The Hofstra Pride men’s lacrosse team soundly defeated the Monmouth University Hawks, 12-6, at Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 1. The Pride snapped a four-game losing streak and improved their record to 3-7 overall.
“I’m awfully proud of the guys,” said Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney. “Obviously, winning takes over a whole different emotion. We’ve had our share of tough bounces and breaks as every team does.”
Hofstra scored twice or more each period to showcase a consistent victory. Matt Elder got things going for the Pride with two goals in the first period. Gerard Kane picked things up in the second period with two for himself, finishing as the top-scorer for the Pride on the day with four total.
“We reaped the benefits of those two [players] who put the ball in the goal six times between them,” said Tierney. “But there were some guys that really worked hard to allow those guys to have six goals.”
Hofstra continued to apply pressure in the third period with four unanswered points, including goals from Ryan Sheridan and Sterlyn Ardrey. It was the first goal of the season for each player. Ardrey tried his luck from long-range and his luck paid off amidst pouring rain.
While their offense put points on the scoreline, their defensive effort was just as impactful. They did their part against the likes of Connor Macrae, the Hawks senior who scored twice on the day to bring his season total to 17 points.
Speaking of defense, Hofstra goalkeeper Mac Gates had a season-high of 15 saves.
“When you start out the season, you have visions of your last year to go really well,” said Tierney. “His numbers haven’t been great, but it hasn’t been him, it’s been all of us. For him to have a game like this, I’m hopeful that we can get this air behind us. It doesn’t get any easier. Mac [Gates] stood strong. Any time you get 15 saves in a game, hopefully you can walk out with a win.”
Hofstra defender Tim Ford had five ground balls and provided an assist for Hofstra.
“He did a good job of keeping his poise,” said Tierney. “Those are huge ground balls for us. We cleared the ball a little bit better because we were struggling with that. I thought our guys adjusted [well] with a week to prepare.”
As for their postgame plans, the Pride will stick around in West Long Branch a little longer before heading home as the women’s lacrosse team also takes on Monmouth on Saturday.
“We want to wish our women good luck,” said Tierney. “It’s a unique opportunity for both our teams to play at the same place back-to-back. If Mother Nature allows, our guys are going to grab a sandwich, jump on the stands and cheer on our women.”
Hofstra looks to finish strong with only four games remaining in the regular season. Their upcoming match is on Saturday, April 8, with a home game against the Towson University Tigers.
Photo courtesy of Connor Graf/Hofstra Athletics
