Taylor scores game-winner in Battle of Long Island
The Hofstra women’s soccer team came out on top against Stony Brook University by a score of 2-1 in a double overtime thriller on the road on Sunday, Sept. 8. The winning goal came three minutes into the second overtime period by Miri Taylor off a cross from Lucy Shepherd.
The match was physical throughout, with the Pride and Seawolves committing 13 and 14 fouls, respectively, and a yellow card issued against Stony Brook’s Marissa Kelberman in the second period. The Pride was the aggressor offensively, controlling the pace and taking 17 shots in the contest, eight of which were on goal, while the Seawolves took just five, with two on goal. Hofstra also held a staggering edge in corner kicks taken, with 12 in the match compared to Stony Brook’s three.
For Hofstra, seven different players took shots in the match, with two from Lucy Porter who put in the first goal of the game seven minutes in. The offense was led by Sabrina Bryan who took seven shots and four on goal, leading both teams in each category. Also taking shots were Taylor, Bella Richards, Lucy Shepherd, Krista Agostinello and Anja Suttner. Shepherd tallied assists on both of the Pride’s goals, with Taylor also earning an assist on Porter’s early score. Freshman goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich had one save against the Seawolves’ two shots on goal.
Porter’s goal, her sixth in as many games this year, came off a cross from Taylor that landed at the feet of Shepherd, and a quick touch pass from Shepherd gave Porter a perfect line to the net. Shepherd and Taylor would strike again with the contest’s concluding score, as Shepherd took advantage of a turnover to send over a cross that set Taylor up to knock in her first goal of the season.
Despite their intense offense, the Pride struggled to find the back of the net, as both teams displayed tenacious defense that limited the number of quality scoring opportunities for their opponents. Porter had an opportunity to create a 2-1 deficit 21 minutes into the first period, but her shot bounced off the goalpost despite getting past Stony Brook goalkeeper Sophia Manner. Hofstra created another chance to prevent overtime with just three minutes remaining in the game as Bryan created space for a shot, but it slid just past the right of the goal.
With the victory, Hofstra extends their winning streak over Stony Brook to 10 games, with the Seawolves not earning a victory since 1999. The Pride, now 3-3 for the year, return home for their next contest against Fairleigh Dickinson University on Thursday, Sept. 12.
Image courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
