The No. 21 Hofstra University men’s soccer team faced their second consecutive loss in their 3-1 game against No. 18 University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The Pride fell to 8-3-1 overall.
Penn opened the scoring in the ninth minute as a Patrick Cayelli free kick was headed into the net by defender Leo Burney.
Hofstra found an equalizer nearly one hour into the game from junior Laurie Goddard. Daniele Mastroianni’s headed cross was controlled by Goddard with the first touch and smashed into the back of the net with the second, getting the visitors back on level terms. With the goal, Goddard tied Jacob Woznicki for most individual points on the team with 14 total.
That scoreline only lasted four minutes as Penn scored a penalty just past the hour mark. Ben Do’s cross into the box was immediately blocked by Mastroianni’s outstretched arm. The penalty kick was immediately awarded as Mastroianni, who had just provided the assist minutes earlier, gave Penn a chance to restore their advantage. Stas Korzeniowski took advantage of the opportunity and sent the ball above the reach of Pride goaltender Filippo Dadone. The Quakers gained a 2-1 lead on the first penalty Hofstra has faced all season.
Penn regained momentum after the second goal, taking control of the game, and eventually found their third goal in the final 10 minutes. Korzeniowski squared the ball for midfielder Jack-Ryan Jeremiah on the counterattack before Jeremiah smashed it into the roof of the net, finishing off the Pride.
Penn outranked Hofstra 16-9 in total shots and 5-4 in shots on goal. Dadone entered the night tied for second in the country with six shutouts but allowed more goals than saves. This was the Pride’s second straight defeat as they have conceded more goals in their last two games than in their first 10 matches combined.
Hofstra was without a couple of key pieces, both in the squad and personnel. Team captain and graduate Roc Carles was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards on the season, resulting in the first absence of his collegiate career.
Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall did not appear on the touchline, a rarity for the skipper now in his 36th season with the program. Assistant coaches Stephen Roche and Shaun Foster stood in for Nuttall, though they saw their side take its foot off the gas in the final 30 minutes. The defending Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) champions lost their second match in the City of Brotherly Love in three days, having lost 5-4 to Drexel on Saturday.
Penn snatched their third consecutive win and remained perfect at home, snatching their sixth straight win on their turf. The head-to-head series between the Pride and Quakers is tied at 1-1, while Hofstra is 1-1 against ranked opponents in 2024.
Hofstra returned home to face conference rivals Campbell University in a CAA clash at Captains Field on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff was scheduled for 2 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Joe Orovitz
