HEMPSTEAD, New York – Freshman midfielder
Ben Fisher (Chapel Hill H.S./Chapel Hill, N.C.) scored in the 32nd minute, but it was not enough as No. 24 UNCW had its six-match unbeaten streak snapped with a 2-1 setback against Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams at Hofstra Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Seahawks, who were playing their second consecutive road contest, dropped to 5-1-1 on the season and 0-1-0 in the CAA. Meanwhile, Hofstra earned its second straight victory while improving to 6-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the CAA.
"It was a tough loss for us tonight at Hofstra," Coach
Aidan Heaney said. "We were a little slow to get going and you cannot do that against a team of their quality. They were sharper and quicker to the ball and appeared fresher."
The Pride claimed a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute when senior defender
Daniel Grundei (Nuremberg, Germany) took a pass from junior
Rory Murphy (Windlesham, England) and scored his first goal of the season.
But, UNCW answered in the 32nd minute as Fisher blasted a 25-yard shot into the upper right corner for his fifth goal of the season.
Hofstra regained the advantage with 25:56 remaining in the second half when sophomore midfielder
Meshack Eshun Addy (Tema, Ghana) scored his fourth goal of the year into the top left corner after a pass from sophomore midfielder
Mani Walcott (Eleanor Roosevelt H.S./Beltsville, Md.).
The Seahawks had several chances in the closing minutes, including a header shot by senior forward
Colin Bonner (Reservoir H.S./Fulton, Md.), but the Pride defense held UNCW off en route to the victory.
Senior goalkeeper
Patric Pray (Corona Del Sol H.S./Chandler, Ariz.) made four saves in the victory for Hofstra, which outshot UNCW by a 16-11 margin.
Junior goalkeeper
Sean Melvin (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) tallied two saves in the loss for the Seahawks.
"I was proud of our team in how they tried to get back into the game despite the odds," Heaney said. "We face Northeastern on Saturday so we have some time to recover and get ready after two hard road games. We will be looking to get some points on the board at home next weekend."
#SeahawkStats: UNCW and Hofstra met for the 15th time in the all-time series … The Pride hold a 9-4-2 advantage over the Seahawks, including a 5-0-2 mark at home … Saturday's game featured the top two point scorers in the CAA … Bonner, who leads the CAA with 16 points, had a five-game point-scoring streak snapped while Hofstra junior midfielder
Joseph Holland (London, England) failed to record a point for just the second time this year ... Holland ranks second in the CAA with 12 points … Fisher has tallied a point in five consecutive games after scoring his goal in the first half … The Seahawks had not allowed a goal in the previous 213 minutes, 57 seconds before Grundei's goal in the first half … UNCW had not trailed at any point this season prior to falling behind against Hofstra in the first half … The Seahawks were forced to play with 10 men for a majority of the second half after freshman defender
Ryan Nally (Worcester Preparatory School/Berlin, Md.) was issued a red card in the 57th minute.
What's Ahead for the Seahawks: UNCW returns home next Saturday to host Northeastern in a CAA contest. Opening kick-off between the Seahawks and the Huskies is slated for 7 p.m. at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
Men's College Soccer: Hofstra 2, No. 24 UNCW 1UNCW 1-0 / 1
Hofstra 1-1 / 2
Goals: UNCW –
Ben Fisher (31:36); HOF – Daniel Grundei (19:05), Meshack Eshun Addy (64:04).
Assists: UNCW – n/a; HOF – Rory Murphy, Mani Walcott.
Saves: UNCW –
Sean Melvin 2 (90:00, 2 goals allowed); HOF – Patric Pray 4 (90:00, 1 goals allowed).
Shots: UNCW – 11; HOF – 16.
Corner Kicks: UNCW – 6; HOF – 8.
Attendance: 1,011.
