From press release
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Senior co-captain Torin Varn and freshman Brier Davis each had two goals and junior goalkeeper Chris Selva made 10 saves as Hofstra earned a 9-7 win over No. 17 Fairfield at James M. Shuart Stadium Tuesday afternoon.
Selva and the Pride defense held the Stags 11 goals under their offensive average (18 gpg) for their first two games. Hofstra improved to 1-2 on the season while Fairfield drops to 2-1 on the year.
The Pride jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter following an unassisted tally from redshirt sophomore Korey Hendrickson 2:32 into the game, his fourth of the season, and a goal from Davis with 1:51 to go off a feed from junior Tyler Begley. The goal was the freshman’s second of the season.
Fairfield cut the deficit in half with 48 seconds to go in the opening stanza after Drew Federico converted a pass from Jake Knostman for his third of the season. The Stags had another great chance in the closing seconds but Selva stonewalled a point-blank shot from Dave Fleming at the horn to preserve the one goal lead.
Sophomore Sam Llinares pushed the Pride lead to two, 3-1, with his sixth goal of the season at the 4:15 mark of the second quarter. But Fleming answered back for the Stags with 8:37 to play in the quarter. The goal was the freshman’s third of the season. Varn made it a two-goal lead for the Pride once again at the 7:10 mark, putting home a pass from junior Mike Malave for his third tally of the season.
Following a Hofstra turnover, Tristan Sperry took a pass from Nick Guida and beat Selva up high to close to within one at 4-3, with 4:21 to play before halftime. Davis scored his second of the game, off a pass from Llinares, with 2:48 to go to give the Pride a two-goal advantage once again. Malave pushed the lead to three with his first goal of the game and third of the year with 1:20 remaining which closed out the first half scoring.
Pride senior Drew Coholan opened the second half scoring with an unassisted goal 5:42 into the third quarter to make it a 7-3 game. Hofstra freshman face-off specialist Kris Clark won the ensuing face-off and ran in on goal, bouncing a shot past Fairfield keeper Jack Murphy for his first goal of the season and an 8-3 Hofstra lead.
Federico and Varn traded goals over the next two minutes as the Pride maintained the five-goal advantage. Eric Warden scored an unassisted goal for Fairfield with 6:49 left in the quarter to cut the Pride lead to four, 9-5.
The Stags opened the fourth quarter scoring with an unassisted goal from Fleming 1:55 into the quarter. That cut their deficit to three, 9-6. Hofstra was also called for a one-minute penalty on the play, but was able to win the faceoff and control the ball to kill the penalty. On Fairfield’s next possession, Fleming hit the post with a close shot before the Stags went on the extra-man once again. Hofstra once again killed the penalty, its third successful kill in as many chances. But the Stags would score again with both teams at even strength as Warden put a shot past Selva for his second of the game to make it a 9-7 game.
Fairfield had possession in the Pride zone looking to make it a one-goal game but junior Ryan Rielly picked off a pass with 1:02 on the clock and raced downfield to clear the ball and Hofstra was able to maintain possession and pick up its first win of 2014.
Llinares scored a goal and added two assists. In addition to his goal, Hendrickson finished the game with four ground balls. Senior co-captain Anthony Zappone picked up five ground balls, while junior Steve Romano had four ground balls.
Fairfield received two goals each from Federico, Fleming and Warden. Fleming also tied for team-high honors with three ground balls. Murphy had eight saves in the losing effort.
Hofstra held a 32-28 advantage in shots and a 29-22 edge in ground balls. The Pride also controlled the face-offs as Clark won 14 of 20 on the afternoon.
Hofstra is back in action Saturday, March 1 at Noon when it hosts Georgetown in the first game of a men’s-women’s doubleheader at Shuart Stadium. The Pride women’s lacrosse team will play Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m.
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Posted In: College lacrosse, Long Island lacrosse
