The No. 16 Hofstra University men’s soccer team defeated the Monmouth University Hawks 1-0 at Hofstra Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, New York, on Saturday, Oct. 7. With the victory, the Pride advanced to 3-0-2 in Coastal Athletic Assosication (CAA) games and jumped to second in the CAA standings. Their overall record improved to 9-1-3 as their unbeaten streak extended to 11 games.
“We beat a very good Monmouth team,” said Hofstra head coach Richard Nuttall. “It was a key game, and they were very enthusiastic, energetic and talented.”
Midfielder Eliot Goldthorp scored the goal for Hofstra in the 86th minute as he sprinted into the 18-yard area with the ball before striking it past Monmouth goalkeeper Eryk Dymora and finding the back of the net for the sixth time this season. Goldthorp had the most shot attempts of any player that night with six.
“Eventually one’s going to go in with his ability,” Nuttall said. “He kept working and he came inside; they were forcing him inside a lot, they didn’t want him to go outside because he could cross the ball. They forced him, he kept going and he squeezed one in at the end. Big relief for us.”
Goldthorp is third in the CAA in individual points and is now tied for first in-game winners this season. He also has the second-most shot attempts out of any individual player in the conference.
“He’s one of the best players in the country,” Nuttall said. “He’s probably one of the most talented players at attacking defenders and taking them on with his tricks and his movement. He’s two-footed.”
Goalkeeper Wessel Speel tied his season-high of five saves in one match, four of which came in the second half. Monmouth gained momentum after the restart but failed to hit the scoresheet. Striker Ben Zakowski, who leads the conference in total shot attempts and shots-on-goal, was limited despite playing all 90 minutes. He only had one shot attempt all game and never challenged Speel.
“I don’t think we played well,” Nuttall said. “But we restricted their actual chances to maybe one good one, which I’m pleased about, and we had three or four chances ourselves.”
Nuttall’s starting formation saw five midfielders and a lone striker, but his tactics quickly changed as he brought on forwards Teddy Baker and Miguel Soto Gonzales in the first half. Baker totaled 47 minutes, his second-longest appearance when starting on the bench this season.
“We decided to go three-and-three and maybe get at them a little bit more,” Nuttall said. “It seemed to work; we had a couple of injuries, so we had to move people around. I’m just pleased with what we did and how we did it; we kept creating our chances, and I thought our overall effort and work ethic were really good.”
It was a pivotal win for Nuttall’s side as they entered the match tied with the Hawks on points, knowing a victory for either side also meant second place behind the Stony Brook University Seawolves in the CAA standings. Following the win, Hofstra trails Stony Brook by three points with a game in hand.
“This was a key game,” Nuttall said. “To come out with a win, it’s a great relief. We have a chance at competing for the top spot and possibly hosting [the CAA championship]. That’s what our aim is, but there are some good teams and there’s a long way to go.”
The Pride heads to the Bronx to clash with No. 24 Fordham University on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
