HEMPSTEAD, New York - Junior attackman Ryan Boyle recorded three goals and six assists while linemates Sean Hartofilis and Jason Doneger each added four goals to lead the seventh-ranked Princeton Tigers to an 18-5 victory over the 12th-ranked Hofstra Pride at James M. Shuart Stadium Saturday. The Tigers posted their first win of the season after losing to number one Virginia and second-ranked Johns Hopkins. Hofstra is now 2-2 on the season.
The young Pride battled the veteran Tigers of Princeton almost even for a quarter and a half before Princeton scored six unanswered goals to take a 10-3 8:38 into the third quarter. Boyle opened the scoring for Princeton just 52 seconds into the contest with an unassisted goal. Hartofilis made it 2-0 with a man-up goal off a pass from Josh White with 8:17 to play in the first. Hofstra got on the board 3:30 later as junior middie Keith Mekeel scored his fifth goal of the season off a pass from Joe Kostolansky. But Hartofilis would scored with 2:34 to play in the period to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead after one quarter.
Freshman middie John Keysor would close the Hofstra deficit to 3-2 just 1:19 into the second quarter as he beat Tiger goalie Julian Bond (6 svs., 4 GA in 48:14) low and to the right. Junior defender Ricky Schultz would score the first goal of his Princeton career by going around Mekeel and beating Hofstra goalie Matt Southard (8 saves). But the Pride closed the gap to one again as Mike Morrison found Ryan Miller alone on the side of the Princeton cage. Miller had an easy dunk for his third goal of the year with 9:32 to play in the half.
The floodgates then opened as the Tigers scored six straight goals and 11 of the next 12. Matt Trevenen opened the onslaught by coming around the Pride cage and firing a shot past Southard. Jason Doneger then made it 6-3 when, after a loose ball at midfield, Ryan Boyle found him behind the Pride defense for his fourth goal of the year. Doneger added his second with 49 seconds to play in the half as he came around the Pride cage and fired a diving shot in front of the cage for a 7-3 lead at halftime.
The late second quarter run by Princeton took the wind out of the Hofstra sails as Princeton dominated play in the third quarter, outshooting the Pride 12-4 and more importantly, outscoring Hofstra 6-1. Boyle found Brad Dumont wide open in front of the Pride goal for Dumont's first of the game and third of the season just 2:33 into the second half. Boyle scored his second of the game with 10:44 remaining by beating the Pride defense around the cage and beating Southard. Dumont would end the Tiger run off a pass from Boyle with 6:22 left in the third for a 10-3 lead.
Hofstra attackman Jim Femminella would scored his ninth of the season off a pass from Ryan Lucas eight seconds later but Princeton would score the next five goals to cruise to victory.
The Tigers outshot Hofstra 44-25 including 24-8 in the second half and picked up 42 ground balls to the Pride's 30 as Princeton posted its sixth straight victory over Hofstra to close the series deficit to 9-8.
Hofstra will host ninth-ranked Notre Dame next Friday night at 7:30 at Shuart Stadium. Princeton will play at fourth-ranked Syracuse next Saturday at 1 p.m.
