It is basic math. With a 14-3-1 record, the Hofstra women’s soccer team is good. Really good. And you don’t need an engineering degree to know it.

But it certainly could help.

“My engineering degree is actually why I came to [the United States of America], to combine the sport and the academics,” said freshman Georgia Brown. “I love being able to pursue both of those passions.”

“I think the engineering department is really good here. And the soccer is really good here too. That is what attracted me to Hofstra. It is such a high standard and has been able to push me to my highest level.”

Brown – who has five goals this season – ­has earned many accolades on and off the field. The Highworth, England native was the 2019 Young Scientist of the Year at Oxford High School. And this year, she has achieved Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week honors twice.

“It is always nice to get those individual awards, but I could never get those without the team around me,” Brown said.

That team is one of the best in the country. The squad is a well-oiled machine, with an imposing offense and structured defense – one that has 11 clean sheets this year. 

“We just try to play with as much energy as possible,” Brown said. “We press our opposition. And this shows with as many shutouts as we have.”

But you can’t forget about Skylar Kuzmich. She has 110 saves during her three years at Hofstra and is currently in the midst of her best season yet.

The Abington, Massachusetts native has backstopped some big victories, including a 2-0 win over Princeton University in New Jersey on Thursday, Sept. 16. She had a career-high seven saves in the victory and was selected by United Soccer Coaches as National Player of the Week for her performance.

“It starts with Miri Taylor and works our way to our goalie,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “When you have a confident goalie behind a good front 10, you are going to have clean sheets.”

Clean sheets mean dominance. Precision. Perfection.

The Pride has scored 45 goals this year and has only allowed nine. They are tripling their opponents in shot attempts and corner kicks. They have even been ranked in the top-10 at some point of every college soccer poll this season.

These numbers show the Pride is winning with ease. But that doesn’t mean the team is taking their success for granted heading into postseason play.

“This team is quite a veteran team. We have had success in the past. We have had a lot of accolades in the past. We have had individual awards in the past,” Riddiough said. “We are just taking the long ride now. You have to temper the excitement sometimes but I am confident they are a professional team.”

Last year, the CAA regular season champion and top-seeded Pride was stunned by second-seeded Elon University in the CAA semifinals. They are looking for redemption this season — as well as an NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship run.

“Hopefully, we can get to the third round of the NCAAs,” Riddiough said. “It is a dream goal, but there is no doubt this team is talented enough to get there.” 

If this squad achieves that goal, it will be the first time the Pride has made it that far in their history. They have made it to the second round five times.

So, how far will Hofstra go this year? Right now, it is impossible to know, but in the meantime the engineer has a formula for success.

“We need to try to maintain our momentum,” Brown said. “It is important to focus game by game and not get distracted by the end goal. If we keep applying ourselves in training and working hard, the results will follow.”

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle