By Kevin Carroll -- SPORTS EDITOR
A disappointing season for the Hofstra field hockey team came to an end on Oct. 29 as the Pride were held scoreless for the third straight game, losing to Drexel University 2-0 on Senior Day at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
“We just couldn’t find the back of the net,” said Hofstra head coach Kathy De Angelis after the game. “We had a lot of great opportunities, we hit the post, we went over the goal.”
A very dreary and rainy afternoon would serve as a fitting backdrop for Hofstra on a day where the Pride’s offensive struggles continued to plague them.
After playing back-to-back games against ranked opponents in James Madison University and the University of Delaware, the Pride hit the field on Sunday hoping to end the season on the right note against the Dragons, who had lost four of their last five games coming in.
It wasn’t meant to be, as the Hofstra offense failed to solve Drexel goalie Erin Gilchrist, who had four saves. Hofstra was only able to get five shots on goal, and were outshot in total by a 19-12 margin.
“We didn’t have a great first half and Drexel capitalized on that,” De Angelis said.
Drexel came out firing in the first half with 11 total shots compared to just one from the Pride. Despite having to deal with a high-powered attack, Hofstra’s defense held firm for a while but Drexel’s Megan Wiest was able to put her team on the board first around the 25-minute mark.
The Dragons would tack on another goal early in the second half, as Katie Bagdon capitalized on a penalty corner to give Drexel a 2-0 lead. Hofstra’s offense had its own barrage of offense in the second half, but not a single one of Hofstra’s 11 second-half shots was able to find the net, resulting in a shutout loss to end the season for the Pride.
“The energy and the effort, particularly in the last 25 minutes of the game – we couldn’t ask for more as a coaching staff,” De Angelis said.
Before the opening whistle, Hofstra held its annual Senior Day ceremony, honoring the careers of senior defenders Taylor Mumley and Savanna Malloy, goalie Carys Swan as well as graduate student defender Marloes Schavemaker.
“These guys have had a great four years, great careers and most importantly, they are just great people,” De Angelis said. “They were great role models for this really young team.”
The graduation of this unit may present a problem for the Pride next year on the defensive end. All four of the graduates played all 19 games, with Schavemaker and Swan starting every game, as well. It will be up to the members of Hofstra’s promising group of underclassmen to get this team back into the playoff picture come next year.
The loss ended Hofstra’s season at 7-12, with a 1-5 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. Hofstra had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Drexel also finished at 7-12, with a 2-4 mark in conference play.