VIDEO
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/082015aaa.html
Aug. 20, 2015
Seton Hall Game Notes (PDF)
ON TAP:
MATCH 1: Seton Hall vs. William & Mary | Friday, August 21 (4:30 p.m.) | Live Stats
MATCH 2: Seton Hall at James Madison | Sunday, August 23 (2:00 p.m.) | Live Video | Live Stats
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The 2015 season is finally here as the Seton Hall women’s soccer team heads to Harrisonburg, Va. where the Pirates will take on William & Mary and the host Dukes at the James Madison University Invitational to kick-off the campaign this weekend.
Head coach Rick Stainton brings a new-look side into his second year at the helm for The Hall as the Pirates’ roster of 27 features 11 newcomers that will add depth in every aspect of the game. Seton Hall also brings back eight starters - including five of its seven goal scorers from last season - and returns the heart of a defensive unit that established itself as one of the most consistent in the conference last fall.
The Hall proved as much in a pair of exhibition victories over Delaware and Iona after traveling to Green Mountain College for a four-day training camp and the team will look to carry such successes into the regular season this weekend.
The trip to Harrisonburg is a fitting opening to a challenging slate that awaits the Pirates as William & Mary and James Madison are two of eight opponents for The Hall that finished among the RPI Top-100 at the conclusion of last season.
You can follow the opening match against the Tribe online through the link above while Sunday’s meeting with the Dukes can be seen live, for free, through the James Madison University athletic department’s streaming service MadiZONE. You can also follow @SHUWSOCCER on Twitter throughout the weekend for updates.
With just over one day remaining until the season opener, let’s take a closer look at the 2015 Pirates and the road ahead:
WE’RE BACK…
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/082015aaa.html
Aug. 20, 2015
Seton Hall Game Notes (PDF)
ON TAP:
MATCH 1: Seton Hall vs. William & Mary | Friday, August 21 (4:30 p.m.) | Live Stats
MATCH 2: Seton Hall at James Madison | Sunday, August 23 (2:00 p.m.) | Live Video | Live Stats
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The 2015 season is finally here as the Seton Hall women’s soccer team heads to Harrisonburg, Va. where the Pirates will take on William & Mary and the host Dukes at the James Madison University Invitational to kick-off the campaign this weekend.
Head coach Rick Stainton brings a new-look side into his second year at the helm for The Hall as the Pirates’ roster of 27 features 11 newcomers that will add depth in every aspect of the game. Seton Hall also brings back eight starters - including five of its seven goal scorers from last season - and returns the heart of a defensive unit that established itself as one of the most consistent in the conference last fall.
The Hall proved as much in a pair of exhibition victories over Delaware and Iona after traveling to Green Mountain College for a four-day training camp and the team will look to carry such successes into the regular season this weekend.
The trip to Harrisonburg is a fitting opening to a challenging slate that awaits the Pirates as William & Mary and James Madison are two of eight opponents for The Hall that finished among the RPI Top-100 at the conclusion of last season.
You can follow the opening match against the Tribe online through the link above while Sunday’s meeting with the Dukes can be seen live, for free, through the James Madison University athletic department’s streaming service MadiZONE. You can also follow @SHUWSOCCER on Twitter throughout the weekend for updates.
With just over one day remaining until the season opener, let’s take a closer look at the 2015 Pirates and the road ahead:
WE’RE BACK…
- The Pirates return 16 players from last year including eight that recorded 10 or more starts throughout the year
- Senior co-captains Emily Hansinger (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and D’Yonna Riley (Washingtonville, N.Y.) will again anchor an experienced back line. Hansinger averaged 88 minutes/game in Stainton’s first year while Riley has recorded over 1190 minutes in each of her three seasons
- Senior Melissa Blevins (Laurel Springs, N.J.) and junior Frankie Maier (Oradell, N.J.) were the only two Pirates to start all 18 matches last fall
- Blevins, Hansinger and Riley have combined to make 135 appearances and 107 starts for The Hall
- Maier led The Hall in shots (27) and shots on goal (13) as a sophomore, playing the entire match on 10 occasions
- Senior Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) returns up front where she made 17 starts in 2014 and directly factored into half of the Pirates’ goals on the season
- Junior Sarah Fiorino (Glen Rock, N.J.) made 10 appearances and eight starts last year after only playing 59 total minutes as a freshman. Fiorino was one of three returning Pirates who scored their first collegiate goal last season along with Riley and Jackie Saint John (Ridgefield, N.J.)
- Saint John ranked second on the team behind Maier in shots on goal as a freshman and added an overtime game-winner at Army
- Sophomores Katie Landes (Stony Point, N.Y.), Lauren Hall (Bridgewater, N.J.) and Andrea Palermo (Caledon, Ontario) each made at least 14 appearances in their debut seasons. Landes was one of six Pirates to appear in all 18 matches while Palermo earned 14 starts in 15 matches played
- Junior goalkeeper Illissa Blackshear (West Orange, N.J.) recorded 66 saves and five shutouts in 14 starts. Senior Gina Maiorana (Street, Md.) appeared in seven games with four starts and enters the year with a 6-6-0 record as a starter
- The Pirates welcome 11 true freshmen to the fold this season, the second-most in the league behind Butler
- Goalkeeper Anna MacLean (Thunder Bay, Ontario) earned the start in both of Seton Hall’s exhibition matches and did not surrender a goal in 105 minutes of action
- Speedy forward Tanika Roach (Somerset, N.J.) netted the game-winner against Iona on Sunday
- Emily Rimdzius (Cherry Hill, N.J.) has stepped in and earned extensive time in both defensive midfield and center back roles
- Lauren Garcia (Staples, Conn.) came on late in the exhibition against Delaware and assisted on the game-winner by Frankie Maier
- Mexico U20 international Eva Gonzalez (Mesquite, Texas) has returned from national team training camp and is poised to add a creative presence in the midfield
- Governor Livingston product Julia Stirpe (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) has impressed early with her ability on the ball; contributing to an improved attack
- Taylor Cutcliff (Springfield, Pa.) has added yet another option at the back for head coach Rick Stainton, playing as part of a unit that did not concede in the run of play during the preseason
- SarahGrace Johnson (Freehold, N.J.) and Delaney Suarez (Bergenfield, N.J.) supplement an attack that has placed an added emphasis on pressuring higher up the field
- Lauren Dao (Collegeville, Pa.) appeared in both exhibitions in a wide midfield role as part of a re-worked formation the Pirates have been working to employ in the preseason
- Freehold native Sophia Duffy was recently cleared for full action meaning Stainton will have all 11 newcomers at his disposal to start the year
- Seton Hall allowed one goal or less in eight of its nine non-conference matches in its first season under Stainton including one total goal allowed in its last four matches leading into conference play
- The Pirates are 5-1-1 in games which current members of the team have scored a goal
- The Hall and William & Mary are meeting at an in-season tournament for the third time in the last four years. The Tribe claimed the previous two matches, 1-0.
- 12 of SHU’s 18 matches last fall were decided by one goal or less
- The Pirates have earned a result in their last four season openers – the last two of which have come on the road – amassing a 3-0-1 record over that stretch.
SHU Women's Soccer @SHUWSOCCER 
John Fanta @John_Fanta 
Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria 
Patrik Auda @Czechmeeout