The No. 23 Hofstra University men’s soccer team had its opening night spoiled in a 2-1 loss to Bucknell University. The game took place at Captain’s Field on Aug. 21. The Bison came back to upset the Pride with a 77th minute game-winning goal from Jack Lucas, handing Hofstra their first loss of the season.

Daniel Burko, a senior transfer from Syracuse University, scored the lone goal for the Pride in his Hofstra debut.

The Pride came out and quickly took control of the contest, dominating possession and pushing the Bison onto their back foot throughout the opening stages.

“I thought, first off, we were good to almost very good,” said Richard Nuttall, Hofstra’s head coach. “We created lots of chances and could have gone up 2-0 or 3-0. I thought we lacked a little composure today overall … In front of the goal we should have had a little bit of composure, and we didn’t execute and it’s all about scoring goals this game.”

Hofstra broke through in the 29th minute when Laurie Goddard controlled a throw-in from the left wing, laying it off to Aleksei Armas about five yards from the corner of the 18-yard box. Armas swiftly took a touch before curving a cross to the edge of the six-yard box, finding the head of a diving Burko. The six-foot-three-inch forward was completely horizontal, perfectly timing the dive to send the header right past Freddie Lapworth for the Pride’s first goal of the 2025 season.

The Bison refused to roll over, grinding their way back into the game. Last season’s Patriot League Champions relied on their depth and chemistry between more than 20 returning players to scratch back a goal several minutes after falling behind.

Bucknell made nine substitutions in the first half, while the Pride only made two. The fresh legs got the Bison going and built forward momentum for the first time in the half.

Jacob Thomas, who came on as a substitute in the 33rd minute, put the Bison on the board with a goal just four minutes later.

“They moved the ball really well,” Nuttall said. “They use a lot of subs; I’ve got to give them a lot of credit – a well-coached, fit team who moved the ball well.”

After gaining control of the ball, Thomas spun around Goddard, dribbling past a challenging Gabriel Pacheco before sending a shot on goal towards Hofstra goalkeeper Sean Bohan. The Pride’s netminder dove to his right, but the ball took a precarious bounce, ending up in the back of the net for an equalizer.

“[Bohan] will save that ball 99 times out of 100,” Nuttall said. “It’s just one of those things.”

Hofstra created a few more chances in the final minutes of the first half but could not find the finishing touch as Bucknell’s defense tightened up, sending the game to halftime knotted up.

The start of the second half was a stalemate, with neither team giving up an inch of positioning. The Pride and the Bison both aggressively played their backlines high, setting up an offside trap, adding extra pressure onto ball handlers and shortening the pitch.

The Pride had trouble trying to break past the Bucknell defense, getting called for offsides seven times in the game.

Goddard exited the game in the 65th minute with a lower leg injury and did not return.

Goddard was voted as the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year, and his impact on the Pride’s success was made evident after his departure.

“Well, [Goddard exiting the game is] emotional,” Nuttall said. “He’s a cracking player, and hopefully he’ll end up in the pros. When he goes down, it does affect people psychologically.”

The Pride had a few chances to retake the lead with shots from Burko and Stefano Campisi, but Lapworth was well positioned for his third and fourth saves of the game.

Bucknell’s confidence continued to grow every minute and, with each empty Hofstra possession, the momentum on the pitch shifted to the visitors.

After a failed attempt to clear the ball in the 75th minute, Lucas found himself with possession just above the 18-yard box. He finessed a beautifully placed shot past a fully extended Bohan into the upper right corner, stunning the fans at Captain’s Field.

With the air sucked out of the arena, the Pride only managed one shot in the final 25 minutes, losing for just the second time in their last 23 home games.

The Pride returned to the field for their next match, hosting St. John’s University on Sunday, Aug. 24.