The Hofstra women’s lacrosse team harnessed its attack against the University of Delaware on Wednesday, April 6, in Newark, Delaware. The Pride snapped its four-game losing streak with a 16-11 win over the Blue Hens, with goals late in the game to secure the victory.
Delaware wasted little time early in the first quarter, as sophomore midfielder Danielle Livornese netted a goal 1:30 in. The Pride promptly responded with back-to-back goals from Taylor Mennella and Arianna Esposito, with assists by Kerry Walser and Erin Demek. The two teams continued to trade goals back and forth until the first quarter ended with the score tied 3-3.
The second quarter began much like the first, with Delaware scoring early – twice within the first six minutes. The Pride retaliated later in the quarter with a goal each from Walser and Mennella to tie the game up 5-5 going into halftime.
To kick off the third quarter, junior midfielder Mennella netted her third goal of the game early on, but the Hens were quick to respond with two goals within a minute of each other. Esposito and Lauren Colleti responded quickly as they both put goals past Delaware goalkeeper Mercy McCarthy. The Hens continued to battle back, making the game a back-and-forth effort, and forced a one-goal lead to close out the third, leading 10-9 going into the final quarter.
In the fourth, the Pride pulled away, scoring three unanswered goals within the first three minutes of the quarter. Graduate student Katie Whelan was in a rush to score her first goal of the day 13 seconds into the frame. She was quickly followed up by Walser 1:33 seconds later, before going back for her second and final goal of the day. The Blue Hens, down 12-10, looked to mount a comeback. With just under ten minutes remaining, Hens midfielder Riley Gillin snuck one by Jess Smith to make it 12-11. Fortunately for the Pride, that would be the last goal from the Hens as Hofstra produced a four-goal run to cap off its victory.
The Pride’s standouts came from their attacking and midfield unit as they peppered the Hens with shots, outshooting them 32-21 overall with 26 of those shots being on goal for Hofstra. The Pride won the draws-control battle, winning 18 in comparison to the Hens’ 13. In terms of defensive efforts, Smith recorded seven saves. In terms of scoring, Mennella netted four goals, more than she scored all of last season. Both Walser and Esposito recorded hat-tricks, while Whelan and Coletti scored two goals each.
The women’s lacrosse team currently stands at 7-5 overall and 1-1 in conference. It will look to continue its winning ways against conference rival Drexel University on Wednesday, April 13, at 3 p.m. at Vidas Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein/Hofstra Athletics
