Hofstra, Monmouth Advance To Finals Of CAA Men's Soccer Championship
Rob Washburn
Top-seeded Hofstra and second-seeded Monmouth advanced to the finals of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon after the Pride topped #4 Delaware, 4-1, and the Hawks outlasted #6 Elon, 4-2 in penalty kicks following a 0-0 double-overtime tie.
(1) Hofstra 4, (4) Delaware 1
Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Behind a pair of first-half goals from Ryan Carmichael, top-seeded Hofstra (12-3-4) advanced to the finals of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship for the fourth consecutive year with a 4-1 victory over #4 Delaware, on Sunday afternoon at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.
The Pride will look to capture a third straight conference title when it hosts second-seeded Monmouth at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 11. Delaware (9-4-6) saw its season come to a close after reaching the CAA semifinals for the first time since 2016.
Hofstra dominated the contest, out-shooting the Blue Hens, 17-3. Carmichael, the 2022 CAA Player of the Year, put the Pride on the board in the 16
th minute when he gathered the rebound from a Teddy Baker shot attempt and finished from close range. He added his league-leading 14
th goal of the season in the 29
th minute after outracing his defender during a run into the left side of the box and sending a hard shot into the right corner of the net.
The Pride extended its lead to 3-0 with just 24 seconds left in the first half when Shane Salmon got control of a loose ball, dribbled into the right side of the box and crossing a shot into the left side of the net for his first goal of the season.
Hofstra made it 4-0 on a goal by Albert Kang off an Eoin Farrell assist in the 65
th minute. Delaware got on the board in the 87
th minute as Orri Thorhallson converted a penalty kick for his first goal of the season.
(2) Monmouth 0, (6) Elon 0 (MON, 4-2 PK’s)
Box Score
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Monmouth sophomore goalkeeper Eryk Dymora recorded his seventh shutout of the season and converted the game-winning penalty kick to lead the second-seeded Hawks past #6 Elon, 4-2 in PK’s after the two squads battled to a 0-0 double overtime tie in the semifinals of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon at Hesse Field.
Monmouth (8-3-6), which is unbeaten in its last six matches, advances to the CAA championship game for the first time in its second year as a member of the conference, where the Hawks will travel to top-seeded Hofstra at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 11. Elon (6-8-4), which reached the finals of the CAA Championship in the past two years, closed the season unbeaten in its final five matches, all of which came in shutouts.
Dymora made four saves and Elon goalkeeper Tomas Wroblewski had five stops in a tightly contested, defensive battle through 110 minutes. Shots were even at 10-10 in the contest as neither team was able to generate many offensive chances.
In penalty kicks, Monmouth took a 3-1 advantage as Ben Zakowski, Adrian Roseth and Olle Brorsson converted their attempts. Elon misfired on two of its first three kicks but got a make from Calle Edelstam to close within one. In the fifth round, Dymora left the net and delivered the deciding kick, beating Wroblewski to the right side.
CAA Men’s Soccer Championship
Thursday, Nov. 2 – Hempstead, N.Y.
No. 4 Delaware 2, No. 5 Drexel 2 (DEL, 4-2 in PKs)
Thursday, Nov. 2 – West Long Branch, N.J.
No. 6 Elon 1, No. 3 Stony Brook 0
Sunday, Nov. 5 – West Long Branch, N.J.
No. 2 Monmouth 0, No. 6 Elon 0 (MON, 4-2 in PKs)
Sunday, Nov. 5 – Hempstead, N.Y.
No. 1 Hofstra 4, No. 4 Delaware 1
Saturday, Nov. 11 – Hempstead, N.Y.
No. 2 Monmouth at No. 1 Hofstra – 7 p.m., FloFC
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