By Jean Pierre Guzhnay - STAFF WRITER
A big improvement in 2014 for the Pride still wasn’t enough to vie for a CAA title.
The Hofstra Pride field hockey team finished the season with a 12-7 record. Despite the winning record, the Pride was unable to qualify for the CAA tournament, finishing with three wins and three losses.
A 2-1 loss against James Madison University last Tuesday eliminated the pride for a spot in the championship.
In spite of the disappointing end to the season, the Pride had a memorable finish for both the team and the individual players.
On Oct. 19, not only did the Pride claim a 6-3 victory over Rider University, but they also honored one of their former players who is battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer.
Jillian Geyson, a former Pride field hockey player and a 2013 graduate was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma this past summer. Jillian described the honorary awareness match as “Overwhelming in a good way.”
“I feel so much Love, so much support for a very hard part of my life.”
During the game, T-shirts and bracelets were sold to raise money for Jillian`s treatment, raising a total of $1,600.
Moments like these really highlighted the Pride’s field hockey season.
The Pride had instances in the season that showed a lot of promise. Before a 5-3 home loss against William & Mary on Oct. 31, the Pride managed to win five straight games for a second time in the season, including three straight conference wins.
It was then that the Pride showed signs of qualifying for the championship with a 3-1 record in the conference.
However, the Pride couldn’t manage a win in either of their last two home games with a loss of 5-3 to William & Mary and a 2-1 loss to James Madison University.
That same James Madison team would advance to the CAA Championship game, only to lose to the University of Delaware 2-1 on Sunday.
In the 2013 season, the field hockey team finished with a 6-14 record with two wins and four losses in the conference.
Compared to last season, the Pride had a successful campaign with some of the current players winning important accolades last week.
Thursday evening, Hofstra senior forward Jonel Boileau was voted 2014 CAA Player of the Year. Also taking a major award was freshman Simca Schoen for Rookie of the Year.
As the CAA concluded their 2014 All-CAA Field Hockey Team, Boileau and sophomore Claudia Marin Samper were named to the All-CAA first team.
In addition, both Simca Schoen and her sophomore sister Stella Schoen were named to the All-CAA second team, and Simca Schoen and goalie classmate Carys Swan were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team.
Boileau was also named to the CAA Field Hockey All-Academic Team.
The awards to the Pride players show just how much potential the squad has.
Many of the players from the field hockey team will remain for seasons to come as it looks like exciting times are just around the corner for the Pride.