The Hofstra University men’s lacrosse team fell to the No. 6 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill by a score of 18-7 for their second loss of the season. The Pride now sit at 4-2, while the Tar Heels improved to 5-1.
UNC-Chapel Hill opened the game with an offensive flurry, punching Hofstra in the mouth with 10 first quarter goals and holding the Pride to only one tally. The Tar Heels started out strong, scoring three goals in the first four minutes of the game. Sophomore attacker Owen Duffy started the scoring with his first of two goals. Mason Szewczyk and Ty English both potted a goal apiece as well.
Trey Parkes got things going for Hofstra with eight and a half minutes left in the first, firing a shot past Michael Gianforcaro to capitalize on Hofstra’s first offensive zone time of the morning.
The floodgates opened after Parkes put the Pride on the board, though the Tar Heels scored seven unanswered goals. Duffy and Dewey Egan scored one each before Hofstra’s Austin Clarke took a two-minute cross-checking penalty. UNC-Chapel Hill capitalized with two goals on the man up opportunity, the first coming from Matt Wrede for his first of the year. Wrede then played the role of distributor, threading the needle to find Ryan Levy in front of the net.
At the end of Clarke’s penalty though, Ryan Kiernan was guilty of pushing and gave UNC another 30 seconds of a man-advantage. Spencer Wirthheim, who assisted on Wrede’s goal, switched roles with Wrede, who found him in front of the net for an easy goal. Nick Dupuis and Brevin Wilson concluded the first quarter onslaught with goals of their own, bringing the score to 10-1.
The Tar Heels didn’t miss a beat to start the second, mirroring the start to the first quarter by scoring the first three goals. James Matan and Brady Wambach found the scoresheet for the first time while Egan scored his second of three goals on the day. The Pride punched back though, with captain Rory Jones ending the 10-0 run with his first of the day.
The Hofstra defense tightened up as well, only giving up four goals after Wambach’s first of the season. Shea Kennedy played the first half and allowed 15 goals with seven saves.
Despite the better defense, the Pride couldn’t completely shut down the Tar Heels in the second. Matan added his second of the game, and Parker Hoffman got on the board with a goal of his own.
After both of those tallies though, Hofstra responded. Trevor Natalie followed Matan’s goal with his 13th of the year, and Rory Jones closed the half with his second of the quarter.
The third quarter saw both teams switch goalies. Sean Henderson took the net for the Pride, while Kent Goode came in for the Tar Heels.
The offense slowed down considerably in the third, Parkes scored the only goal of the stanza. His second of the game brought Hofstra within 10 goals.
The fourth quarter saw some stars finally break through. UNC Chapel Hill’s Dominic Pietramala, who is fourth in the country in goals per game at 4.20, scored his first of the contest and 22nd of the year. Hofstra is the first team this season to keep Pietramala from scoring multiple goals in a game.
For Hofstra, Drew Bogardus scored twice, increasing his team leading goal total to 18.
The Pride next take the field on Saturday, March 15, when they begin Coastal Athletic Association play against their Long Island rivals Stony Brook University. Game time is 7 p.m. from James M. Shuart Stadium.
