On Friday, Aug. 25, the Hofstra University women’s soccer team traveled to New York, New York, to continue their 2023 campaign, falling 3-0 to the Columbia University Lions at the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. 

This puts Hofstra at 1-2 on the year while the Lions grabbed a victory in their season opener.

After defeating the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights 1-0 on Sunday, the Pride struggled to find the back of the net against their Ivy League opponent. The Lions used the Pride’s mistakes throughout the match as leverage to give them the 3-0 win.

The first goal of the game came in the 13th minute. Hofstra’s goalkeeper Mackenzie Sullivan restarted play from a goal kick which was intercepted by Columbia. Midfielder Stephanie Jung played the ball to forward Maia Tabion, who struck the ball cleanly to finish past Sullivan, giving the Lions an early 1-0 lead.

The Pride’s defense stayed strong and helped the team make it into halftime with a score of 0-1. That didn’t last long because the Lions struck again at the 67th minute mark of the game. Tabion sent in the corner kick for Columbia to defender Sam Cohn who headed the ball toward the net. Unfortunately for Cohn, the ball didn’t find the back of the net, but after a scramble to clear the ball in the box, forward Kendall McBride scored a close-range shot to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.

With 8 minutes and 30 seconds left in the match, the Lions scored their third and final goal. Forward Claire Pinnie made the run to find forward Madi Pilla at the top of the Hofstra box. Pilla decided to take a powerful shot from the top of the box, rocketing the ball right above Sullivan’s outstretched hand. Columbia secured their home opener with a 3-0 win.

The Pride finished with five total shots and three on goal while Columbia had 19 total shots and six on goal. Sullivan made three total saves on the afternoon, and Columbia goalkeeper Paige Nurkin made three while keeping a shutout.

Forward Margaret Peterson and defenders Gabriella Marte and Olivia Pearse each recorded a shot on goal for the Pride. Forward Wiktoria Fronc contributed to the shots, with only one not on goal. Both teams finished with five total corner kicks.

Hofstra returns to the pitch on Thursday, Aug. 31, to face Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, at 7 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Ariel Fox