The No. 12 Hofstra University men’s soccer team defeated the University of New Hampshire 1-0 in a non-conference clash on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Hofstra entered the game ranked the highest this men’s program has ever been. The win pushes the Pride to 6-0-1 on the season, keeping their unbeaten streak alive. Hofstra men’s soccer is currently 2-0 in conference play this season.
“I’m revved up really big time because we’ve just beaten a very good team and we’ve won it the Hofstra way, with grit and determination,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall. “We haven’t played particularly well, but we’ve played hard, and we’ve played tough.”
Freshman forward Lennon Gill scored the game’s lone goal with only 14 minutes of playing time in the first half, with an assist coming from freshman defender Thengill Orrason. Gill found himself on the score sheet for the second straight game, both of which were game-winning goals.
“We haven’t seen nothing yet from him,” Nuttall said. “I think there’s a big upside.”
Gill continues to get back to full speed from his devastating ACL injury that kept him sidelined for so long.
While the Pride started the game slowly, after a little under 20 minutes the coaching staff made some much-needed changes to the game’s dynamic. Gill and sophomore forward Daniele Mastroianni took to the field, replacing junior midfielder Laurie Goddard and senior forward Teddy Baker. It was from that moment on that the Pride began to see more possession and eventually, opportunities to strike, one of which they capitalized on.
The game also increased in physicality as the minutes ticked on. Players on both sides started to dig deep for every possession, and by the end of the game, Gill, defender Jon Jelercic and midfielder Roc Carles would all be shown a yellow card. New Hampshire’s graduate forward Matthew Goncalves was also shown a yellow.
Even with the level of physicality mixed with the quick, counterattack offense that the New Hampshire side began to play with, the Pride’s defense stood up to the challenge. They didn’t allow a single shot on goal until a little over 10 minutes gone in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Filippo Dadone would go on to stop all five shots he faced. Another clean sheet for the Italian native means he is up to five clean sheets in seven games, including three consecutive ones.
The waning minutes of the match saw Hofstra’s defense bend as the Wildcats took shot after shot. Nonetheless, the Pride didn’t break. This is a Hofstra defense that through seven games, has continued to frustrate opposing teams.
“It’s not just the back line and the keeper, it’s the whole team,” Nuttall said. “I like the way we defend. We defend the box well. We defend wide well.”
The Pride turned their attention to West Long Branch, New Jersey for their next game against Coastal Athletic Association foe Monmouth University on Saturday, Sept. 21.
