By Joe Pantorno, Assistant Sports Editor
The no. 23 Hofstra Pride women’s soccer team hit the road this weekend on a 12 game win streak to take its talents to Virginia in two Colonial Athletic Association match-ups against William & Mary and Old Dominion.
The Pride struck first against the 7-6-2 Tribe of William and Mary (3-3-1 in CAA) when senior midfielder Tiffany Yovino scored in the eighth minute off a cross from junior forward Laura Greene to give the Pride an early lead.
The Pride experienced some turbulence for the rest of the half. Senior goalkeeper Krista Thorn made six saves as the Tribe outshot the Pride 7-4 for the half.
There was an early goal in the second half, but this time the strike came from William & Mary. In the forty-seventh minute, sophomore midfielder Mallory Schaffer beat the Pride defense to tie the game at 1-1.
The Pride offense started kicking into gear after the equalizer, but Tribe senior goalkeeper Grace Barnard denied efforts from Pride senior forward Grace Hawkins and sophomore defender Danielle Murino.
William & Mary was dealt a blow when sophomore forward Erin Liberatore was issued her second yellow card of the match and dismissed in the fifty-eighth minute.
Things didn’t improve for the ten person side when Hofstra senior forward Salma Tarik converted a Greene assist from eight yards out in the eightieth minute for the go ahead goal.
With just one minute and forty-one seconds left on the clock, it was Schaffer again who converted the only shot taken by William & Mary after the red card to tie the game at 2-2.
What looked like a game that was heading to extra time took another wild turn in the last minute. A blocked shot from Tarik came out to junior midfielder Courtney Breen who sent in a cross from the right side and found the head of Yovino for her second goal of the match with forty-five seconds left and the 3-2 Hofstra victory.
The big play by Yovino was no surprise to Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “She’s the kind of kid you want in those environments,” he said. “When the chips are down and everybody is looking around searching for somebody to step up, she’s the one who always does it. She never fails to amaze and she stepped up again on Friday with that fantastic rebound goal.”
The Pride’s win streak increased to 13 games and it remained undefeated in conference play at 7-0.
On Sunday, Oct. 17, the 4-9-1 Old Dominion Lady Monarchs shocked the Pride early when ODU freshman Kate Kelly’s header found the back of the net in the eighth minute. The goal put Hofstra behind for the first time since Sept. 3 against Rhode Island.
Old Dominion was able to keep Hofstra off the board for the entire first half. “We just didn’t bring our A game,” said Riddiough. “For that first fifteen minutes it was frustrating.”
In the second half, when the Pride needed its spark, it was Yovino again to answer the call. In the sixtieth minute, she took a pass from junior midfielder Brittany Butts and scored her third goal in two games. It was also the fifth consecutive game Yovino has scored in.
The Pride struck again 13 minutes later when Greene tallied her sixth goal of the season when she cleaned up her own rebound.
Senior defender Dana Bergstrom tacked on an insurance goal just two minutes later when she unleashed a strike from thirty-five yards out.
The Lady Monarchs were awarded a penalty kick in the seventy-eighth minute but freshman keeper Emily Morphitis saved the attempt.
The final whistle confirmed Hofstra’s fourteenth straight win, 8-0 in conference play and 14-1 overall on the season. The weekend sweep sees the Pride move to no. 22 in the nation and improve to no. 15 in the RPI. “It’s just another milestone and stepping stone to show what this team is capable of,” said Riddiough.
