By Jeffrey Werner - STAFF WRITER
The Hofstra Pride traveled to Philadelphia to continue their CAA conference play against Drexel University, where they were able to claim their first conference victory with a 2-1 lead and push their conference record to 1-1.
The Pride came into Philadelphia after an overtime win on Sunday against Columbia University. The Drexel Dragons also went into the game with a blowout 6-0 victory over Bucknell.
Both teams began the game with very sloppy play. The Pride and Dragons combined for five fouls within the first six and a half minutes of the game. Hofstra committed three fouls and Drexel committed two.
The Pride put pressure on Drexel early as junior midfielder Charlotte Loehr took two shots. Each shot was blocked by defender Rebecca Werner. Simca Schoen then took a shot on goal that was saved by goalie Jantien Gunter.
It took two more fouls from each team before one was able to strike early. At 13:42, Hofstra forward, Jonel Boileau, scored her 10th goal of the season to give the Pride a 1-0 lead. The assist came from Stella Schoen, who scored the game-winning goal against Columbia on Sunday.
It wasn’t long before Drexel responded with a goal of their own, as Christina Conrad scored for Drexel to tie the game up at one. Fouls, penalty corners, shots and substitutions made up the rest of the first half.
Five minutes after the second half started, the Pride scored. Simca scored her third goal of the season to give the Pride a 2-1 lead. The assist came from Jonel Boileau.
From there, the Pride never looked back as Drexel tried desperately to get another goal to tie. Towards the end, the Dragons were awarded a penalty corner late in the game. Regardless, the Pride was able to hold off the offensive attack and extend their winning streak to two games.
Freshman Carys Swan had an exceptional performance in goal with six saves on 12 Drexel shots during the game. On offense, Charlotte Loehr led the Pride with three shots, while both Schoen sisters had two shots apiece.
Fans can look forward to the next game on Sunday, Oct. 19 as the Pride will look to hold their ground at home against Rider University. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
