After over 70 minutes of action on a blisteringly hot Sunday afternoon, Noriana Radwan was finally able to sneak one past Columbia goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse, launching an absolute beauty of a shot from 25 yards out to lead Hofstra to a 1-0 victory over the Lions.
“Columbia came in, and gave us a really tough battle,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough after Sunday’s win. “We didn’t break under the pressure…ultimately, we won the game.”
It was, indeed, a tough battle, as both teams found themselves not only battling with each other but with the elements, as well. Temperatures climbing up towards 90 degrees led to special “water breaks” being called at the midpoint of each half, so players could keep themselves hydrated and ready to play.
It was not too long after one of these short breaks in the second half that Hofstra was finally able to break the scoreless tie, after peppering Whitehouse with shot after shot through the first 72 minutes of action.
Radwan, a junior transfer from the University of Connecticut, received a pass from Jill Mulholland just outside the penalty box, and ripped off a rocket of a score. Whitehouse, to her credit, had been playing marvelously in net, but she didn’t have a chance on Radwan’s strike.
“I have to take advantage of opportunities I have from outside the box…I just try to focus on hitting them on frame, and eventually one of them was going in,” said Radwan after the game.
Radwan had made quite a splash in the Hofstra attack since entering the starting lineup, scoring two goals in her first four games as a starter for Hofstra.
“She [Radwan] has shown in the last three games that she could really be a valuable weapon for Hofstra,” said Riddiough.
Mulholland’s assist on the game-winner was her first of the season, bumping her total points to seven, the team-high so far this year. She has scored a point in three of Hofstra’s first four games.
The goal came as one of Hofstra’s 20 total shots, compared to just 10 shots from Columbia. Still, the Lions made it interesting in the last 15 minutes, finally producing a sustained offensive attack, only to be turned away by Pride keeper Friederike Mehring.
Mehring came in to play the second half after Ashley Wilson posted a clean sheet for the Pride in the first half. Together, the two combined for Hofstra’s third shutout of the season.
The Pride will be back in action on Thursday, Sept. 4, taking on the DePaul University Blue Demons at West Point, N.Y., as part of the three-day Army Invitational.
