The Hofstra University women’s soccer team put forth another solid campaign, although it did not reach the high standards that head coach Simon Riddiough set during his Hofstra tenure.
The Pride finished their season at 8-5-6 with a 5-3-2 conference mark. Their six ties this year broke a program record, with the previous top mark being four.
Four of these ties came in the Pride’s first five matches in their non-conference slate.
Despite draws against Ivy League opponents, Columbia University and Brown University, to go along with Loyola University Maryland and Quinnipiac University, the early season moment that defined the team was Olivia Pearse’s season-ending injury.
The star senior was a tenacious weapon for the Pride in her first three seasons, but only played in three games before she went down.
Without Pearse, Hofstra’s offense struggled, especially early on. The Pride only cracked three goals in a match two times this season.
Two players who scored for Hofstra in the early goings were Mathilde Braithwaite and Ellie Gough, who made the All-Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA) third team.
Gough, a graduate student midfielder who transferred from Middle Tennessee State University, brought life to the team whenever she was on the pitch. Her five goals tied for second on the team this year.
Many of Gough’s scoring chances were created by the relentless pressure she applied to opposing goalkeepers and defenders. Gough made many mistakes with her forechecking ability and found the net often because of it.
Braithwaite, the speedy senior forward from Esbjerg, Denmark, added five goals as well. Early on in the season, Riddiough made it clear that he believed she could have an incredible offensive season.
“She’s lightning fast, she’s a tremendous athlete, and when you couple that with her ability to recognize space, she’s unbelievable,” Riddiough said.
Braithwaite not only used her speed to dominate the field, but she had some spectacular finishes from long range, specifically a gorgeous goal in Hofstra’s 3-1 win against Towson University. Braithwaite’s five goals smashed her prior career-high of two in a season.
Later on in the season as the scoring dried up for Braithwaite and Gough, the sleeping giant of Millie Davies woke up. While the All-CAA junior was playing well, she only had two goals after 12 matches and was fighting through an injury.
Down the final stretch of the season though, Davies exploded. Scoring 12 points in her final six games including five goals in her last four, the biggest goal of her Hofstra career came in the first-round playoff match against the University of Delaware, an overtime tally which gave the Pride a 1-0 victory.
In the net, the Pride was led by Synne Danielsen, a freshman from Kopervik, Norway, and Mackenzie Sullivan, a senior from Peoria, Arizona. Despite Sullivan having more prior experience and starting most of Hofstra’s early games, Danielsen eventually earned the full-time position in goal.
The freshman proved herself as the netminder of the future, with a solid .717 save percentage and two shutouts.
Defensively, the Pride was solid as always. The duo of Gabriella Marte and Louise Hayden excelled in their swan songs, making the All-CAA third team and leading a defense that allowed just 1.16 goals per game.
Freshman defender Emma Johnson also made an impact, finding her way into the starting lineup by the end of the year and scoring her first collegiate goal along the way.
After an up-and-down regular season which saw Hofstra earn the fourth seed, the Pride made the semifinals of the CAA Championship for the eighth year in a row. However, Hofstra’s season ended at the hands of Monmouth University for the second straight year. The Pride’s comeback attempt fell short, ending their season with a 4-2 loss.
Next year will see plenty of change for the Pride: Braithwaite, Marte, Sullivan, Gough, Hayden, Pearse, and Matilda Liljefors are all graduating. With a lot of minutes that need to be accounted for next season, it’s unclear how much of that will be filled by current players and how much will be from transfers or incoming freshmen.
Despite the occasional offensive struggles and falling short of a title, Hofstra put together another solid season.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
