Seton Hall Draws Rider 2-2 in Highly Competitive Sunday Night Battle

Published: Monday, August 25, 2025

by Matthew Nazario

Seton Hall (2-0-1) took on Rider (0-1-1) on Sunday night in what was a heavily competitive matchup, but failed to produce a winner as the two teams drew to a final score of 2-2. Despite the draw, the Hall built off of their impressive victories against Monmouth and Iona as they looked to find their stride with what is almost an entirely new unit from last year.

The first half was one that was incredibly hard fought and gritty as both sides struggled to find the net early on. Despite 8 shots in the opening half for Seton Hall, incredible keeper play by Rider’s Ashley Moore prevented the Hall from scoring in the first 45 minutes. 

Despite this, the Pirates displayed great field awareness, passing, and grit which they carried into the second half play. For the majority of this contest the Pirates applied significant pressure on Rider’s defense, outshooting the Broncs 15-4 by game’s end. In addition, the defense limited Rider to only one shot through the first half.

The Pirates came out of the half determined to take control of the game. In the 47th minute, Gianna Angelillo gave Seton Hall the lead with an incredible shot to start the second half, off of a great assist from Olivia Beauvois and Jordana Bello. Both Angelillo and Beauvois shined brightly for the Pirates this evening. 

Angelillo lit up the night with two goals both in the second half while Beauvois provided much needed spacing and facilitation as the offense opened up throughout the game. 

The Hall took their foot off the gas near the end of the game which ended up costing them greatly. A defensive meltdown allowed for Rider’s Taylor Mays to score off a rebound, as well as a costly handball penalty in the box during the closing minutes which allowed Courtney Carter to score the equalizer for the Broncs.

While a draw is most certainly not an ideal outcome, especially considering Seton Hall had a chance at a 3-0 start for the first time since 2012,  there are plenty of positives to build on as the Pirates continue their 2025 campaign. Seton Hall struggled immensely in 2024 at getting shots on goal and finding the back of the net.

However, so far in 2025 they are displaying a level of aggressiveness they desperately needed, which is a great sign especially to begin the year. Their defense, at least for the majority of the contest, remained incredibly stout and Rider visibly struggled to gain any sort of offensive momentum until the endgame.

The team is also fairly new and young in terms of talent, as this roster has been completely revamped coming into the season. It will take time for the roster to fully take shape, however it speaks to the roster building and talent of the roster that they have already been able to address many issues from the previous season.

Looking ahead, the Pirates will wrap up their homestand on Thursday night when they play host to the Lafayette Leopards at 6 p.m., in hopes of getting back to their winning ways.

Matthew Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu.

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