The Hofstra men’s soccer team played to a scoreless draw against No. 11 University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) on Saturday to open Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference play.

The game went into two overtime periods, but neither side was able to break the tie.

Goalkeeper Alex Ashton made four saves to continue his dominance as he shut out Hofstra’s opponent for the fifth straight game.

Despite the lack of scoring, there were many chances for both teams throughout the game. The Pride had 12 shots with six of them on goal, while UNCW had 11 with four on goal.

Matthew Vowinkel and George O’Malley both had three shots to lead Hofstra, but UNCW’s goalie, Ryan Cretens, played a strong game and made six saves.

In the first half, both the Pride and the Seahawks had three shots as tight defense from both sides kept the game scoreless. In the second half, however, Hofstra seemed to take over, garnering multiple scoring opportunities and holding a 7-3 shot advantage.

The Pride dominated the majority of the half and controlled the ball well in UNCW’s end of the field. The Seahawks, though, continued to have stellar defense and goalkeeping, managing to keep the Pride off the board.

As the final whistle neared, Hofstra had a great chance to take the lead when O’Malley sent a header toward the net that was saved by Cretens in the 89th minute. He made four saves in that half. 

The Pride were not able to take their momentum into the first overtime period, totaling only one shot. UNCW continued to struggle offensively, generating only one shot as well, although they finally came together in the second overtime as their four shots outnumbered Hofstra’s one.

The Pride defense stepped up big during the second overtime period and they were able to stop the Seahawks’ valiant late-game push.

The best scoring chance for either team came in the 108th minute when UNCW defender Danny Reynolds sent a shot over Ashton that rattled off the crossbar. 

Despite the inability to score through two halves and two overtime periods, the game was hard fought by both the Pride and the Seahawks, both of whom had great goalkeeping coupled with various scoring opportunities.

The tie extends Hofstra’s undefeated streak to five games.

Up next, the Pride return home for their next matchup against Drexel on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics