Hofstra Wins CAA Men's Soccer Championship With Three Second-Half Goals

11/14/2021 3:48:39 PM

Miles McQuiggan

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 14, 2021) – Hofstra’s Matthew Vowinkel scored the first and third goals of a second-half offensive eruption to lift the Pride from a 1-0 halftime deficit to a 3-2 victory in the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Championship final at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

The hosts were denied on numerous chances in the first half and trailed 1-0 at the break before goals in the 53^rd, 57^th, and 72^nd minutes earned Hofstra its fifth CAA title and first since 2015.

Vowinkel was named CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player with a brace in each of Hofstra’s two wins. The Pride becomes the first CAA member to win both the CAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships in the same season since UNCW in 2009.

Hofstra had the game’s first chance just over a minute in, when Roc Carles sent a ball over the crossbar for the first shot of the game.

It would be the visitors from North Carolina that struck first though, as a sixth-minute corner from Scott Vatne was headed by Jannik Videbaek, who flicked it over to Vemund Hole Vik to head the ball into the right side of the goal.

Hofstra would have a great look in front in the 29^th minute, but Mason Tatafu’s attempt was denied by Elon goalkeeper Peter Wentzel, who dove to the turf to deny the Pride.

Wentzel would make another key stop just before the half, denying a Vowinkel header to keep Elon in front 1-0 at the break.

It would be a Vowinkel header that equalized the title game in the 53^rd minute. Francesco Perinelli sent the ball out wide to Ryan Carmichael, who played it down and sent it into the box for Vowinkel to head the ball past Wentzel and tie the game.

Four minutes after Vowinkel’s tying goal, the Pride would move in front on a Stefan Mason free kick that found its way into the left side of the goal for a 2-1 advantage.

The Long Island native Vowinkel would add to the Hofstra advantage with what proved to be a crucial goal in the 72^nd minute. Perinelli chested down a ball and sent a pass leading Storm Strongin into the box, who sent it across to Vowinkel to extend the lead to 3-1.

Elon would get one back in the 79^th minute, as a ball sent into the box was deflected and initially batted away by Hofstra goalkeeper Wessel Speel, before Jack Edwards was able to tap the loose ball into the goal.

Hofstra was able to possess the ball throughout much of the final few minutes, keeping the ball in the corner and limiting Elon’s opportunities to tie the game.

Speel finished with five saves and Wentzel with three in a game Hofstra outshot Elon, 17-11. The Pride took seven corners to six for the Phoenix.

Hofstra will learn its NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship matchup when the 48-team field is announced Monday at 1 p.m. Additional CAA teams hope to hear their names called when the bracket is unveiled Monday. Follow @CAASports on Twitter for the most up-to-date information.

2021 CAA Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team
Matthew Vowinkel, Hofstra (Most Outstanding Player)
Roc Carles, Hofstra
Stefan Mason, Hofstra
Francesco Perinelli, Hofstra
Ben Rosenblatt, Elon
Scott Vatne, Elon
Jannik Videbaek, Elon
Chris Donovan, Drexel
Daniel Nesseler, Drexel
Jacob Marin-Thomson, Northeastern
Dan Munch, Northeastern

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