Hofstra men's soccer wins fourth straight CAA championship, earn bid into NCAA Tournament
Filip po Dadone of Hofstra in goal against UNC Wilmington during the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship game at Captain Fields, Hofstra University on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Credit: Derrick Dingle
In their fifth consecutive trip to the CAA championship game, Hofstra’s mens soccer team put their names in the history books.
The fourth-seeded and host Pride became the first team in conference history to win four consecutive championships after defeating sixth-seeded University of North Carolina-Wilmington, 1-0,
Saturday night.
UNCW knocked in an own goal in the 81st minute to secure Hofstra’s autotmatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
“We had six new starters, even possibly seven, so losing that many starters and still coming back and doing well speaks to the program’s culture and recruiting,” Hofstra coach Richard Nuttall said. “It was the togetherness of the group and the willingness to work with one another. We have a lot of young players and players with experience and they [fit] into who we are and what we are.”
The Pride’s defense held the Seahawks to five shots, two on goal. Hofstra goalie Filippo Dadone made two saves.
Hofstra took 13 shots, seven on goal. Goalie Trey Smiley was sensational and made seven saves for UNCW (6-9-5).
Hofstra’s Laurie Goddard led the team in shots (3). Goddard was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.
“I’ve been learning how to play on this new team, and new system expectations are high. You get players who are playing quality every game, that are keeping the standards high, and that’s what helped me as the season progressed, especially in the later games,” said Goddard, a London native who transfered from Merrimack. “One of the reasons I transferred to a school like Hofstra is to play in these types of games.”
The win marks Hofstra’s eighth conference championship in program history, tying William Mary and James Madison for most in the CAA.
Hofstra (14-4-2) will learn their first-round NCAA tournament matchup Monday.
“I’m proud of what we do, who we are, and our character. It’s fantastic, but we have another game coming up, and we can’t get lost in how fantastic it is because you will forget about the next game,” Nuttall said. “I’m proud of this achievement, but tomorrow, it will be back to business to prepare for the NCAA tournament.”
