By Stacy Troiano
On Sunday, the women’s soccer team hoisted the CAA championship trophy for the second time in three years, defeating Virginia Commonwealth 1-0 in Virginia Beach. The title win gave the Pride an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, just the second big dance appearance in team history. And they did it all in record-breaking style.
With the win, Hofstra moved to 17-3, setting a school record for wins in a season. They’ve had 16 different players score goals this season, another record, surpassing the previous mark of 13 set by the 2003 team. The Pride have also recorded 11 shutouts on the season, including six in a row going into the tournament, both of which tie school records.
The Pride defeated VCU in their only regular season match-up 2-0, but the Rams put together a late run that included wins over James Madison and William and Mary-two teams that are also headed to the NCAA tournament-on their way to the CAA title game with momentum behind them.
What they didn’t have behind them was a deep bench. The depleted VCU squad had only 13 players active for the championship game, and depth and athleticism of the Pride proved too much for the Rams on Sunday.
The teams played even in the first half, engaging in a pitched defensive battle for the first 45 minutes with as neither team could create many chances.
Senior scorer Brooke DeRosa threatened with just under two minutes left in the first half when midfielder Edel Malone’s cross bent right to DeRosa who stood six yards out. But DeRosa’s header sailed just over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless heading into the half.
“VCU came out defending and made it difficult for us, plus we were a bit nervous because it was the final,” head coach Simon Riddiough said. “But in the second half I think the girls realized that this is a once in a lifetime chance and we’ve got to grab it and play much better in the second half.”
The Pride did just that. For most of the second half, Hofstra was able to control the tempo and maintain possession, but couldn’t crack the VCU defense. But with just under eight minutes to play in regulation, Malone broke the 0-0 tie. Sophomore back Jess Crankshaw brought the ball up the right side drawing a defender, then laid the ball off to a wide open Diane Caldwell. Caldwell turned the corner on one defender to get to the edge of the box and sent a line drive cross into the penalty area where Malone was waiting at the far post. She got her right foot on the ball and volleyed a shot past VCU goalie Emily Niman from six yards out.
“Although we were playing well in the second half and creating chances, it just didn’t seem like a day where a goal would fall in,” Riddiough said. “And then a couple of players made some special moves and made it happen.”
The goal was Malone’s seventh of the year, and it would be all the Pride needed as the defense did what it has all year and closed out the 1-0 win.
“When that final whistle went, it was almost surreal. You can’t really absorb the extent of what’s gone on,” Riddiough said. “You’re almost in a daze a little bit. You don’t really know what a special event it was until a couple hours after.”
Hofstra held the Rams to just six shots in the game, and goalie Krystal Robens only had to make one save, a leaping punch in the final minutes, to secure its sixth straight shutout win.
The championship is the Pride’s second in just three years. The 2005 team also won the conference title by a score of 1-0 over VCU. Malone notched the game-winner in that game as well.
The Pride got to the title game after handily defeating James Madison on two DeRosa goals. The win avenged a 2-0 loss from earlier in the season that the Pride suffered at the hands of JMU.
Senior defender Sue Weber was named tournament Most Outstanding Player for the second time in three years. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by Malone, DeRosa and freshman midfielder Tiffany Yovino.
“We have a special blend of players and a wonderful balance throughout the team, and ultimately everybody on this team believed in the goal and understood their role and played to 100 percent effort,” Riddiough said. “They’ve been the least selfish team I have ever coached. It’s not just one player stepping up, it’s always a couple people on this team. Depending on the game or week it’s been somebody different, so that’s probably the biggest reason we’ve been successful.”
With the championship trophy safely back in Hofstra’s hands, Riddiough and the Pride begin the next leg of their season. The NCAA tournament opens on Friday night at 7:30, when Hofstra will take on Ohio State in the first round at Penn State’s Jeffrey Field in State College, Penn.
Jill Lipari and the women’s soccer team are headed to Pennsylvania to take on the Buckeyes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Merab Okeyo)