Pride Scores Twice in Final Eight Minutes to Spoil Hens' Upset Bid

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- Hofstra broke a 9-9 tie with two goals in the final 7:38 to post an 11-9 Colonial Athletic Association men's lacrosse victory over the University of Delaware Friday night at chilly and rainy Hofstra Stadium.

Jeremy Kyrkostas scored with 7:38 left and Jim Femminella scored his team-high third goal of the game with 3:27 remaining to clinch the win for the No. 16 ranked Pride (6-4, 2-1 CAA), who downed the Hens for the fifth straight time.

Delaware, which lost its third straight game, fell to 5-7, 0-3 CAA despite a season-high three goals from Brad Downer and two goals each from Matt Alrich and R.C. Reed. The Hens have now lost four games by three goals or less this season and six by four goals or fewer.

Bob Meunier and Ryan Metzbower each added goals but freshman Xander Ritz, the Hens leading scorer with 32 points, was held without a point for the first time this season. Blue Hen goalkeeper Chris Collins stopped eight shots as Hofstra outshot the Hens by a 43-24 margin. The Pride also held a 15-9 advantage in faceoffs.

Femminella led Hofstra with three goals while Joe Kostolansky added two goals and two assists and Kyrkostas finished with two goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Matthew Southard posted seven saves.

Delaware remained winless in CAA play in nine games over two seasons. The Hens will get their next shot at a league win April 23 at Drexel following an April 19 non-league home game vs. UMBC.

The Hens took a 4-3 lead into the second quarter when Meunier scored with 31 seconds left in the stanza and Delaware upped the lead to two goals at halftime as Downer scored two goals in the final seven minutes to up the lead to 6-4.

Delaware still led heading into the final stanza with an 8-7 advantage but the Pride gained their first outright lead of the game five minutes in as Kostolansky and Tim Treubig scored to give Hofstra a 9-8 lead. The Hens came right back to tie it at 9-9 eight seconds after Treubig's goal as Alrich tallied his league-leading 27th goal of the season with 10:01 left.