By Andrew Scharff
Last week during all his team’s practices Hofstra’s head men’s lacrosse coach Seth Tierney preached to his team that they have to play every minute of the game, especially the ones in the first quarter. After trailing 3-1 in the first quarter against Brown two weeks ago, coach Tierney made it clear to his team that they can’t afford to take any time off during a game especially against #5 ranked Johns Hopkins.
But somehow his team did not get the memo. Though they only gave up one goal in the first quarter, they did give up four goals in second quarter. Like the Brown game, Hofstra dug themselves a hole which they couldn’t dig themselves up.
Despite a third quarter hat-trick by freshman attackman Dan Stein and two goals and a assist from Tommy Dooley, Hofstra could not jump over the hump as they suffered their second straight loss in a row, 9-8 to Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon.
Attackman Steven Boyle scored three goals, while other fellow attackman Jake Byrne tallied two goals and two assists for the Blue Jays.
“It was a tale of two halves. We spotted them a four goal lead in the first half and we didn’t play very well in the first half,” said Tierney who was making his first return to Hopkins since taking the head job here at Hofstra. “The gameplan was to be patience and control the ball. And for the most part we did that. But there were some unnecessary and unforced turnovers that cost us 4 goals in the first half.”
“In the second half we came out and outscored them 7-4,” Tierney added. “Again it has some similarities to the Brown game. We have to learn how to play a full 60 minute game especially against a team like Johns Hopkins.”
The game changing play came late in the first quarter. With one minute Hofstra had the ball and called timeout. Hofstra’s strategy after the timeout was to hold the ball until the final 20 seconds of the quarter, when they would make a play on goal.
But things would not go as planned. After the timeout the Pride committed an unforced turnover, allowing Johns Hopkins to call timeout and reset for their final possession of the quarter. After the Hopkins timeout Boyle scored the first of his three goals to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.
“When you look back it that goal was a very big goal,” Tierney said. “We made some mistakes, youth mistakes but we are trying to season this team and go through these experiences now, so when our conference schedule starts we are better then than we are today.”
In the second quarter Byrne scored two straight goals for Hopkins before Hofstra senior midfielder Zachary Heyl scored Hofstra’s first goal on a man-up situation. Hopkins took a 5-1 lead as Boyle completed the hat trick.
As the second half started Hofstra started a comeback. Stein opened the scoring with second goal of the season. Dooley followed Stein with a goal of his own. Stein would score two more goals in the quarter to complete the hat trick, but coupled in between was a Johns Hopkins goal by Kevin Huntley.
“We got after [Stein] this week in practice after his lackluster performance in the Brown game,” Tierney said.
Tierney might have to be rough on him in practice every week if he wants get three goals out of him each week.
“I am not going to talk my foot off of his back,” Tierney said. “I will keep driving him to be the best player he can be.”
With Hofstra attempting a comeback end the third, the start of the fourth did go the way Hofstra planned. Johns Hopkins scored two goals to start the fourth. Dooley and Hopkins midfielder Michael Kimmel traded goals.
With Hofstra down three they started making comeback. Mike Unterstein fired a shot from the left side of Hopkins goalie Jesse Schwartzman that found the twine for his second goal of the season with 7:57 to play. Then Hofstra freshman midfielder Tom Interlicchio scored his first collegiate goal with 3:38 to play with a running jump shot from 10 yards out on the side that beat Schwartzman to close the gap to 9-8.
But that is as close as Hofstra come to tying the game. Dooley had a chance to tie the game but he could get the job done.
“We grew up a lot this weekend. Anytime you play on Homewood Field with a bunch of young guys sometimes it has that affect on you. We got four goals from freshman and we had other big plays from freshman and sophomores,” Tierney said. “The future is looking very bright; I just wished the future was now.”
Next up for the Pride is the Princeton Tigers on Saturday at 4 p.m. at James M. Shuart Stadium.
Following back-to-back losses, is it nearing time for Coach Tierney and the lacrosse team to panic, or has the message been sent?