Oct. 2, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Second-half goals from senior captains Michael Thomas (Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) and Justin Morrow (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) propelled the No. 25 Notre Dame men’s soccer team to a 2-1 BIG EAST victory over Seton Hall on Friday night at Alumni Stadium. The win improved the Irish to 5-4-1 overall and 3-2-0 in league play.
Seton Hall (4-5-1, 1-3-1) struck first in the match as Brayan Martinez snuck a shot past the right post from 30 yards out in the 19th minute. The Pirates out shot the Irish 5-3 in the first half.
The Fighting Irish nearly evened the contest once play resumed following the goal. Senior forward Bright Dike (Edmond, Okla./Edmond North) attacked from the left side and sent a shot on goal that was deflected wide to the right by Seton Hall goalkeeper Paul McHenry.
The Pirates led 1-0 at halftime.
Notre Dame came out and pressured Seton Hall early in the second half. Thomas almost netted a goal less than five minutes into the stanza as he attempted a shot off an indirect free kick that was saved by McHenry.
The Irish capitalized on the pressure in the 51st minute as senior defender John Schaefer (Troy, Mich./Detroit Jesuit) was taken down inside the 18-yard box following a corner kick and Thomas converted the penalty kick. That was Thomas’ second converted penalty kick of the season and his fourth goal of the campaign.
Seton Hall nearly regained the lead in the 56th minute when Martinez sent a low shot on goal off a corner kick attempt and Irish goalkeeper Philip Tuttle (Hooksett, N.H./Brewster Academy) made a diving save to his right. The win improved Tuttle’s record to 4-2 on the season.
Morrow deposited the gamewinner in the 71st minute as he blasted a shot on frame form 35 yards away that slipped through McHenry’s hands and into the back of the netting. That was Morrow’s second goal of the season. Notre Dame out shot Seton Hall 11-2 in the second half and 14-7 for the match. The Irish also gained two more corner kicks (6-4) than the Pirates.
“We struggled in the first half, but I thought we really took control in the second half,” said Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark. “Full marks to Seton Hall. They came out and played a superb game and we didn’t play well in the first half. I told our guys at halftime that we were lucky because we were only down by one. We could have been down my more. Hopefully they learned the lesson that you can’t start a game that slowly. But I felt we did a really good job in the second half.”
Notre Dame was issued three yellow cards, while Seton Hall had two bookings.
The Fighting Irish are back in action when they travel to Marquette for a conference clash on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m. (CT).
Alumni Stadium • Notre Dame, Ind.
Oct. 2, 2009
Seton Hall (4-5-1, 1-3-1) 1 0 – 1
#25 Notre Dame (5-4-1, 3-2-0) 0 2 – 2
SH: Brayan Martinez (unassisted) 18:46; ND: Michael Thomas (penalty kick) 50:03; ND: Justin Morrow (unassisted) 70:32
Shots: SH 5-2 – 7, ND 3-11 – 14
Corner Kicks: SH 1-3 – 4, ND 2-4 – 6
Saves: SH 5 (Paul McHenry – 90:00 – 2 ga – 5 svs – L); ND 1 (Philip Tuttle – 90:00 – 1 ga – 1 sv – W)
Fouls: SH 11, ND 8
Offsides: SH 4, ND 2