The Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team suffered their second Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) loss of the year in a 14-12 loss to Elon University on Sunday, March 23. The Pride fell to 6-4 on the season with a 1-2 record in conference play.
Nikki Mennella had another outstanding performance as she fueled a fourth-quarter comeback attempt when the Pride fell just short of erasing a five-goal deficit. Mennella finished with a game-high nine points on six goals and three assists. It’s the third game this season Mennella has had at least nine points. Mennella’s 58 points this season are the most in the CAA as she leads the conference in goals per game and assists per game. Her 6.29 points per game ranks third in nation.
Hofstra showed moments of good play, but inconsistency on both ends of the field left the Pride in a hole too big to dig out of.
The Phoenix were led by the attacking duo of Sammy Fisher and Ana Lee Vandiver, who led the team with four goals and an assist each. Danielle Swietoniowski added three goals and two assists.
The Pride entered the fourth quarter trailing 11-6, but Kayleigh Bender got the Pride started with a goal just over a minute into the period. Addie Gilner answered back with a goal to push the lead back to five, but Mennella assisted or scored on four goals in six minutes to bring the Pride within two. Bender fired a shot past Caitlin Walsh to make the score 13-12 as the Pride threatened to force overtime.
Fisher gave Hofstra’s defense problems all game and sealed the game with her 26th goal of the season with 40 seconds left. The Pride fouled Fisher just outside the eight-meter arc with the shot clock running out, setting up the final blow. The Pride committed 17 fouls as the Phoenix scored four goals from seven free position shots.
The Pride struck first with Mennella scoring her first goal just two minutes into the game before Julia Harris put the Pride up 2-0 two minutes later. Elon responded with a 4-0 run as four different players scored to give the Phoenix a 4-2 lead a minute into the second quarter.
Mennella ended the Pride’s 15-minute scoring drought with her second goal. She found two more in the second quarter, but Elon finished the first half holding a 7-5 lead.
The Pride got as close as 7-6 after Mennella found Kate Lemery for her seventh goal of the season. Elon rattled off four goals in three minutes with Swietoniowski finding two goals and an assist as Fisher and Vandiver found one goal each to finish the quarter with their largest lead of the day.
Luchianna Cardello finished with six saves, becoming the 11th player in program history with 300 career saves.
The Pride get a break from CAA play when they return to action to take against the University of Connecticut on Saturday, March 29. Opening draw form James M. Shuart Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.
