On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Hofstra Pride field hockey team defeated Towson University 3-0 on Senior Day at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
“It feels great to get the win. The girls have been so positive, working every single day pushing this program forward. Its emotional, I’m happy we have come together as a team, and it’s a great day to celebrate our seniors, Dominique Luxardo, Alyssa Kohler, Madison Warfel, Valerie Vogels, and Madison Georgiana,” said head coach Courtney Veinotte.
The game started off with the rain in a heavy downpour, making playing conditions a factor for both teams. The first quarter ended in a sloppy turnover battle between the Pride and the Tigers.
That quickly changed as the Pride got on the board early in the second quarter. Capitalizing on a penalty corner play, Sophmore Djuna Slort fired one into the goal notching her fifth goal of the season, with the two seniors Madison Georgiana and Madison Warfel getting the assist.
The second quarter success did not stop there for the Pride. Hofstra outshot Towson 8-0 in the quarter, and had seven penalty corners. The Pride’s defense was significantly better than it has been all season in this quarter. The Pride did not allow Towson to cross the midfield line at all before the half was over.
“The rain was really coming down, and from the start we were trying to stay as disciplined and as structured as possible. Play the safe ball every time, that definitely helped us,” Veinotte said. “They are some very solid defenders; Frankie O’Brien came up with some very great tackles for us under the center. It was a very well-disciplined game from that point on and that’s what kept us ahead.”
The Pride looked to keep the momentum going after halftime, but play was halted at the 11:19 mark of the third quarter due to the continuous heavy rain, and lightning in the area. It was a 38-minute delay, but eventually both teams were able to get back on the field and resume play.
The delay seemed to give the Tigers new life, as they were driving into the Hofstra zone more than we saw all game. But with 2:33 left to play in the quarter, freshman Sydney LeGuillow tallied her second goal of the year, tipping in a pass from Warfel for the 2-0 lead. This was her second goal in only four starts for the Pride.
“Our support staff is wonderful, during the delay we had every girl in a towel to keep them warm. The girls were definitely hungry to get back out there, and they handled the weather delay very well,” Veinotte said. “They were focused. They were foaming at the mouth asking how much time was on the clock, and when could they go back out there on the field. I could tell they were eager to get back out, and they were ready to handle the circumstances.”
Into the fourth quarter, Towson struggled to capitalize on some good scoring opportunities. With 10 minutes left Madison Georgiana put a damper on the Tigers hopes of a comeback with her first goal of the year.
“This senior class is extremely special; we have done a ton of work trying to change the culture of our program for the last seven months,” Veinotte said. “The seniors have been a huge part of that. I hope they are proud of the foundation they laid down. For Georgiana to get a goal on senior day, was really the cherry on top of the cake. I love it.”
Good ball movement helped The Pride to run out the clock and secure the 3-0 victory. Freshman goalie Merijn van der Vegt needed to make only one save the entire game, racking up her second shutout of the season.
With one game remaining the Pride look to capture their eighth win as they sit at 7-10 this year. Even though they are eliminated from the four-team CAA Championship Tournament contention, they can finish this season off on a positive note next Sunday, Nov. 3, when Hofstra travels to Boston to face the Northeastern Unviversity Huskies at 1 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
