Seton Hall University
Louisville
SHU Falls to Louisville at Home
10/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Prior to the start of the game Seton Hall celebrated Senior Day, honoring its five seniors who are wrapping up their careers with the Pirates, defender Cristina Barthel (Freehold, N.J.), defender Taylor Mims (Miller Place, N.Y.), forward Stephanie Soma (Franklin, Mass.), defender Rebecca Warrington (Magnolia, Del.) and goalkeeper Alyssa Kelly (Southampton, N.J.), in addition to team manager Kelsey VanderGroef.
Seton Hall had no shortage of scoring chances in the first half, thanks in large part to a number of contributions from its seniors, but strong play from Louisville goalkeeper Chloe Kiefer kept the Pirates from getting on the scoreboard.
Twice the Pirates looked to Soma with crosses into the box, but she was unable to connect either time. Mims served the first volley into Soma as she charged toward the near post, but Kiefer snagged the ball out of the air. In the 24th minute it was junior Katie Ritter (Hagerstown, Md.) with the cross to Soma, but once again Kiefer was there to punch the ball away moments before Soma was able to connect.
Barthel played a part in Seton Hall's other two quality opportunities in the first 45 minutes. In the 11th minute junior Brittney Albrecht (Mahwah, N.J.) served a great ball into the middle of the area off a corner kick that Barthel headed directly on net only for Kiefer to make the save.
It appeared as though the Pirates would come away with a score just minutes before the end of the half as Ritter was fouled 25-yards out from goal, leaving Barthel to attempt a set piece. Barthel fired a nearly perfect shot just below the cross bar but again Kiefer made a save, leaping up to tip the ball in the air and then come down with the rebound.
Kelly made a series of heads up plays in goal during the first half but the Cardinals did break through for a goal in the 34th minute.
Kelly knocked down a cross from Charlyn Corral in the 15th minute, allowing Soma to clear it out of the air, and dove to make a save on an Irene Young shot to the far post in the 31st minute.
Louisville managed to take advantage of a broken play in the 33rd minute as Charlyn Corral put in her sixth goal of the season. On a ball into the box the Pirates made a quick clear that was stopped 20-yards out by Corral, which she one-timed past Kelly into the upper 90.
The Cardinals tacked on another score early in the second half when Irene Young played Casey Whitfield into the zone on the left side and she managed to beat Kelly with a shot to the far post in the 50th minute. Whitfield nearly found space for another score only a few minutes later, charging on a breakaway and taking a diving shot from 15-yards out, that missed wide to the right.
Louisville's third goal came with fewer than two minutes to play as Whitfield played Corral in on the left side and she pulled the trigger on a low cross to the far post for her second goal of the game.
Offensively Seton Hall saw a number of runs fail to materialize, but did end up sending a pair of long shots on net with Kiefer making saves on attempts from junior Meghan Hayes (Fredon, N.J.) in the 79th minute and Albrecht in the 81st minute.
Louisville (9-4-3, 4-3-3) ended the game with an 11-7 edge in shots. Kelly made three saves in net for the Pirates.
Seton Hall (7-11, 2-8) concludes the regular season on Friday, Oct. 19, when it hosts Rutgers University at Owen T. Carroll Field at 7 p.m.
