The Hofstra University field hockey team dropped its season opener on Friday, Aug. 29, in a tight 3-2 loss to the back-to-back America East champions, No. 18 University at Albany. The Pride suffered their first loss of the season and moved to 0-1 on the year while the Great Danes started the season with a 1-0 record.
Albany had five shots on goal while the Pride had just three. The Great Danes’ Pilar Lorenzini contributed three of the five shots and was on fire with two goals including the eventual game-winner. Olivia Bell was also a key contributor to the Albany offense, adding two assists. The third Albany goal was scored by Sarah Salameh.
Emma Peeters, Albany’s fifth-year goalkeeper, added a save to lock down the victory.
For Hofstra, veterans Kelly Levengood and Teresa Karoff notched one goal apiece. Freshman Luci Hollister got her first career start in goal for the Pride. She earned all 60 minutes in the net and made two saves.
The opening quarter was an on pour of offense by Albany as they struck right out of the gate and maintained ball possession for the majority of the game. Lorenzini got the Great Danes on the board at the just after the 4-minute mark with assists from Bell and Mara Küskes. Albany continued to capitalize in the first quarter on a penalty corner that resulted in a goal.
The second goal of the day was Salameh’s with an assist from Lillian Willis around minute 12. In the final seconds of the quarter, Hofstra fought back thanks to a pass from Caitlin Lozano to Levengood, who put the ball in the net.
The second quarter was headlined by strong defense as each team was blanked and only had one shot. Albany had an opportunity to get a two-point advantage with a shot on goal, but Hollister stepped in with her first career save to keep the Pride within one going into halftime.
Karoff, a Pre-season All-Coastal-Athletic-Association (CAA) Honorable Mention, tied the score at two apiece a little over 31 minutes in, capitalizing on a penalty stroke. Despite the slow start offensively for the Pride, they fought back nicely and tied the game.
The penalty corners proved to be the difference in the game, as the Great Danes scored the game-winner on the fourth Hofstra penalty corner of the game. Bell came up with her second assist of the game and Lorenzini kept a hot stick, scoring her second goal of the game with less than 13 minutes of play left.
The Pride have now lost the season opener in back-to-back seasons. The team headed back to Hempstead for their home opener at Cindy Lewis Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 31, to continue their out-of-conference schedule. They faced Sacred Heart University, game time was set for 12 p.m.
