It was another packed house at Hofstra Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, New York, on Sunday, Nov. 19. The No. 14 Hofstra University men’s soccer team defeated the Yale University Bulldogs 2-0 in the second round of the NCAA Division I tournament. The Pride advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history.
“It’s special when there are 1,600 people there,” said junior midfielder Eliot Goldthorp. “Yale fans were great as well as the Hofstra students and fans. It just gives you a bit more of an edge to do something special and grind out a result.”
Striker Ryan Carmichael led Hofstra to victory with both goals as he completed a brace. He initially put the Pride ahead in the 38th minute as he tapped in a rebound before doubling the advantage with a header in the 67th minute. He tied his single-season record of 15 goals in the process.
“I think I’m finally getting a bit lucky,” Carmichael said. “Some things last year didn’t go my way; I was playing on an injury. I’ve been back to 100% now. I think it’s just that my tactical game is getting a bit better. My hold up play has definitely got a lot better.”
The Northern Ireland native scored on both ends of the pitch and was assisted each time by Goldthorp. The junior wingback added two more assists to his illustrious season as he reached the 30-point mark for the year.
“When I get the ball, I know where to be, and [Eliot] knows where to put it,” Carmichael said. “That’s just how it works. We’ve been training all week. I just think it’s a bit of a connection we have.”
The reigning Coastal Athletic Conference champions outranked the Ivy League champions 17-7 in total shots and 4-2 in shots on goal. The Pride preserved the shutout win despite missing a major piece at the back. Team captain Stefan Mason was suspended for Sunday night’s clash due to a red card he sustained in the conference championship a week earlier.
“We sort of dedicated the game to Stefan,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall. “Before we went out, he gave us a brilliant, emotionally, riveting and motivating few lines. We’re thankful we got him another game.”
In their second NCAA third-round appearance in three years, the Pride will travel to take on the No. 3 University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Hofstra’s first deep run in the national tournament two years ago ended in a 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers. While it was a historic run for the program, there are still lessons to take from the 2021 defeat as they get set to make a return to the third round.
“We’ll prepare to the best of our ability, and we’ll give everything we’ve got,” Nuttall said. “Total respect for North Carolina, and if we manage to come out on top, we’ll be incredibly happy, but we know it’s going to be a tough task. So, let’s see what happens.”
North Carolina and Hofstra will battle it out in the Sweet 16 on Sunday, Nov. 26. Kickoff at Chapel Hill is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Evan Bernstein
