O'Brien's shootout goal pushes Pride past Fairfield

The Hofstra field hockey team went on the road and defeated Fairfield University 2-1 on Sunday, Oct. 17. This was a very defensive game with just 23 combined shots through 80 minutes. Fairfield’s goalkeeper Zoe Rosen recorded five saves and played the whole game.

The first two quarters consisted of no goals, although Fairfield outshot Hofstra six shots to none. Unfortunately for the Stags, none turned into goals. Hofstra’s goalkeepers, Merlijn van der Vegt and Cecelia DeSimone, combined for five saves and held Fairfield to a single goal.

The first tally of the game did not come until the third quarter, when Fairfield’s Danielle Profita put one in the net and broke the scoreless tie.

During the second half, Fairfield seemed lackadaisical on the defensive end, allowing six shots on goal, compared to none allowed in the first half. Hofstra took advantage by tying the game up in the fourth quarter with about five minutes to go. Eline Oldeman was the goal scorer, it was her seventh of the season. Hofstra took advantage of the 40 fouls by Fairfield which is 13 more than the Pride finished with.

Going into overtime tied 1-1, both teams battled back and forth but neither could get anything past the goalkeepers. Hofstra ended up winning the game in a stroke-off, three goals to one. Which was capped off by Hofstra’s Frankie O’Brien who made the game winning stroke-off goal. Hofstra improves to 7-9 while Fairfield drops to 8-7.

The Pride will look to ride the momentum from this win on Sunday, Oct. 24, when they take on Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut at 2 p.m. That game will be televised on ESPN+.

Photo courtesy of Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle