A strong second half wasn’t enough for the Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team as they were defeated by the University of Delaware 15-9 on Friday, March 14. Hofstra dropped their Coastal Athletic Association conference opener for the first time since 2023.
The Pride were outscored by nine in the first 30 minutes before beating Delaware 7-4 in the second half.
“We got off to a slow start,” said Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith. “You can’t go down 11-2 in the first half.”
Ella Rishko was Delaware’s leading scorer, netting five goals while Delaney McDaniel and Megan Gore also had multi-goal performances of four and three, respectively.
Rishko broke the scoreless tie 37 seconds into the game leading to the Pride’s downfall. McDaniel and Gore got on the board quickly before Megan Flannery scored Hofstra’s first of the game.
The Blue Hens continued to win possession in the draw control department, gaining six to the Pride’s two. Winning the draw control allowed Delaware to get more possessions than Hofstra and caused the Pride defenders to take constant fouls. Delaware drew five free positions in the first quarter, scoring on three of them.
The second quarter followed the same pattern as the first, with the Blue Hens walking all over the Pride. Delaware scored five consecutive goals before Nikki Manella got her first of the game to cut the lead to 8-2. Manella led Hofstra in scoring for the sixth time in seven games this season with four goals.
Delaware stopped Hofstra’s momentum after Manella’s goal by ending the second quarter on a 3-0 run. The last goal came from Callie Drab with 30 seconds left.
The Pride and Blue Hens played an even third quarter through most metrics. Hofstra closed the gap in shots, turnovers and ground balls while tying Delaware at one all. Kayleigh Bender found the back of the net for Hofstra, which was her 19th goal of the season.
“I was really proud of how our team battled back,” Smith said. “I thought we played really well in the second half. We just have to put that together for 60 minutes.”
Hofstra flipped the script on Delaware and dominated the fourth quarter. It started in the draw circle. Hofstra won that battle 8-2. After winning the opening draw control, Manella founded her second of the game, followed quickly by Redding. Angelina Sparacio and Bender also found twine, but the Pride still fell to the Blue Hens, 15-9.
Christine Dannenfelser and Emily Weigand continued to stand out on defense. Dannenfelser led the team with a career-high four caused turnovers while Weigand picked up four ground balls and was an important part of Hofstra’s transition offense and clears.
“[Weigand] played unbelievable,” Smith said. “She had a lot of ground balls and knockdowns today. She’s really fast in transition and had an all-around solid game. We’re going to need more like that from the defensive side.”
Conference play continues for Hofstra as they travel to take on the College of William & Mary for their next game on Friday, March 21. The opening draw between the Pride and Tribe will be at 5 p.m.
