FAIRFIELD, CT — Manhattan put their best effort forward while resting a couple of top players and played to a 0-0 tie vs. Sacred Heart at Park Ave Field. With the result, Manhattan clinched the sixth seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament and will play No. 3 Siena on Sunday.
The Manhattan defense faced early pressure with a shot from Daivd Garcia Gallego hit the crossbar for the first chance of the game. Approximately 16 minutes later, Ludvig Malberg was tested by the Jaspers, and again Garcia Gallego was denied by a diving Malberg.
Manhattan and Sacred Heart both went into halftime scoreless, and head coach Jorden Scott opted to give his reserves an extended opportunity after the Jaspers had already clinched a playoff spot before kick-off. Sophomore goalkeeper James Cintron played the entire second half in relief of Malberg, registering four saves in his Jaspers debut.
The Pioneers tallied nine shots in the second, forcing Cintron to make a couple of impressive saves to keep the scoreline level.
Sacred Heart clinched the No. 5 seed and will travel to No. 4 Quinnipiac on Sunday.
Manhattan, Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary's and Marist all finish the regular season with 11 points.
Coaches Reaction
Head Coach Jorden Scott on getting to go deeper into the bench after clinching a playoff berth earlier today: "I thought it was a great game. The boys gave everything and we had a ton of rotations. A lot of guys came off the bench that haven't played as much and I'm just really proud of them."
Scott on flipping the page to Siena on Sunday: "We have to make sure our training is effective and for the first time we're playing against a team we didn't see in the regular season in the playoffs for the first time which is new for the MAAC this year… They [Siena] do a great job."
Next Time Out
Manhattan will begin a quest for the first MAAC Championship in program history, starting with a quarterfinals match-up at Siena. Kick off is slated for for 1 PM at Hickey Field in Loudonville, New York.
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