Hofstra Earns Fourth Consecutive Men’s Soccer Conference Title With 1-0 Win Over UNCW

Hofstra Earns Fourth Consecutive Men’s Soccer Conference Title With 1-0 Win Over UNCW

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Ben Kane

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 16, 2024) - An own goal proved the difference maker, earning No.4 Hofstra its fourth-straight CAA Men’s Soccer Championship over No. 6 UNCW. The 1-0 result ties the Pride for the most conference titles with William & Mary and JMU at eight.
 
The scoreless deadlock was broken when a long ball from All-CAA First Teamer Pierce Infuso was headed into UNCW’s goal by a Seahawk to put Hofstra ahead in the 81st minute. The Pride held strong defensively the remainder of the contest, limiting their opponent to a season-low five shots, with two falling on target. 
 
A mistake at the back for UNCW led to Hofstra’s first opportunity of the first half when the Pride’s Laurie Goddard squared it to Pablo Hempelmann-Perez at the top of the 18-yard box. The junior midfielder took a second to compose himself in front of the open goal but fired it high left.
 
Hempelmann-Perez’s name was called on again with less than five minutes remaining in the first, but UNCW goalkeeper Trey Smiley was equal to it making a strong foot save.
 
Smiley picked up right where he left off in the second half, denying Goddard from point-blank range to keep the game level. The battle between the two continued 10 minutes later as Smiley made himself big at the front post to deny Goddard from converting on the one-on-one opportunity. The redshirt freshman’s seven saves in the contest were a career high.
 
The one-goal victory was the sixth time in the program’s history that Hofstra earned hardware outscoring an opponent by one goal, and it was the first 1-0 Championship game win for Richard Nuttall’s side since 2005.
 
Hofstra earns an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament with the destination learned on Monday afternoon.


 
All-Tournament Selections:
 
Laurie Goddard – Hofstra (Most Outstanding Player)
Roc Carles – Hofstra
Pierce Infuso – Hofstra
Jacob Woznicki – Hofstra
Jack Clarkson – UNCW
Zach Sauer – UNCW
Trey Smiley – UNCW
Mac Msabaha – Elon
Connor Mucchetti – Elon
Patrick Short – Drexel
Isaiah Whittaker-Francis - Elon
  
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