The Hofstra Pride field hockey team fell to a record of 0-4 on Sunday afternoon after losing a close matchup to the University of Vermont Catamounts 1-0 at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.

Both teams were winless coming in to Sunday’s game, both looking to turn their seasons around. Some key storylines included, sophomore Cami Larsson leading Hofstra in goals so far this season. As well as, freshman goalie Merlijn van der Vegt coming off a 12-save game in her first start last week against Monmouth University.

It was a tightly contested defensive match in the first quarter, with both teams struggling to keep possession of the ball.

Early in the second quarter, Vermont took advantage of an open goal. Great ball movement in Hofstra’s defensive circle and an aggressive play by van der Vegt a few yards outside of the net allowed a goal from Bailey Matthews to put the Catamounts on the board.

Vermont’s offensive play really took over late in the quarter. Still down 1-0, sophomore Cami Larsson did all she could to give the Pride a spark. With no time remaining in the first half, Hofstra got a great opportunity to tie it up with a penalty corner. Despite the attempt, Vermont goalie Sierra Espeland made a nice save sending the Catamounts into halftime with at 1-0 lead over the Pride.

Coming into the third, Hofstra’s offense kept some promising momentum in the hopes of getting onto the scoreboard.

Entering the final quarter, Hofstra tried to capitalize on the pressure they put on Vermont’s slim lead. Van der Vegt’s hard fought performance in goal for the Pride kept Hofstra in the game.

“She’s extremely agile, she had a couple of very exciting, crowd thrilling saves. She’s getting hands on things that I think were game changers for us,” said head coach Courtney Veinotte. “She’s a fantastic goalie and it will be exciting to watch her grow.”

With 20 seconds left in the game, Hofstra had possession of the ball in Vermont’s zone. With time expiring, Hofstra attempted a desperation shot that went wide left.

With the loss, Hofstra is now 7-7 all time against Vermont.

 “Offensively I like that we are getting the circle entries, I think were connecting better from the 50 yard line into the 25,” Veinotte said. “Now it’s about what’s next, what we need to keep working on.”

The Pride will look to get their first win of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 11, where history is on Hofstra’s side as they host Sacred Heart University, a series in which the Pride are 16-0.

Image courtesy of Hofstra Athletics