The Hofstra field hockey team’s final game before facing its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rivals of the season ends in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Rider University Broncs. The Broncs entered the Hofstra field hockey stadium with a 5-2 record, earning them a first place spot in the Northeast Conference. However, the Pride also boasted a first-place seat in the CAA.

Eline Oldeman delivered the game-opening pass at center field and possession stayed with Hofstra for the bulk of the first quarter. The initial attempts to break into Broncs territory were unsuccessful but the Pride eventually broke through. Almost 7 minutes in, the persistence paid off as Cami Larsson retrieved a pass at the top of the crease and roofed one out of the reach of Broncs goaltender Kaitlyn Tomas and just like that, it was 1-0 Hofstra. There was no more scoring to show for the rest of the first quarter.

The second quarter didn’t see any scoring either. Despite each team tallying two shots in the second, the Pride sustained its possession game and was limiting the Broncs to low danger shots all throughout the quarter. It was player-on-player defensive for Hofstra. Every chance Rider had to sling a pass in front, there was always a Hofstra defender waiting to swat it away.

The third quarter was the Pride’s most complete quarter. Outshooting its opponent 4-0 and then scoring a very late goal courtesy of Lara Borensztein off a penalty corner. Djuna Slort let the initial shot go and Borensztein deflected the shot, allowing the Pride to jump ahead 2-0. 

With three dominant quarters behind them, the home crowd and team felt good starting the final quarter. Unfortunately for Hofstra, a couple of broken plays lead to Rider scoring two goals of its own courtesy of Carly Brosious, who currently leads the Northeast Conference in goals scored, and Tess van Ommeren’s third of the season and the game went to the extra quarter. Hofstra had good control to start but another broken play led to a Broncs stampede and Brosious ended the game with her seventh of the season. 

Up next, the Pride field hockey team begins its CAA schedule which will start with a field trip to Virginia to face College of William & Mary on Friday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m., as well as James Madison University on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m. The team will return to Hofstra field hockey stadium on Friday, Oct. 8, at 3 p.m. to square off against the perennial CAA-winning University of Delaware Blue Hens.

Photo courtesy of Adam Flash/The Hofstra Chronicle