The Hofstra Pride field hockey team is having trouble finding some momentum at home. Already having lost its home-opener to the University of Maine Black Bears on Friday, the Pride’s next home opponent was the defending national champions Syracuse Orange on Sunday, a game that Hofstra dropped by a 5-1 score at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium. While the final score may indicate one team dominating the other, the game was actually a lot closer in the first half. The Pride defense stepped up against an aggressive Orange offense, successfully shutting out the Orange for the first 25 minutes until Lies Lagerweij scored the first goal of the game.
While the defense was playing well, the offense of the Pride, on the other hand, was struggling to capitalize. The offense couldn’t control the ball, resulting in many turnovers. As a result, Hofstra could only record one shot while Syracuse fired the ball on Hofstra’s net 13 times in the first half. Claudia Marin-Samper scored her second goal of the season in the second half and brought the score to 2-1.
As the Pride offense continued to have trouble, the defense eventually tired out and the Orange didn’t let off on the aggression. Following Marin-Samper’s goal, Syracuse went on a three-goal run with Laura Hurff, Elaine Carey, and Lagerweij, icing the game at 5-1.
With the loss, the Pride drops to 1-3 on the season. The team will travel to New Haven next weekend and face the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Friday at 6 p.m. Then on Sunday, the Pride will play against the Bulldogs of Yale University at 2 p.m.