The Hofstra men’s lacrosse team, currently ranked third in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse, remains undefeated through the first weekend of April by beating the Fairfield University Stags on the road 10-6 Saturday night.
The win for the Pride came in the team’s first conference game of the season, continuing its dominance into CAA play.
“The CAA, it’s almost like a different animal and a different game,” Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney said after the win. “[I’m] really proud of our guys.”
Although outshot by the Stags, the Pride was able to hold its ground on the box score behind Jack Concannon’s 16 saves, only three short of his career high.
The great performance by the Hofstra goalkeeper came after Fairfield was able to get on the board first, taking the 1-0 lead after only 1:35 of game time. This would be the Stags’ only lead of the game as the Pride was able to tie it with 6:33 to go in the first quarter with a goal from Dale Stasco.
Just two minutes later, Hofstra’s Ryan Tierney scored his 19th goal of the season to put the Pride in the lead, a lead that the team would never relinquish.
After catching its stride, Hofstra didn’t hesitate to stretch the lead to six by the final quarter, taking an 8-2 advantage with 12:21 remaining in the game.
Fairfield fought valiantly in the last quarter, scoring three in a row to cut Hofstra’s lead to just 8-5 with under eight minutes to play.
But a pair of goals from Alex Moeser and Brendan Kavanagh would put this game away for the Pride.
Although the Stags scored once more, it wasn’t nearly enough to prevent Hofstra from remaining unbeaten.
“A couple of lapses, but to be 1-0 in the CAA with only five games is certainly better than the other option,” Coach Tierney said.
Hofstra’s attack came from a variety of sources, with 10 goals coming from eight different players. Moeser and Josh Byrne led the way with two goals apiece, with Byrne adding a game high three assists.
Dylan Beckwith was the Stags’ leading man with two goals of his own alongside an assist to keep Fairfield within reach of the forceful Pride.
Joe Rodrigues supplemented the Stags’ attack with his own pair of goals.
Hofstra has now won nine in a row, running its record to 9-0 and continuing the program’s hottest start to a season ever, while the Stags fall to 3-7 for the season and 0-1 in CAA play.
The Pride boast one of two undefeated records in the country, with only Penn State displaying the fortified prowess that Hofstra continues to show week after week.
After taking its first victory in conference play, Hofstra will look to keep the streak alive, heading south to face the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens.
Delaware opened its conference play with a 9-6 loss to University of Massachusetts and holds an overall 7-4 record.
The game, which will be the second contest in CAA play for both teams, will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 8.