The Hofstra University men’s soccer team’s season ended dramatically, losing to Furman University 5-4 on penalties, in the third round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 30. A winner could not be decided after 110 minutes of play, forcing a penalty shootout following a 3-3 tie. Head coach Richard Nuttall’s legendary 37-year career came to a tragic end as the Pride finished the 2025 season with a 14-5-1 record.
Laurie Goddard tried saving the Pride’s season with two goals in just 68 seconds to tie the game at 3-3 with just over eight minutes to play in regulation. The first goal was scored by Thengill Orrason when he sent a cross from midfield to the edge of Furman’s 18-yard box. Daniel Burko rose above Furman’s Ryan Wagner to head the ball to the ground when the Paladin tried scoring. The loose ball rolled to Samuel Francou, who sent a chip pass that Goddard headed into the Paladins’ net.
Goddard wasn’t done, though. He immediately tackled the ball away from the Paladins and started another Hofstra attack. The Pride worked their way up the field, eventually finding Aleksei Armas on the right wing. Armas sent a perfectly placed cross to Goddard in the box, tying the match just minutes after Furman took a commanding two-goal lead.
There were six goals throughout the first 90 minutes of action. Burko opened the scoring in the 17th minute, heading in a cross from Orrason to give Hofstra a quick lead.
After the shaky start, Furman found their confidence. The Paladins outshot the Pride 10-3 in the first half, slowly breaking down the Hofstra defense. The Pride looked up to the task through 44 minutes, but with 34 seconds before halftime, Furman finally broke through with an equalizer.
Furman quickly built upon this chance, making two passes before Diego Hernandez took a shot from distance. The shot was blocked by Francou and rolled out to Landon Hill. Hill’s cross landed at the feet of Luke Hutzell, who scored from seven yards out.
The Paladins remained in complete control to start the second half. Even with Hofstra bringing on goalkeeper Sean Bohan to help jumpstart the Pride’s offense, Hofstra struggled to create quality chances.
Furman continued to chip away at the Hofstra defense, taking the lead with just under 14 minutes to play. Caleb Johnson sent a cross from the left wing into Hofstra’s six-yard box, and the pass was headed away by Gabriel Pacheco. The ball found its way to Hutzell, who took a shot from 20 yards out. The shot was redirected by a stunning back-heel shot from Wilfer Bustamante, catching the Pride’s defense by surprise.
Now chasing a goal, it went from bad to worse for the Pride, since they conceded another goal four minutes later. Armas made an aggressive slide tackle, taking out Hutzell as the Furman bench and crowd erupted in protest, calling for a foul. The chaos caused the Pride to freeze for just a second, but the official allowed the match to play on. Hutzell’s original attempt to save the ball from going out of play then rolled down the left wing for Bustamante as the Paladins flew into Hofstra’s box. Bustamante dribbled into the box, but his shot rang off the right post. Hernandez was perfectly positioned for the rebound, sending the second effort into an open net.
After Goddard’s heroics brought Hofstra back from the brink of elimination, both sides played two scoreless overtime periods. With 110 minutes played and no winner, the match went to a penalty shootout.
Both sides converted their first two attempts, with Stefano Campisi stepping to the spot for the Pride. Campisi’s shot went just inches above the crossbar. Furman scored their final three attempts to end Hofstra’s season and secure their ticket to the quarterfinals.
