By Joe Pantorno, Assistant Sports Editor
The Hofstra women’s soccer team looked to achieve quite the feat last week as the Pride tried to tie the school record of ten straight wins set by the 2005 squad. In the way of a record setter stood CAA rivals Drexel University on Thursday, September 30 and the University of Delaware on Sunday, October 3.
Hofstra rolled into Philadelphia, PA to play Drexel on its eight game winning streak after a weekend sweep in Virginia a week earlier. As the Pride has done all season, it hit the ground running in the first half. In the first ten minutes, Hofstra was able get five shots on goal, but the Drexel defense did not break.
The offensive pressure continued from Hofstra throughout the half, the best chance coming in the thirty-ninth minute when senior midfielder Tiffany Yovino’s shot struck the post. The rebound came out to freshman forward Krysti Rodriguez who shot the ball wide. The lack of execution sent the teams into the locker room in a goalless stalemate at the half.
The score line remained at zeroes until the seventieth minute when freshman forward Amber Stobbs unleashed an 18-yard strike past the Drexel keeper into the top right corner of the net.
Just five minutes later, junior forward Laura Greene tallied her fourth goal of the season after senior forward Salma Tarik’s shot came off the crossbar to Yovino, who fed Greene for the goal.
Greene’s goal came in handy when Drexel’s sophomore forward Juliana Speroni ended Hofstra’s 465-minute shutout streak with a goal in the eighty-second minute to try and spark a Dragons comeback. The Pride defense was having none of that idea as it held on for its ninth consecutive win of the season as Drexel dropped to 4-7.
Three days later, it was back home for the Pride to take on the University of Delaware and the chance to tie the school record of ten consecutive wins.
The Pride hit pay dirt early as senior forward Kayla Pifer smashed home a low cross from Greene in just the fifth minute of play for her first goal of the season. “I think it [the early goal] just kills the nerves a little bit,” said head coach Simon Riddiough. “I think Delaware is a very talented team, but at the moment right now they are a little bit fragile psychologically and that early goal hit them a little bit harder than it should do.”
The 5-6 Blue Hens did everything they could to get back into the game, but the rest of the first half was bogged down in the midfield with not many chances created.
The game opened up a bit more in the second half and Yovino was able to double the Pride’s lead in the sixty-second minute. The senior beautifully half -volleyed sophomore defender Danielle Murino’s cross from 12 yards out.
The combination ended the scoring for the day and the Pride tied the 2005 team in recording its tenth straight win. “We found a way to grind out results and we can win pretty if we have to,” said Riddiough. “We have a good combination and I think that is the reason why we are as good as we are.”
Hofstra continues CAA play when it hosts Towson University on Friday, October 8 and George Mason University on Sunday, October 11. A win or tie next game will tie the longest unbeaten streak in school history when the 2000 team went 11 games without a loss.
Senior midfielder Tiffany Yovino (18) volleys the ball into the net against Delaware. (Sean M. Gates/ The Chronicle)
