The Hofstra University men’s lacrosse team fell to Drexel University on Saturday, April 11, losing 17-8 and dropping to
1-3 in conference play. Thanks to last week’s win against Fairfield University, the Pride have just one win since March
2, and they must win out to make the 2026 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament in May.

Hofstra played another incomplete game. The Pride had one less shot on goal, less turnovers and more caused turnovers than Drexel, and some of their old flaws came back to bite them.

The Pride started strong on faceoffs, winning four of the first six. The faceoffs slowly started swinging in Drexel’s favor, making Hofstra’s comeback attempt more difficult. Drexel ended the game winning 16 of 28 faceoffs. Joey DeYoung’s second hat trick of the season and third of his career headlined the Pride. DeYoung eclipsed his previous career high in goals, and is second on the team, with 18 on the season.

The key difference for Drexel was goalie Brendan Donnelly. The junior player made a career-high 19 saves on 27 Hofstra shots on goal, helping Drexel cruise to victory. Donnelly leads the conference with his .552 save percentage
and 9.11 goals-against average. Drexel broke the scoring in the first minute and quickly extended the lead to two goals just minutes later. The Dragons took advantage of opportunistic scoring runs, ending the first quarter with three consecutive tallies.

Already down four after the first, Alec Tulio scored one of his game-high four goals, keeping the Pride at an arm’s
length. Hofstra remained close in shots on goal, with both teams registering 15 by halftime. Donnelly made the difference in cage, stopping eight of the first nine Pride shots.

In the second half, Drexel continued to pour it on. The Dragons opened the third quarter on a six-goal scoring run capped off by Tulio completing his hat trick. Witt Crawford also had two goals during that span.Hofstra’s goalie, Shea
Kennedy, came off a 16-save game over Fairfield, but he failed to reach the same level against Drexel. Kennedy
allowed 17 goals and made 11 saves.

The Pride played their best quarter in the fourth, outshooting Drexel 4-2 in the final 15 minutes. Trevor Natalie
recorded his 22nd goal of the season while Anthony Mollica registered two points on a goal and two assists. Mollica hit the century milestone mark in his career. It’s the fourth game in a row in which the Pride tied or outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter.

Hofstra is tied with Fairfield for fifth place in CAA standings, but they will need to win out and get help to make
the conference tournament. The Pride are back in conference action next Saturday, April 18, against Hampton University on Senior Day. Opening draw from James M. Shuart Stadium is set for 1 p.m.