Pirates Face Butler on the Road Wednesday Night
10/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Butler Match Notes 
| Live Stats
The Pirates are in a tie for eighth-place with four points and a 1-4-1 mark in conference play, but The Hall trails sixth-place Marquette by just two points, and are four points behind fifth-place Villanova.
All 10 BIG EAST squads have three regular season matches remaining, but if SHU is going to jump into contention for a postseason berth, chances are that move will have to come with some points on the road, as two of its final three regular season matches are away from home.
Seton Hall snapped a several year point drought with its tie at Villanova earlier in the month, but on Wednesday night the Pirates will take aim at their first conference road win since 2009.
Butler, which is also tied for eighth with four points, like most teams in the league has been much more difficult to beat on its home turf. The Bulldogs are 4-2-0 at Varsity Field, and scored a big upset with a 1-0 win over then No. 7 Marquette back on Oct. 15. But overall, Butler has lost four of its last six matches, getting shutout three times, including in its last two contests.
Despite struggling to pick up wins, the Pirate had been finding a way to score as of late, with the 3-0 loss to No. 23 Providence on Saturday afternoon marking the first time this month the team failed to score a goal.
Getting off to a fast start remains a critical element to Seton Hall's success. The Pirates are 0-7-2 when allowing an opponent to score first, which Butler did last year in its 2-0 win in South Orange, taking a 1-0 lead into the half after a goal in the 40th minute.
Offensively, the Bulldogs have seen three players account for 13 of their 16 scores, with David Goldsmith and Jeff Adkins leading the way with five goals apiece.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BUTLER
Seton Hall lost its first-ever meeting against Butler, 2-0, last year in South Orange. Despite outshooting the Bulldogs, 12-10, and sending five shots on target, the Pirates were unable to capitalize on any of their chances. The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 21 at the time, scored the game-winner in the 40th minute, adding an insurance goal in the 76th minute.
QUICK HITS
- Seton Hall saw its two-match point streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to No. 23 Providence last weekend. It was the first time the Pirates were kept off the scoreboard in the month of October and the first time SHU failed to score in a BIG EAST contest this season.
- With three regular season matches remaining, Seton Hall is still firmly in the race for a BIG EAST Playoff position. The top six teams in the conference compete in the postseason, and the Pirates currently trail sixth-place Marquette by just two points. SHU hosts the Golden Eagles this Saturday night at 7 p.m.
- This will be Seton Hall's first-ever trip to Butler and just the second all-time meeting between the new league foes.
- Goalkeeper Julian Spindler has been enjoying an outstanding October. He matched a career-high for the third-time this month, stopping eight shots against No. 23 Providence last Saturday afternoon. He is averaging 7.3 saves per contest over the last three matches.
- Spindler was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20 for the first time in his career. Additionally, sophomore Shawn Morrison was tabbed as the conference Defender of the Week after assisting on the game-winner in the shutout win over No. 3 Georgetown.
- The win over Georgetown was the first victory for Seton Hall over a top-five team since a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Connecticut on Oct. 30, 2011. That was also the last time The Hall picked up a shutout against a BIG EAST opponent.
- Butler has lost four of its last six matches, but picked up a 1-0 win over No. 7 Marquette back on Oct. 15. The Bulldogs have seen four of their five wins come on their home field, where they are 4-2 this season.
