By Andrew Scharff
It has not been a good year to wear a Hofstra soccer uniform, men’s or women’s. Both teams have suffered many injuries and fortunately for the men, they have been able to overcome them so far.
“I don’t know what’s going on. I looked over and I see five or six starters on the bench,” Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall said. “Every year you expect one or two, not five or six.”
The injury bug struck Hofstra at the start of the season. When the Pride played in the Northwestern Lakeside Classic, the team played without Constintinos Christoudias, Brian Sosa and Adrian Papaluca. Christoudias came back before Sosa and Papaluca, but all three have returned and seen game action, with only Christoudias making scoring contributations.
The Pride was starting to regain its health but over the last two weeks the team has been losing players left and right. It started when freshman Rob Youhill suffered a sprained ankle against William & Mary, and then it continued in the next game against Old Dominion when starting goalie Tom Johansen left with a quadriceps injury. Both are close to returning to the lineup.
The injury bug struck again last weekend as Chris Cox did not play Friday against JMU or Sunday against VCU as he was hospitalized with what the Pride is calling an “illness”. Cox watched Sunday’s game from the bleachers and is questionable for Friday’s senior night against Drexel.
Even the win against VCU became costly as leading scorer Michael Todd (55th minute) and Corey Gudmundson (76th) came out because of minor injuries and both did not return.
“Sunday’s game was great representation of the strong team we have,” Pride assistant coach Brian Suskiewicz said. “With six potential starters out because of injury the team still managed to outplay a very good VCU team.”
Two players in particular have earned the praise of Nuttall. With Cox and Rossides missing, midfielders Ray Hassett and Rory McCrea started in their place and didn’t miss a beat. Hassett won header after header and McCrea set up the game-winning goal on Friday.
“I am so happy with what the guys on the edge of the squad are doing. They have managed to a great job,” Nuttall said.