Seton Hall University
Rider
LoManto's Overtime Goal Leads MSOC
9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
LoManto fired two quick shots in succession to beat Rider goalkeeper Matt Perrella less than a minute into the extra period. His first shot was saved by Perrella but when it bounced back towards him he forced a header past the sprawling Rider keeper and into the right corner of the net.
The goal was the second of LoManto's career and his first-career game-winner. Seton Hall evened its overall record at 2-2 and avenged a 1-0 loss suffered to Rider last season.
Despite dictating play offensively through most of the first half, Seton Hall still found itself trailing in the waning moments of the opening period before breaking through for the game-tying goal with 18 seconds to play.
Rider capitalized on an early opportunity in the 12th minute to strike first and grab a 1-0 lead. The goal came off a set piece from 30-yards out that saw Brendan Noesges float a great ball in to Ryan Walsh just outside of the six-yard line that he headed past SHU goalkeeper Michael Kuzan (Union, N.J.).
Seton Hall finished the first half with a 9-3 advantage in shots and a 4-1 edge in corner kick opportunities, but it was not until a corner kick late in the period that the Pirates finally came away with a score.
LoManto took the corner kick for The Hall from the right side and sent a low bouncing pass into the box. The bouncing pass was difficult for either team to control and once it popped up into the air freshman defender Julian Kennedy (Nindorf, Germany) was there to head it on net.
Perrella had the answer for Kennedy's shot, punching it back into play, but freshman midfielder Eric Lagg (Lafayette, N.J.) cleaned up the deflection and put it home for the first goal of his career after making his first-career start earlier in the half.
The Pirates' other quality scoring chance in the opening half came from junior forward Max Garcia (Jersey City, N.J.), who earlier in the day was named to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll for scoring twice for The Hall last week.
Garcia finished the first half against Rider with a team-high three shots, but his one on net was reminiscent of his score against Princeton on Friday night as he blasted a shot from the left side, but Perrella was there to make the save.
The second half saw both teams take their chances on the offensive end, but neither squad came away with a game-changing score.
Seton Hall's best two opportunities came about 20 minutes into the half. Lagg took one of the most dangerous shots of the period for the Hall, firing a shot from 20-yards out that Perrella had to dive out to his right to prevent from finding the net.
Just two minutes later it was Garcia who came free in the area, but his point-blank shot hit directly into Perrella's chest and the score remained tied.
Rider's offensive pressure came late in the second half, and the Broncs had a number of strong scoring chances with under a minute to play, but they were denied each time.
A Matt Veltri header in the 90th minute was knocked away by the Seton Hall defense, giving Rider a shot at a corner kick with under 30 seconds to play. James Greco's corner was not immediately cleared out by the Seton Hall defense and Jens Warncke took a hard shot from 12-yards out, but it was blocked by a wall of defenders and the game went into overtime where LoManto won it with a header.
Seton Hall finished the game with a 17-11 advantage in total shot attempts, and the Pirates put eight shots on net compared to just two for Rider. Kuzan improved to 2-1 on the year after making a save in 90-plus minutes of action.
Seton Hall (2-2) returns to action this weekend when it will head to Norfolk, Va., to compete in the Old Dominion University Stihl Soccer Classic Tournament on Friday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 9. The Pirates face host Old Dominion on Friday at 7 p.m., and Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday at 12 p.m.
