Hofstra Lacrosse 2024

[Jojogunne]

Wagner is a small school (fewer than 2,000 undergrads), picked last in the MAAC preseason poll, and a mismatch for most D1 opponents. So a big win over the Seahawks does not mean much in the long run. However, it was a good opportunity for our team to prepare for next week's game against Navy as well as the rest of our schedule.

Overall, our team played well. Rory Jones, who scored 8 goals, showed he deserves consideration for the CAA preseason team. The Hofstra record for goals in a game is 10, scored by, who else, a player named Michael Lacrosse more than 30 years ago. Ryan Tierney also put up 8 goals twice in his career.

FYI, we will also play Siena and Marist this season. They were ranked one and two in the MAAC preseason poll:

https://maacsports.com/news/2024/1/23/s ... -year.aspx

Note of interest: Hofstra was the only CAA team to play yesterday. Stony Brook and Hampton play in separate games today, and Towson takes on Johns Hopkins on Tuesday. The league has a full slate next weekend.

Final note of interest: Wagner hosts UNC, of all teams, on Tuesday, March 12. How did the Seahawks manage to land that plum of a home game? Well, it appears that the Tar Heels are making a "northern swing" recruiting trip through NY and NJ that week by playing at Hofstra on March 9 and at SBU on March 16. A midweek visit to Wagner will keep the team in shape for its two Saturday games.

[Jojogunne]

CAA Offensive Player of the Week:

https://gohofstra.com/news/2024/2/5/men ... award.aspx

For a least a few days, Rory is the leading scorer in DI:

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/lacrosse-men ... vidual/222

[HUSID80]

Congrats to the guys...next week gets a bit tougher against the Midshipmen.

[Jojogunne]

More recognition for Rory:

https://usila.org/news/2024/2/6/mens-la ... feb-5.aspx

[Polito]

Ok, so here we go - this next game is a big one if my prayer of a prediction at a shocking good season will come to fruition. This is ST's chance to make a big statement by actually beating his former student for once.

Navy isn't top tier at all right now, but this is more about ST than how good they are. Amplo has owned him, this is HU's first road test, they do have some skill, big early opportunity. He wins this and it makes the early part of this year a turnaround and sets them up for true positive potential.

Lose this, and ST will prove yet again that nothing's changed, this yr will be like all the rest, and my hopeful prediction moot.

[Mikey77]

Prays not answered Polito. Hofstra got smacked. More of what we've seen for years now. I'm trying to bite my tongue on this.

[The Shadow]

Polito, You got your answer: Navy 16 HU 8

[Polito]

Sure did. A 100% butt whooping confirmation. Nothing to say that hasn't already been said for the last decade. Blatant negligence.

Give me Amplo or Unterstein.

[triplec2195]

Although probably more the players but need a purge here!!

[HUSID80]

We looked like the JV vs. the varsity...slow, sloppy with the ball and no real offensive plan...embarrassing for a once PROUD program.

[Mikey77]

This has gone on long enough in my view. The Tierney/Metzger era has to end. While I am sure well meaning the results or lack thereof speak for themselves.

[mikey75]

Hofstra 17 SJU 13. Glad HU won but we struggled for 3 periods with a team that I think has lost 22 straight. As the saying goes a win is a win.

[HUSID80]

They did show some real fight in the second half...impressed with the effort and comeback against a brand name.

[triplec2195]

Beating St John's in anything is like beating Stony Brook love it even if the Johnnies suck!!

[Jojogunne]

I watched the entire game from home. We didn't play well for three quarters. I even wondered if we would change goalies. The Johnnies had taken a 12-8 lead.

Then something happened. Our goalie, SO Sean Henderson, started to make save after save, and our offense began to click. Before I knew it, we had tied the game up at 12-12. Then we added one goal, two goals, three goals ... and won the game going away.

This game could prove to be a turning point for our defense. Last year's goalie and close defense all graduated. We are starting a new goalie (who impressed me in his postgame interview) and three new poles. They are still a work in progress, but may have taken a step up last night.

Kudos also to John Madsen, who added 6 goals, and Rory Jones and Justin Sykes, who scored 3 apiece. Sykes is a heralded Canadian (drafted in the in the second round of the 2023 NLL entry draft) who has never lived up to his billing. Maybe this will finally be his year.

And, of course, we would not have won without Chase Patterson's dominant performance at faceoff, where he won 23 of 33 draws.

*****

Speaking of St. John's, the bloom is off Pitino's rose. The Johnnies have won only two of their last nine games. Pitino even benched Soriano at the start of last night's game vs. Providence.

[HUSID80]

Yes Jojo on Pitino but Newsday still giving them an average of two stories a day...nuts!

[stuball888]

During the first games 21-9 win over Wagner everyone was impressed with the 21 goals scored.
Lost was the fact that we gave up 9 goals to poor team.
Jojo is right that our goalie and defense is still trying to find the chemistry and communication to clamp down..
At 6ft3 our goalie Henderson has a physical presence in goalie. Lets hope he turns that into also athlelicism

[HUSID80]

We play Siens at home today. Anyone know if they're any good?

[stuball888]

No they are on the same level as St Johns

[HUSID80]

We win the game by two after being up by four early in the second half...good spirited games against an oppoent which came to play...Our goalie made some great saves down the stretch to keep it a one point lead before we nailed a final goal in the last few seconds.
We're now 3-1...not too shabby.