Sacred Heart University men’s soccer team secured the No. 1 seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament after a 2-1 victory against Rider on Nov. 1 at Ben Cohen Field in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
The win marks a turnaround from last year’s first-round overtime loss to Rider that ended Sacred Heart’s season. This time, the Pioneers returned with determination and left with both a win and the conference’s top spot.
Sophomore Ivan Morcillo opened the scoring for Sacred Heart in the 12th minute, netting his fifth goal of the season. Rider equalized in the 26th minute when Lovro Kostanjšek finished a cross from Ricardo Joasilus. The match remained tied until late in the second half, when Carlos Gonzalez Palau scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Danny Istambouli in the 82nd minute, giving Sacred Heart a decisive lead.
Goalkeeper Luca Marinelli made four saves for Sacred Heart, conceding only one goal and helping to withstand Rider’s late offensive efforts. The Pioneers outshot Rider 14-9 overall and held an advantage in shots on goal (8-5) as well as corner kicks (13-4).
With this result, Sacred Heart improved its record to 8-3-4 overall and remains unbeaten in conference play at 7-0-2. The team will next host Fairfield University at Park Ave Field on Wednesday, November 5 at 7 p.m., closing out their regular season before entering postseason play.
The victory not only avenges last year’s defeat but also positions Sacred Heart as a leading contender heading into the MAAC Tournament.
