The Hofstra University men’s soccer team overcame Binghamton University, 3-2 en route to their third consecutive win at Hofstra Soccer Stadium on Monday, Sept. 2. The Pride is 3-0-1 as they head into conference play.
“We fought,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall. “We kicked, we scrapped, we kept working hard and we got a win out of the game. Brilliant for our boys, I’m really proud of them.”
Hofstra initially fell behind 24 minutes into the first half with a goal from Binghamton forward Anthony Randazzo, who curled it into the far corner past goalkeeper Filippo Dadone. It was the second straight game where the Pride conceded a first-half goal, after conceding only four of them all last season.
The Pride equalized two minutes later through graduate midfielder Laurie Goddard, the London native who headed it in at the far post to put his side on level terms. The assist was provided by Daniele Mastroianni, who came off the bench only two minutes prior. It was Goddard’s first goal for Hofstra to accompany his three assists on the season.
“[Goddard] loves the game more than most,” Nuttall said. “He absolutely loves it. He’s a scrapper for the ball, he’s got good skill.”
The Pride jumped in front 10 minutes into the second half as forward Jacob Woznicki tapped the ball in at the far post with the assists credited to Goddard and team captain Roc Carles. Woznicki, a junior who transferred from Stonehill College, leads the team with four goals in as many starts.
“[Woznicki’s] a man-beast,” Nuttall said. “He’s such a lovely lad and then when he goes on the field, he’s a beast. His jumping abilities are tremendous, he’s good in the air. He’s a disrupter; he disrupts everything for anyone who gets space on the field.”
Binghamton equalized just past the hour mark via Randazzo, who completed a brace. However, Hofstra restored their advantage via a penalty kick with just under 20 minutes left to play. Eoin Farrell found the top-right corner as the Pride converted their second spot-kick attempt on the night; their first was saved by goalkeeper Dylan McDermott in the first half.
Nuttall’s side held on, clinching their first one-goal margin victory of the season. Hofstra went 8-3 in one-goal games in 2023 and 9-1 in 2022. Out of their nine goals so far in 2024, six have been scored in the second half. It took a couple more second-half goals to top Binghamton, giving Hofstra a run for their money.
“[Binghamton] tactically disrupted us,” Nuttall said. “They probably went a bit longer than they normally do, but I thought we caught it well on the whole. [There were] a couple of lapses in concentration.”
Hofstra will take their three-game winning streak into conference play. Their two-match home stretch has ended as they’ll travel to Virginia to face the College of William & Mary. The Pride has won the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) title three years in a row and will seek to give themselves the best opportunity to win a fourth by finishing at the top of the regular season rankings.
“As soon as you go into the CAA, everything gets ramped up,” Nuttall said. “We know it’s going to be tough. The CAA is a fantastic conference and every game is a battle. We’re looking forward to it.”
Kickoff against William & Mary was scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
