By Brian Bohl
STONY BROOK- Seth Tierney jumped up and down on the sideline, screaming at the officials after watching a Pride player take a hard hit near the sideline without a penalty called late in the second half.But Hofstra’s head coach benefitted from a referee’s call, as Stony Brook’s Nick Maturro was whistled for an infraction with 1:15 remaining.
The man-advantage caused by the penalty allowed the Pride to play the lacrosse equivalent of the four corners offense in the final 75 seconds, securing a 14-13 victory over the Seawolves in front of a record crowd at LaValle Stadium Tuesday night.
Anthony Muscarella scored a career-high six goals, improving Number 20-ranked Hofstra to 7-5 overall. Bo Tripodi’s hat trick gave Stony Brook (7-5) a chance to tie it in the final minute. The Seawolves gave the 5,723 fans (a new high for lacrosse) an entertaining contest, battling the Pride in a contest that featured three lead changes and nine ties.
Tierney’s team established a 53-27 edge in shots, but Syosset native Rob Camposa was solid in net. The sophomore recorded 14 saves, giving his offense a chance to win on senior night.
Muscarella didn’t have as much difficulty shooting the ball past Camposa.
The Wantagh product exceeded his previous high of five goals in one a single game, scoring four goals in the third quarter alone. Hofstra, which already secured a spot in the CAA Tournament, closes out the regular season Saturday on the road against Robert Morris.
The Pride won for the fourth time in five contests but allowed an opponent to score in double figures for just the third time this season. Goalie Danny Orlando logged just three saves, though he benefitted from an offense that won 21 of the 31 faceoffs.
Muscarella provided Hofstra with some second-half breathing room after a Stony Brook rally. Owen Adams gave the Seawolves its best chance to win, taking Tripodi’s feed before beating Orlando with a hard shot to tie it at 11 with 26 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Starting the fourth quarter, Michael Unterstein, Muscarella and Steve Prifte took the crowd out of the game with a three-goal barrage in the opening 3:13 of the period. Prifte’s first goal of the season came just 13 seconds after Muscarella capped off his double-hat trick, giving Hofstra the largest lead of the game at 14-11.
Jordan McBride and Tripodi scored the final two goals to cut the deficit to one. Stony Brook nearly captured the momentum before Maturro was called for an illegal body check, giving Hofstra possession with the man advantage. The Seawolves would not get possession back.
“The fans got treated to a great one,” Coach Tierney said. “Stony Brook is one hell of a team, and tonight they were treated to a great lacrosse game. There were guys that were selling out on every play until the bitter end. And unfortunately, someone’s got to win and someone’s got to lose.”