Hofstra 'D' Blanks Fratzke in CAA Semifinal Win
from press release
HARRISTONBURG, Va. -- Senior attack Liz Falco
scored four first half goals and senior midfielder Corrine Gandolfi
added one goal and three assists as the #16 Hofstra Women's
Lacrosse team advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)
Championship game with a thrilling 9-8 victory over #8 Towson on
Thursday evening at the JMU Lacrosse Complex.
The win was Hofstra's first top ten victory since beating then-#8
James Madison, 12-9, on April 27, 2007.
Hofstra, the number three seed in the tournament, never trailed in
the contest and broke an eight-all tie with 13:11 left before both
team's defenses clamped down in the final minutes. In the
game's final minutes, a Towson free-position shot was block and
then in the waning moments of the contest sophomore goalie Jackie
Pandolf make a point-blank save on Towson's Jackie LaMonica to
preserve the victory.
The Pride's defense would stop one of the more impressive streaks
in lacrosse history as well tonight as Towson senior Hillary
Fratzke, the CAA Player of the Year, was held scoreless in the
contest. Fratzke came into the game having scored a point in
every contest during her 70-game career and had scored a goal in 64
straight games as well.
Hofstra advances to its second-ever CAA title game (2007) and will
meet #7 James Madison on Saturday at 5 p.m. with the winner earning
the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
Hofstra, which won the CAA Tournament in 2007, will be looking for
its third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after making it in 2001
and 2007.
The win improved Hofstra's record to 12-5 this season, while
Towson, the second seed in the tournament, drops to 13-4 and will
await a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The
victory also ended a three-game losing skid for Hofstra against
Towson, which defeated the Pride, 9-7, in Maryland on April 25.
Saturday's title tilt will be a rematch of the 2007 CAA
championship game, which the Pride won by the score of 15-13.
Hofstra dominated in nearly all facets of the game in the first
half as they led 7-2 after thirty minutes of play behind the
stellar play of Falco. Hofstra, which trailed 3-0 to open the
earlier match-up this season between the teams, turned the tables
on the Tigers tonight as they led 3-0 after 10-plus minutes of
action.
Falco got the Pride started in the contest as she scored the first
two goals of the game, while senior attack Ashley Jones added the
third tally for Hofstra.
Towson would regroup from the early deficit and back-to-back goals
from Jess Dunn and Jacie Kendall cut the deficit to 3-2 with 16:13
to play in the opening stanza.
It would be all Hofstra from that point the remainder of the half
as junior attack Stephanie Rice got Hofstra started on a
half-ending 4-0 run with a goal off an assist from freshman attack
Claire Brady with 10:57 left.
The two teams would be scoreless for over eight minutes until
Gandolfi notched her lone goal of the game with 2:56 left to put
Hofstra up 5-2. Falco then closed the half in spectacular
fashion as she recorded two goals in the final 1:01 of the half to
allow the Pride to lead 7-2 at the break. Her four goals in
the first half tied her career-high and gave her the fifth hat
trick of her season.
Hofstra was stellar on defense in the first half as they forced
Towson into 13 turnovers, while only committing seven of their
own. Senior defender Bryana Borrelli and Gandolfi led the
defensive charge with two caused turnovers apiece.
Towson would rally to start the second half as the Tigers
outscored the Pride, 6-1, over the first 15:48 of the half to knot
the score at eight after a goal from Nikki Marcinik.
Hofstra would finally end the run as freshman midfielder Jill
Maier found the back of the net for the first time in the contest
with 13:11 to play in regulation to put the Pride back in the lead
at 9-8.
That would end up being the game-winner as Hofstra put the
finishing touches on a strong defensive effort in the contest in
holding Towson to just eight goals. It was Towson's fewest
goals scored in a game this season.
Rice finished with a goal and an assist for the Pride, which got
two goals from Ashley Jones and two assists from Brady.
Pandolf earned her third win of the season as she made two saves in
14:12, while senior goalie Mary Cuddihy stopped 10 shots in
45:48.
Gandolfi added a game-high three caused turnovers and two draw
controls, while Borrelli had two ground balls, two draw controls
and two caused turnovers.
Towson was led by Kendall's four goals. Fratzke had a
game-high five draw controls, while Marcinik had two goals and four
caused turnovers for the Tigers.
