Hofstra celebrates its 2015 CAA Men's Soccer Championship
Hofstra Captures CAA Men's Soccer Title
Rob Washburn
Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (November 15, 2015) – Top-seeded Hofstra captured its first CAA Men’s Soccer Championship since 2006, defeating #3 Delaware, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.
With the victory, the Pride (13-7) earns the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship and will learn their opponent in the 48-team field on Monday afternoon. It will be Hofstra’s fifth NCAA Tournament appearance.
Hofstra dominated play offensively from the outset and had a 14-2 shot advantage over the first 45 minutes. The Pride got on the board in the 26
th minute when junior Rory Murphy sent a beautiful 25-yard cross into the box to a charging Nino Alfonso, who headed the ball past Blue Hens’ goalkeeper Todd Morton for his first goal of the season.
The Pride extended their lead to 2-0 just before the halftime horn sounded. With two seconds on the clock, junior Joseph Holland hooked a 20-yard direct kick from just outside the box on the left side to the inside right post. It was the team-leading eighth goal of the season for the 2015 CAA Player of the Year.
Delaware (10-7-4), which was playing in the CAA title game for the second consecutive year, was able to change the momentum in the second half, but never had a great scoring opportunity. The Blue Hens out-shot Hofstra 8-4 in the second half, with its best chance coming when junior All-America Guillermo Delgado fired a hard shot from the top of the box that was caught by Pride keeper Patric Pray with 25 minutes to go.
Holland, who also had a goal and an assist in Hofstra’s semifinal victory over James Madison, was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship. He was joined on the all-tournament squad by Pride defenders Harri Hawkins and Marius Flateboe and goalkeeper Patric Pray, who made four saves and recorded his eighth shutout of the season.
Delaware was represented on the all-tournament team by midfielders Joe Dipre and Thomas de Villardi and defender Thibault Philippe. Also making the squad were Bjarki Aðalsteinsson and Toby Appleton of James Madison and Sam McBride and Miguel Salazar of Elon.
CAA MEN’S SOCCER ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Bjarki Aðalsteinsson, James Madison
Toby Appleton, James Madison
Thomas de Villardi, Delaware
Joe Dipre, Delaware
Marius Flateboe, Hofstra
Harri Hawkins, Hofstra
Joseph Holland, Hofstra
(Most Outstanding Player)
Thibault Philippe, Delaware
Patric Pray, Hofstra
Sam McBride, Elon
Miguel Salazar, Elon