FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason men's soccer team earned their second consecutive shutout victory on Friday night as they defeated previously unbeaten Seton Hall by a score of 1-0 at George Mason Stadium. The win improved Mason's record to 4-0-1 on the season, while Seton Hall suffered their first loss, falling to 2-1-2.
Once again the Patriots put forward a stellar effort on the defensive side of the ball, allowing only one shot on goal in the match. Mason outshot the Pirates 10-4 with four shots on goal, including Julio Arjona's lone goal in the 60th minute of play.
Senior defenseman Zak Haapaoja started the scoring sequence with a great hustle play down the right sideline, moving through defenders with the ball to set up a corner kick for junior Timi Mulgrew. On the corner, Mulgrew's kick moved towards the left side of the box where Hugh Roberts was able to put a head on the ball, finding Arojna who found a way to get open and kick in the header for the first and only goal of the game.
Seton Hall put on pressure late in the second half, attempting a flurry of corner kicks with sixteen minutes remaining in the game. The Mason defense and Patriot goalie Steffen Kraus were able to handle the attack, deflecting away each attempt. The Pirates had their only shot on goal come in the second half when Christian Battistesa put one on net inside the box that was scooped up by Kraus.
After completing their five-game homestand undefeated, Mason hits the road for three consecutive contests, starting with the University of Virginia on Tuesday, September 25 in Charlottesville, Va. The Patriots will also take on UMBC and Hartford next Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. All games are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
