The Hofstra men’s soccer team extended their unbeaten streak to eight games, picking up a 2-1 victory over UNC-Wilmington on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Wilmington, North Carolina.
After 70 minutes of no goals to start the match, UNCW’s Omar Aboutaleb put a shot past Hofstra goalkeeper Wessel Speel that seemed to seal a victory for the Seahawks.
However, just five minutes later, Hofstra was given the narrowest of chances and received a penalty kick after UNCW’s Bachir Ndiaye committed a foul inside the box.
Eliot Goldthorp took the shot for Hofstra and blasted the ball into the bottom left corner, past the diving UNCW keeper Gabriel Perrotta to tie the game late at one apiece.
With under four minutes to play in a crucial Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game, midfielder Francesco Perinelli stole the ball away from UNCW deep in their own zone and shot it over the outstretched leg of Perrotta to give the Pride the lead, and ultimately the win.
Hofstra’s defense was strong once again, as they have not allowed more than one goal in seven consecutive games and have yet to allow more than two goals in any game this season. The Seahawks totaled nine shots with only four making it on net. Speel had three saves in goal for Hofstra.
UNCW’s Perrotta was forced to be a little bit busier than that as he faced seven shots on net from Hofstra. This is the third game in a row that the Pride have totaled more than 15 shots, the best stretch for their offense all season.
Goldthorp’s goal was his tenth of the season and his sixth in the last three games alone. Perinelli’s goal was his first of the season and the second of his collegiate career. It was also the first game winning goal of his career.
With the win, Hofstra jumps into first place in the CAA with a 4-1-1 record, tied with Elon University. The win also puts the Pride’s overall record at 8-2-1.
Hofstra will be back on the field on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., when they host Saint Joseph’s University in a non-conference matchup before resuming CAA play against Elon on Saturday, Oct. 15, in what will be the first match between the two schools since last year’s conference championship game.
Photo courtesy of To Hanna/UNCWSports.com
