The Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team lost a hard-fought battle with Rutgers University by a score of 11-8 on Saturday, March 8. The Scarlet Knights improved to 5-2 on the season while the Pride fell to 5-2 to close out their non-conference schedule.
Rutgers outscored Hofstra 5-2 in the fourth quarter to take the lead and steal a win from the Pride on their home field. Caroline Ling scored three goals in the fourth quarter, including an outrageous behind-the-back goal to give Rutgers their first lead of the game with 11 and a half minutes to go. Ling scored with just under six minutes to play, burying the Pride after they led for nearly the entire game.
“I thought our team fought hard and we just had to play a little bit better, little bit smarter there in the third and fourth quarter on offense,” said Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith. “[Luchianna Cardello] played unbelievable in the cage for us and defensively we played really hard. We played aggressive, we played fast … we played fearlessly and with resiliency.”
Nikki Mennella had another gutsy performance for the Pride, scoring two goals and assisting on three more for a game-high five points. Julia Harris was the only other multi-goal scorer for Hofstra with two goals while Kate Lemery, Megan Flannery, Angelina Sparacio and Kayleigh Bender scored one goal apiece.
Cardello had her best game of the season with a season-high 12 saves, including five in the third quarter.
“[Cardello] played incredible, she was seeing the ball well, stepping aggressively,” Smith said. “She’s been battling a lower-body injury for the beginning part of the season … This week was the first signs of her really starting to get healthy. A healthy [Cardello] plays exceptionally well and she was doing that today.”
The Pride got out to a quick start, scoring the first two goals of the game within the first three minutes of action. Mennella found Lemery just 51 seconds into the game and then assisted on Megan Flannery’s seventh goal of the season.
Victoria Goldrick put Rutgers on the board a minute later, but Harris responded with her first goal of the game to put Hofstra up 3-1 less than halfway through the first.
The Scarlet Knights fought from behind all game long, trailing the Pride on four different occasions. Samantha Swanovich and Alexa Corbin each scored to knot the game at three at the end of the first quarter.
The Pride looked to be in control again in the second quarter, beating Rutgers goalkeeper Lexie Coldiron two times to go up 5-3. Coldiron entered the day third in the nation in save percentage, stopping 59% of shots.
After a career-high 19 saves in her last game against Stony Brook University, Coldiron only had five saves against the Pride as the Rutgers defense stepped up to stifle the Hofstra attack. The Pride had multiple drawn-out possessions as the Scarlet Knights left few openings to score.
“They started out in zone against us, [and] I thought we handled the zone well,” Smith said. “They flipped it to man [coverage] and it frazzled us. We got to work on that, and we got to be able to handle the pressure.”
Rutgers fought back to tie the game 5-5 but Mennella gave the Pride a slim 6-5 lead with a goal to end the first half.
The third quarter saw both teams playing stellar defense. The Scarlet Knights and Pride faced off in what felt like a 15-minute staring contest with the Pride blinking first, allowing the only goal of the quarter with just five seconds left on the clock.
Mennella tried to will Hofstra to a victory with her second goal about two minutes into the fourth, but Rutgers showed their resolve, scoring the next four goals to take a 10-7 lead. Bender tried to get a comeback started with a goal to make it 10-8 with four minutes left, but Ling’s third goal of the period secured the win for the Scarlet Knights.
The Pride will return to action to start Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play when they host the University of Delaware on Friday, March 14. First draw from James M. Shuart Stadium is set for 5 p.m.
