Seton Hall University
Rider
Greene Scores Twice in Exhibition Victory
8/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Senior Kai Greene (South 0range, N.J.) scored a pair of goals in the opening period and redshirt sophomore Danny Bartok (Union, N.J.) tacked on the game winner late in the game as the Seton Hall University men's soccer team bested Rider University, 3-2, in an exhibition contest at Owen T. Carroll Field on Tuesday night.
The two teams played an unorthodox three-period format to total 110 minutes of action. The Pirates came out strong in the opening 40 minutes, controlling the pace of play while staking claim to a 2-0 lead. However, Rider came back to tie things up in the second period, and shoring up some defensive mistakes and decision making is what SHU head coach Gerson Echeverry wants to see his team improve before the start of the regular season next weekend.
"I think right now there are some things that we were doing better in the spring," said Echeverry. "I am not sure if we were too anxious tonight, but we weren't as organized as we needed to be. The ball movement wasn't as sharp as it had been throughout the week in practice and we couldn't get ourselves going. It was not quite the performance we were looking for, but the team has been working hard, I think there were some tired legs out there, and I think we can attribute some of the mistakes to that."
SHU's first goal came in the seventh minute, as senior midfielder Konrad Plewa (Maniowy, Poland) dribbled up the middle of the field as senior captain Bolu Akinyode (Lagos, Nigeria) screened a defender to give him room to work.
Plewa sent a deep ball to Andrew LoManto (Massepequa, N.Y.) on the right side, who settled and sent a long cross to Greene at the far post. LoManto's pass initially appeared as if it was going to sail long, but Greene leapt in the air and headed the ball back in play, and Rider goalkeeper David Pastuna failed to make a play, resulting in the early strike.
Greene's second goal of the period came off a set piece after redshirt senior Victor Manosalvas (Clifton, N.J.) was fouled just outside of the area. Greene attempted a free kick for the Pirates, bending a shot over the Rider defensive front and out of the reach of a diving Pastuna toward the left corner of the goal.
Rider cut the Seton Hall lead in half when a Pirate defender was whistled for a hand ball in the box off an effective set piece from the Broncs. A deep pass was sent in from the left with a header on goal, leaving the SHU defense on its heels.
On the penalty kick attempt, keeper Mario DeClerico (Maple Shade, N.J.) initially made the stop on Rider's shot, laying out to his right for the save, but the goal came off a rebound.
Rider's second goal came off a set piece on a ball that was fired through the Seton Hall wall. DeClerico was there to turn away the initial shot, but a rebound was hammered into the back of the net.
"I think there were some silly fouls and set plays that we really need to be better at," said Echeverry. "Overall certain guys need to remember what their roles are out on the field, they are trying to do a little more than what is being asked of them and that led to too many mistakes. That is something we will have to clean up in order to have success against some of the dangerous teams on our schedule."
The game winner game in the eighth minute of the third period, as Bartok received a pass in space along the right side, just outside of the Rider box. After juking a defender, he lined a shot on target and Pastuna was unable to make a save on the close-range strike.
Seton Hall wraps up its preseason with a second home exhibition contest, as the Pirates host Bloomfield College on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The regular season will get underway on Friday, Aug. 29, when Seton Hall travels to the University of Rhode Island.
