Hofstra men’s lacrosse lost its second straight contest Saturday afternoon, falling 9-8 against St. John’s at DaSilva Field.
Freshman Dylan McIntosh had the game of his young life, scoring six goals on just six shots. However, all six came in the first half as the Pride attack faltered late for the second game in a row.
McIntosh now leads the Pride in goals scored with 17, while sophomore Ryan Tierney’s three assists upped his season-leading total to 19
Hofstra started the game off well, jumping out to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first. They would go on to hold several different three goal leads, including leading 5-2, 6-3 and 7-4, but a streaking St. John’s team would not go away.
Holding an 8-6 lead at the end of the third, St. John’s outscored Hofstra 3-0 in the final frame, striking for the last time with just three second left for a game winning shot.
The Pride have now been outscored 7-0 in the fourth quarter in its last two games, causing an unexpected two-game skid that may seriously damage any NCAA tourney hopes.
McIntosh’s scintillating performance is a solid silver lining, but he didn’t put up a single shot in the second half after the Red Storm clamped down on defense. The past two games have featured some exciting box scores (Tierney’s seven-assist game and McIntosh’s six goals), yet the Pride only scored eight goals in each game, including a goose egg in both fourth quarters.
Tierney, typically the Pride’s most consistent scorer, has put up a whopping ten assists in the last two games, yet he has been held scoreless.
Somehow the Pride will have to mix things up going forward as they head into conference play. In all four of its losses this season, the offense has failed to score more than eight goals.
If Coach Seth Tierney can coerce some positive production out of an inconsistent offense, the Pride can keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive. If not, getting through CAA play unscathed will be a daunting task.
Hofstra (4-4) will look to snap the losing streak this Saturday at 1 p.m. at James M. Shuart Stadium entering conference play against Towson, the defending CAA champs.
