonight, McKenzie and Tibbling were a wealth of offense during the 2018 campaign, as McKenzie will finish with the most shots in the Big East, while Tibbling will finish second.
This season was also a major improvement for the Pirates, as they wound up with a final record of 6-7-2, tied for the most wins since the 2013 season. The team’s winning percentage also increased from 38 percent last year to 46 percent this year. In addition, under first year head coach Andreas Lindberg, the program achieved its best winning percentage since the 2006 season.
The program is ready to turn it around, as it has already improved majorly since its winless season in 2015. It goes to show that with a great coach at the helm, and players hungry to win, the possibilities are expanding to make way for a bright future for the men’s soccer program.
Robert Fallo can be reached at robert.fallo@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @robert_fallo.
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