Preview: Hofstra women's lacrosse looks to turn the tide in CAA semifinals
To kick off playoffs, the Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team will hit the field looking for revenge on the Drexel University Dragons in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship semi-finals on Thursday, May 2.
The Dragons have had the Pride’s number in recent years, winning each of the last five meetings dating back to 2019, including the 2022 CAA semi-finals. Most recently, Drexel defeated Hofstra 11-10 in the regular season finale on Saturday, April 27.
Hofstra finished their 2024 campaign with a 9-7 overall record, going 6-2 in conference play. Drexel topped that with a 12-4 mark this season and 7-1 in CAA play.
The two teams engaged in a hard-fought match that came down to the final minutes, and the semi-final contest should prove the same. Both teams will look to rely on stand-out performances from their key offensive contributors and defensive playmakers that got them this far.
For the Pride, those offensive contributors will be Melissa Sconone and Kerry Walser. They were truly a dual threat this season, with Sconone scoring the eighth-most goals in the CAA with 37 while also finishing second in the conference in feeds with 35. Walser finished as high as fourth in goals and was a force in the draw circle, winning the third most in the conference with 77. Both were good for the top 10 in points in the CAA, Sconone taking the cake with 72 points this year, good for fifth most in the conference.
The Dragons will lean on Corrine Bednarik as their main source of good offense. The fifth-year has started every game of her collegiate career as she leads Drexel in every offensive category. Her 82 points are the second most of any player in the CAA, finishing just ahead of Walser with 53 goals and just behind Sconone with 33 assists.
On the defensive end, Hofstra’s Christine Dannenfelser makes an impact. The freshman from Bayport, New York, has been an anchor for the Pride, leading her side with 36 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers, earning their spot at seventh in the conference.
The goalkeeper matchup will be one to watch. Luchianna Cardello was serviceable in her first full season as the starter, finishing fourth in the CAA for saves per game, fifth in save percentage, and sixth in goals allowed per game. Cardello will need a strong performance, as on the other side stands Drexel’s Jenika Cuocco. The Dragons’ keeper finished first in saves and save percentage, finishing second in goals allowed per game despite logging the second-most minutes of any keeper in the conference.
The opening draw is set for 2:30 p.m. with the winner taking on the winner of the Stony Brook-Elon matchup from the other side of the bracket in Saturday’s title game.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Lee S. Weissman
