The excellent tandem of Ryan Carmichael and Eliot Goldthorp helped bring home a win for the Hofstra men’s soccer team against Northeastern University in a 2-1 victory on Saturday, Sept. 17. Carmichael and Goldthorp each had a goal in what was a very physical showcase against Northeastern. The Pride are now 4-2 on the season with this being their third consecutive win.

The game got off to a sloppy start when Hofstra’s Francesco Perinelli and Northeastern’s Sebastian Restrepo both got yellows after an altercation going for a loose ball. The Pride overcame the chippy start and struck first. Goldthorp had a clean through ball to Oliver Svalander, who crossed it to Carmichael and gave him the chance to net his third goal of the season. Getting the early goal at the 10-minute mark gave the Pride the impetus and confidence necessary to keep going. Hofstra had two more close attempts that were blocked by the Northeastern defenders.

The Pride maintained a strong defense throughout the game, emphasized by the near 10-minute possession by the Huskies that resulted in no scoring. Hofstra defender Marcelo Lage came in clutch when he stopped an entry pass to block a corner kick during this defensive stand, keeping Northeastern’s attack team in check for the duration of the game. Speel left his mark on the game by catching any crosses or entry passes that came his way to stop the Northeastern attack.

The Pride came out of the second half peppering with multiple shots on the visiting goal. The Pride’s objective in this half looked crystal clear: get the ball downfield to Carmichael and let him make the play. He got his chance when he drew a penalty kick for the Pride. Goldthorp was chosen to take the penalty, and he cashed it in to put the Pride up 2-0. The two-goal advantage heightened the momentum that much more for the Pride. Afterward, they were able to get three corners in a row shortly after that goal, pushing the limits of the Northeastern defense.

Speel was looking for his second straight clean sheet, but a penalty in the 70th minute by Joe Wright resulted in a penalty shot for Ole Kjorholt. Speel let up the penalty shot to bring the score to 2-1.

Goldthorp had his fingerprints all over the second half as he increased his point total on the season to ten, scoring a goal and an assist in the game. Carmichael saw his point total increase as well after he scored his third goal giving him eight points on the season. Their connection on the field has lead the Pride in scoring this season.

Northeastern falls to 2-2-3 overall and received their first loss in conference play. The Pride are now 2-1 in conference play and will be traveling to Vestal, New York, to play against the Binghamton University Bearcats on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Neil Miller