By Max Sass, Assistant Sports Editor
Week two of the Colonial Athletic Association featured both a high and a low for men's soccer. A thrilling 3-2 victory over Virginia Commonwealth University highlighted the Pride's weekend, but a 2-0 shutout at the hands of Northeastern provides the lone blemish on the Pride's conference record.
The Pride played their first home game since October 29th of 2009 last Saturday against VCU. Attempting to ride the wave of momentum created with their shutout over Georgia State, the Pride scored quickly to give them selves a lead. Stephan Barea, a freshman midfielder, is creating quite a reputation for himself as "that guy who scores really early in games," pounded a header into the back of the net at the 4:22 mark after a long run by senior midfielder, Rob Youhill. To Pride soccer fans, this was eerily similar to both the game at Stony Brook where Barea scored just 1:02 into the game against Jacksonville, where it took Barea a whole 2:22 to find the net.
Thanks to the freshman's keen ability to find the net within the first five minutes of the game, the Pride took a lead into half time. Barea's goal may have overshadowed Rob Youhill, the player credited with the assist on the score (his 18th career, 4th all time at Hofstra). Youhill had to beat two defenders to serve up the ball to Barea and in the second half fired a corner kick to Barea that led to a goal as well. Barea played the corner back into the box, which was promptly cleared by VCU. Rory McCrea, a senior midfielder, kept the ball in the attacking zone for Hofstra and fired a shot that ricocheted off a Rams defender and right to sophomore forward Brett Carrington who picked up the proverbial trash and placed the rebound home.
Sophomore goalkeeper Greg Cumpstone's inability to hold tight to a cross after an acrobatic diving block, allowed Romario Blandon of VCU to bring the game within one score with a short goal inside the six-yard box.
About 10 minutes after VCU's answer, Rob Youhill struck back with his first goal since late 2006. Just over midfield, the senior midfielder intercepted a pass and dribbled toward the goal with a step on the nearest defender. As the VCU keeper charged and attempted to cut down the attacker's angle, Youhill struck a low line drive just out of the VCU keeper's reach and gave the Pride a third goal that would turn out to be the game winner.
With just under 15 minutes to play VCU struck once again, on a deep goal, shot from right outside the 18 yard box. Strong defending and goalkeeping kept the game in the win column for the Pride though, as they fended off a pair of last ditch scoring attempts by the Rams.
Those following Hofstra men's soccer closely this year may have been nervous as the five minute mark passed in Wednesday's game against Northeastern University and Stephan Barea had yet to get Hofstra on the score sheet. The Pride defense did little to help those nerves as shoddy defending and poor possessing of the ball left Hofstra no longer undefeated in conference play.
A miscue by the back four allowed the Huskies their first goal, as a long pass to a Northeastern forward reached easily thanks to the poor positioning of Hofstra's back line. Cumpstone was forced to charge off his line and was beaten about 30 yard into the field of play before a shot sailed past a helpless Thomas Bekas.
The Pride attempted to rally but fell flat, instead conceding an own goal minutes before half time and struggling to possess the ball in the midfield and create shots offensively despite Coach Richard Nuttall's liberal substitutions of offensive players.
The Pride fall to four wins and five losses overall, but stand two and one in CAA play. The Pride next face conference weakling Delaware in Newark as well as two more road games before returning home October 21st.