When the 2020 Hofstra women’s lacrosse season abruptly came to an end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty filled the air about Alexa Mattera’s future with the Pride. After the NCAA announced an extra year of eligibility for spring athletes, the answer was clear: Mattera was coming back for a final season with Hofstra.
“It was definitely a hard-ending last year, especially as a senior. We were hoping to win a CAA championship and we never got the opportunity,” Mattera said. “If Alyssa [Parrella] and Darcie [Smith] were coming back there was no worry in my mind that I was going to come back too.”
The Pride got off to a hot start in their 2021 campaign, rattling off wins against Saint Joseph’s University and UConn. However, the season was put on pause after a positive COVID-19 test within the team halted Hofstra’s momentum.
“It was tough to hear that someone tested positive on our team but I think we came together and during those 10 days [of quarantine],” Mattera said. “We had a quick turnaround against Albany and it didn’t go in our favor but we knew what we had to do and from that game, we had to learn and get better.”
With CAA play now underway, Mattera is ready to lead the Pride back to the CAA tournament. The team has one goal – win the championship.
A championship victory is no easy task, as the one team that stands in the way for the Pride is James Madison University (JMU). The Pride reached the last CAA championship game in 2019 before falling to JMU. This season, however, the Pride defeated the Dukes 13-7, snapping a five-game losing streak to JMU.
“It’s going to take a lot of heart, a lot of passion and a lot of hard work [to win],” Mattera said. “It’s going to take our defense making big stops, our goalie making big stops and our offense getting offensive possessions and putting the ball in the back of the net.”
Although the Pride currently sits 4-4, they have played a tough schedule facing four consecutive ranked opponents including then-No. 6 Boston College and No. 6 Stony Brook University. The Pride followed those with ranked CAA opponents Drexel University and JMU.
“Playing tougher teams definitely helps us, especially with pressure,” Mattera said. “Playing these teams will help us in the future with teams like Towson and JMU. I think they are our biggest competition, so we have to be ready for them and playing these tougher teams helps.”
In her career, Mattera has amassed 114 goals with 24 assists, giving her 138 career points. Mattera also has 107 ground balls and 203 draw controls, putting her at number five all-time in CAA history for career draw controls.
This season, Mattera has served as an important piece of the Pride’s offense, recording a goal in each game this season. One of four team captains for the Pride, Mattera has been alongside fellow captain Parrella each year providing Hofstra with a one-two attack on offense.
The special bond between Mattera and counterparts Parrella and Smith has the Pride ready to take on any team that stands in their way. The three have been the driving force for Hofstra since their freshman year, and now they want to end their careers on top.
“Having Darcie, Alyssa and I coming back as fifth years, obviously there is a high standard that we want to win a CAA championship,” Mattera said. “The heart and the passion are there and everyone wants to win.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
