Last second stunner sends Hofstra past Bryant

The Hofstra field hockey team won a wild match with a last-second Hail Mary shot to edge past the Bryant University Bulldogs 3-2 on Sunday, Oct. 2.

With 22 seconds left in the game, the Bulldogs were able to tie the score at two off a penalty stroke by Brittany Gouws. The ride, with 11 seconds left in the game, looked to avoid another overtime game.

In their own territory, the Pride’s Cami Larsson sent the ball to the opposite side of the field to forward Simryn Desai, and she slapped one straight into the goal for a 3-2 lead with two seconds remaining in the game, winning the match with a dramatic touch.

“After we got scored on, we got into a group huddle, and we knew we had 11 seconds left, so let’s give it our all,” Desai said. “Let’s do a football Hail Mary play, and let’s all run up the field. As soon as I saw the ball bounce, I just dove to get it in the goal, and I’m just so happy because I didn’t want to go to overtime again.”

Desai scored two goals, the last one being the game-winning shot for the Pride.

Hofstra came into the game 4-6 after an overtime loss against the Northeastern University Huskies on Friday, Sept. 29. The Bulldogs also had a record of 4-6 looking for an away game win.

Both teams got off to a hot start, as the Bulldogs’ offense came out flying, suffocating the Pride. However, the Bulldogs were unable to get one past Hofstra’s goalie Merlijn van der Vegt, who fended off the Bulldogs. However, tides quickly turned for the Bulldogs as the Pride’s offense started to pounce on every possession in the Bulldog’s territory.

The first period ended with the Pride and the Bulldogs still scoreless. At the start of the second period, the Pride continued to smother Bryant’s defense in an attempt to strike first.

A couple of shots by Larsson and penalty corner opportunities from Jaime Mc Millan put Hofstra in a good position to score, but Bryant’s goalkeeper Dieneke Hes kept the Bulldogs in the game 0-0.

The ball movement for the Pride proved to be incredibly useful as most of the game was played in Bryant’s end of the field.

As the second period came to a close, Hofstra’s pounding offense finally paid off, as Larsson found the back of the net with the assist going to Lieke Gorsse and Mc Millan.

That goal would end the first half of the game with the Pride holding a 1-0 lead over the Bulldogs.

Hofstra came out the same way they did in the first half, with intensity, as three shots by Gabriela Espinoza, Tara McNally and Fede Schroder put pressure on the Bulldogs’ defense. However, like the first period, the Pride could not finish on their shot attempts, and an uneventful third period kept the score at 1-0 going to the fourth.

Coming into the last period, the Pride’s defense could not hold up, as Bryant was able to score on a very athletic play by the Bulldogs’ Ashley Barron while on the ground to tie the game at 1-1.

However, the Pride’s offense came back blazing, as Desai scored her first goal of the game with the assist going to Samantha Spera. Hofstra took a 2-1 lead with eight minutes left in the game.

Hofstra almost put the game away, but three impressive saves by Hes kept the Bulldogs one score away from tying the game.

A penalty goal by Gouws made it a tied game at two, but Desai was able to pull off the Hail Mary she wished for and put the game away for the Pride with a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs.

“Obviously a very exciting finish, I’m not sure I’ve seen that before – certainly in my days of coaching – but an incredible, resilient effort by our team,” said Hofstra head coach Courtney Veinotte. “One thing I’ve never underestimated with this team is, from day one of the preseason, our ability to fight until the very last second and ultimately lead to a great finish.”

Desai lead the team with two goals, bringing her total for the year to four. Van der Vegt dominated between the pipes with five saves.

Hofstra looks to take this dramatic win and use it in their next matchup against the Towson University Tigers on Friday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics