The Hofstra Pride men’s lacrosse team got an upset win over the Drexel University Dragons in a close contest, 8-7, at Vidas Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, April 15. Hofstra is now 4-8 overall having won two of their last three games while they improve to 2-3 in conference games.
The Pride held off a rally from the Dragons in the second half of the game. It all started when Jack Mulcahy scored two goals late in the third period to give Drexel life. Casey Waller and Max Semple scored in quick succession to cut the deficit down to one. With three minutes left to play, Mulcahy scored his fourth of the game to get Drexel within a score again, but the Pride held firm, clinching their third consecutive win on the road.
A crucial save from Hofstra goalkeeper Mac Gates and a turnover forced by John Recher sealed the deal for the visiting Pride. Gates had 14 saves on the day for a Hofstra team that was marginally outnumbered in terms of both total shots and shots on goal.
Hofstra got off to a fast start despite conceding first. They took a 6-2 lead at the halfway point, thanks in large part to a hat-trick from Matt Elder, who joined Gerard Kane and John Madsen for top-scorers of the season for the Pride with 16 overall.
Griffin Turner also had three goals in the game for the Pride. His first arrived in the opening period to extend Hofstra’s early lead to 4-1. Turner scored twice in the fourth period, including one with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining to help push Hofstra over the edge and secure the victory. Turner brought his season tally into double figures and now has 11 overall.
As of now, this win goes down as the most significant for the Pride this year. It’s the first time they beat an opponent with a winning record. They also snapped a five-game winning streak for the Dragons who were coming off three consecutive games where they scored 15 goals or more.
The road trip for the Pride continues as they travel to Virginia to take on the Hampton University Pirates on Saturday, April 22. It’s a game that may favor the Pride as Hampton is 2-10 on the season and are currently on a seven-game losing streak. The Pirates are coming off a 20-1 loss on the road against the Towson University Tigers. The match is scheduled for noon eastern.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
