Hofstra Tops W&M in Top 20 Showdown
from press release
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Senior Liz Falco scored all
four of her goals in the second half and senior Corrine Gandolfi
added three goals and an assist to lead 16th-ranked Hofstra to a
resounding 15-7 victory over No. 19 William and Mary in the
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opener for both on Friday night
at Shuart Stadium.
Seven players scored for Hofstra, helping the Pride improve to 7-3
and 1-0 in the CAA. William and Mary's Grace Golden scored three
goals but the Tribe fell to 5-5 and 0-1.
Falco (Yorktown Heights, NY) registered her third hat trick of the
season while Gandolfi tied for game-high honors with four points.
Freshman Jill Maier (Honeoye Falls, NY) also notched three goals
and senior attack Ashley Jones (Ellicott City, MD) scored twice,
while adding an assist.
Hofstra moved to 5-1 at home and defeated a ranked opponent for the
second time this year. The Pride defeated then-20th ranked Rutgers
in double overtime on March 13.
Gandolfi (Smithtown, NY) increased her season goal total to 32 with
the four-point game, logging her third consecutive 30-goal season.
Gandolfi, who entered with the team lead in every offensive
statistical category, finished with three ground balls, two draw
controls and two caused turnovers.
Senior goalie Mary Cuddihy (Manhasset, NY) posted nine saves,
falling one short of a season-high set against Penn on March
10.
Hofstra surged to an 8-0 run in the opening half to take the early
lead despite a slow start. Molly Wannen scored from 5-yards out to
give the Tribe the lead 29 seconds in.
That would mark the last Pride deficit. Gandolfi and senior Ashley
Jones (Ellicot City, MD) both tallied wrap-around goal near the
right post and Maier added a point-blank goal to make it 7-1 with
10:09 left to force the Tribe to call its second and last
timeout.
The Pride's attack was not slowed by the break as Wasserbach scored
almost two minutes later to send Hofstra into halftime with an 8-1
lead. Eight of Hofstra's 10 total shots in the half were on
goal.
Cuddihy capitalized on the offensive support, stopping 7-of-8 shots
on goal faced before the break. Cuddihy capped the impressive first
half with a stick save on Mary Zulty's close-range head-on shot
with time expiring to preserve the lead.
Falco extended Hofstra's run of nine straight goals with a tally at
27:25 in the second half for a 9-1 lead. William and Mary netted
the next three goals before the 20-minute mark, prompting Hofstra
to call timeout.
Falco helped Hofstra regain momentum, scoring the next two goals
just 44 seconds apart for a 11-4 lead with 18:47 left to end the
Tribe's comeback hopes.
Wannen and Zulty each scored twice for the Tribe, which got four
draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers from
Golden.
Tonight's game, in conjunction with Friends of Jaclyn Week, was
Hofstra's Friends of Jaclyn Game and it served to help bring
awareness of pediatric brain tumors and to help raise funds to
support the growth of FOJ (Friends of Jaclyn).
Donations were accepted at the main entrance of Shuart Stadium and
there was also an opportunity to bid on a Hofstra Women's Lacrosse
gift basket. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised will go to
support the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. Prior to the game,
Hofstra honored its own "friend" as Gina Mulieri was recognized as
an honorary starter for the Pride.
