Armstrong Stands Tall as Pirates Draw No. 18 Princeton
Thanks to a stellar second half in net from Devin Armstrong , the Seton Hall men's soccer team drew the No. 18 Princeton Tigers, 0-0, at Myslik Field.
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Seton Hall University Athletics
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PRINCETON, N.J. – Thanks to a stellar second half in net from
Devin Armstrong, the Seton Hall men's soccer team (3-2-3, 1-0-0 BE) drew the No. 18 Princeton Tigers (5-1-2), 0-0, at Myslik Field inside Roberts Stadium on Tuesday night.
Despite early chances, the Pirates were unable to collect a goal in the opening half despite dominating defensively. The tables turned in the second half, where Princeton outshot the Pirates 15-to-2. However, Pirates netminder
Devin Armstrong held strong, making three crucial saves in the final five minutes to secure the 0-0 draw.
With the draw, the Pirates move to 3-2-3 on the season and 1-0-0 in BIG EAST play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
As the players kicked off the opening frame, it became clear early that the two sides were in for a defensive battle. While each team logged a shot in the opening ten minutes, the first shot on goal did not come until the 11th minute when
Charlie Herley lodged a shot that was saved by Princeton's Andrew Samuels. That momentum continued over the half, allowing The Hall to tally four more shots, three of which forced saved out of the Samuels.
Yet as halftime approached, Princeton's offense had yet to force
Devin Armstrong into action. However, a Tigers free kick inside the defensive third called the graduate student into action. Armstrong quickly parried a header out of danger before his defense cleaned up the play in the end. Before the end of the half, he added one more save to preserve the stalemate as the two sides headed to the locker room.
Out of the break, the Pirates immediately faced a storm surge of orange as the Tigers continued their momentum from the end of the first half. By the time the 75th minute arrived, Seton Hall had not registered a single shot in the second half compared to Princeton's eight. Yet, off some crafty footwork,
Joaquin Brizuela found himself in a one-on-one at the edge of the box with the Tigers' keeper. Brizuela struck a beautiful curving ball toward the far post, but the experienced Samuels swatted the ball out, much to the Pirates' dismay.
Inside the final five minutes, after a pair of Princeton substitutions, the Pirates faced a barrage of Tiger attacks. Among the six shots Armstrong faced, the Floridian made three crucial saves, including one inside the final minute, to extinguish the attacking threats. As the final whistle sounded, the Pirates walked away from the New Jersey clash with a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Armstrong recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season.
- He also tied his season-high mark with seven saves.
- Armstrong's 22 shots faced were the most by a Pirates goalie since Andres Nota faced 26 shots against Butler on October 19, 2019.
- Despite being outshot 22-to-7, the Pirates logged six shots-on-goal to Princeton's seven.
- The Pirates tied their season low with 11 fouls.
- The Hall notched six corner kicks to the Tigers' three.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the draw, Seton Hall moves to 3-2-3 and 1-0-0 in BIG EAST play.
- Additionally, the Pirates are now 13-17-6 all-time against the Tigers.
UP NEXT
The Pirates will return to home to Owen T. Carroll Field on Saturday, September 26, to take on the DePaul Blue Demons in The Hall's BIG EAST Home Opener. Opening kick is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the match being broadcast on ESPN+.
