TOWSON, MD — A second-half scoring frenzy in which six goals were scored in 28 minutes between the two teams gave the Hofstra women’s soccer team a 5-1 win over Towson University on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Tiger Soccer Complex. With the win, the Pride extend their unbeaten streak to 12 matches and move to 12-3-2 overall, 6-0-2 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play, while Towson falls to 3-13-1 overall (0-8-0 CAA).
The first half started slow, as neither team scored, but Hofstra led in shots 8-0. The Pride had multiple attempts at goal, including one off a corner kick and another by freshman forward Brianna Passaro that hit the crossbar.
Towson’s first attempt to score came in the 43rd minute off a free kick taken right outside of the box, but it was cleared by Hofstra’s defense.
Both teams went into halftime scoreless.
Coming out of the locker room, Miri Taylor had two close chances at goal as both balls narrowly missed the post, one on each side of the goal.
However, a third time proved successful as she converted a cross from Sabrina Bryan into a goal shot to the back right corner of the net to put the Pride up 1-0 in the 57th minute.
Just two minutes later, junior midfielder Lucy Porter found the back of the net off another cross by Bryan to extend the Pride’s lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute.
But, Porter wasn’t done. She took a penalty kick due to a handball in the box and helped the Pride move to 3-0 with 28 minutes remaining.
Porter’s goals now tally 14 for the season, tying her for fifth all-time in a single season for the Pride. Her 67 total career points with the Pride also tie her for seventh in program history.
In the 66th minute, Towson saw another chance to score off a free kick but still couldn’t convert as the Pride’s goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich saved it.
However, it only took the Pride eight minutes after that to score again as sophomore forward Alia Mentzell picked up her first career goal thanks to Bryan’s third assist of the day. Bryan’s three assists tie the program record for most assists in a single match.
Down 4-0, Towson added their one and only goal to the scoreboard in the 78th minute as senior Christiana Davey scored her final goal at home for the Tigers. Moriah Wigley had the assist.
With just five minutes remaining, Hofstra bounced back to score a fifth goal in the 85th minute as Mentzell tallied her second of the day, thanks to an assist by Sam Diamond.
As the 90th minute came and the whistle blew, the Hofstra Pride had defeated the Towson Tigers, 5-1.
The Pride led in shots, 16-7, with Porter and Taylor each having four. Tiger midfielder Justine Stoner led Towson with two.
Kuzmich had two saves for the Pride in her 75 minutes in net before sophomore Grace Watson-Carr came into the game for her third appearance of the season. Delaney Mitchell tallied three saves for Towson, playing the full 90 minutes.
The Tigers committed 14 fouls and the Pride had 11. A yellow card was given to Towson’s Caroline Macdonald in the 77th minute.
The Pride will take the field for the final time this regular season when they face the College of William & Mary on Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Image courtesy of Adam Flash
