By Andrew Scharff
It was the same conditions. It was the same stipulations. It was even at the same place and involved the same teams. The only thing different was the result.
This was the second straight year that Hofstra and Providence faced each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, only this time Hofstra got the job done and beat the Friars, 2-0. Last year, Providence ousted the Pride 1-0 in overtime.
All week long, the Pride players and coaches talked about last year’s result. Head coach Richard Nuttall would like to forget the recent history between the two teams, but everywhere he goes so do the memories from last year’s game.
“I don’t think there was a revenge factor,” Nuttall said after Friday night’s win. “You try and forget last year and focus on the task at hand, which is to win and move on to the next round. Having said that, I do think in the back of my mind there was a feeling of redemption.”
Whatever you call it, Hofstra really wanted this one. The desire showed, as the Pride started the game by putting the pressure on Providence.
“We saw all the fans in the stands after we lost last year. You saw all the disappointment in their faces,” Pride co-captain Gary Flood said. “It felt like we let them down.”
Providence was unable to weather much of anything as the Pride kept the pressure on throughout the game, especially knowing that the Friars were 11-1 when scoring first.With that obstacle now overcome, the team can now focus on winning and moving onto the next round.