By Joe Pantorno, Sports Editor
After a loss to no. 14 Maine last week, the Hofstra University field hockey team dropped a 3-2 decision to Northeastern on Friday on Senior Day.
After Hofstra grabbed a 2-1 lead in the middle of the first half, Northeastern managed to chip away and score with eight minute gone in the second half, which proved to be the game winner.
Kaela Barker's shot seemed to be taken, without deflection, from outside of the shooting circle. Hofstra defenders stopped and watched the ball roll into the back of the net, but the referees deemed the goal legal despite the arguments from the home team.
Northeastern struck first off a penalty corner three minutes into the game when a shot from forward Crystal Poland was deflected by a Hofstra defender into the top of the back of the net.
Hofstra senior forward Genna Kovar took advantage of a Northeastern turnover outside the shooting area, weaving throughout the defense and fired a low shot past keeper Lizzie Priest to tie the game with 18:50 left in the first half.
Shortly after the Kovar goal, junior defender Melissa McCarthy was hit in the mouth with a stick, taking her out of the game. Junior midfielder Micaela Gallagher came into the midfield and senior midfielder Arielle Williams moved back to fill McCarthy's spot.
Thirty seconds after the restart, Kovar scored her second, after a long pass from freshman forward Jonel Boileau down the left side line gave Kovar acres of space. She cut in front of Priest from the left and sent her shot through her legs.
Poland answered right back to Kovar's second off another penalty corner just 1:03 after Hofstra took the lead. Poland kept her shot low and it skipped over senior goalkeeper Amanda Heyde's pad into the bottom left corner of the net.
Another Kovar run with nine minutes left down the left wing side towards the front of goal left junior forward Krizia Layne wide open. Layne was able to settle the ball, but whiffed on the shot.
The Northeastern defense was making vital last minute challenges to disrupt Hofstra scoring chances, which began to frustrate the trailing side.
A late goal by senior defender Amy Lee-Levey was disallowed, that would have tied the game up as Northeastern managed to hang on for the win.
As the Playoffs approach:Hofstra currently has a spot in the six team Colonial Athletic Association Championships With two games remaining and sitting in third place in the conference, Hofstra will need to win out in order to solidify a second place finish, which will have it avoid a meeting with the nation's number one team, Old Dominion, until the finals if the Pride finds a way to make it there.