The Hofstra Pride men’s lacrosse squad rode a red-hot second half to a 12-8 win over the Providence University Friars on Saturday afternoon to stretch Hofstra’s winning streak to four games.

The Pride came into the third quarter in a close battle with Providence, trailing 6-5. But Hofstra outscored the Friars in the second half 7-2 thanks to big performances from Jimmy Yanes and Dylan McIntosh. The two accounted for all but two of the team’s second-half goals in a game where leading scorer Ryan Tierney was bottled up by the Providence defense.

Yanes finished with six points – a career-high for the junior – on three goals while the freshman McIntosh ended with a career-high four scores – his second hat trick of the young season. The two have been key to Hofstra’s current winning stretch as they’ve seemingly filled the scoring gap left by Josh Byrne, last year’s Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year.

In a game that was pretty tight by most statistical measures, Hofstra had the edge thanks to a strong defense, which forced 18 of Providence’s 33 shots to go off target. Last year the Friars were one of three squads to score in double digits against the Pride, so this game was a good test for a defense, which has already held offensive juggernauts such as the University of North Carolina and Villanova University at bay.

Hofstra also continued to see success at the face-off circle, where the Pride have now had the statistical edge in every game during the Pride’s current winning streak.

With the victory, Hofstra has now won four straight. The Pride defense continues to shine as the squad has yet to allow double-digit goals in a contest this season.

Hofstra’s last non-conference home game is coming up on Tuesday evening when the Pride take on Lehigh University. Opening face-off is set for 7 p.m. as Hofstra seeks its fifth straight win.