Genna Kovar (Hampton Bays, NY) scored off a breakaway 2:19 into overtime, capping the Pride's come-from-behind 3-2 win over Towson in a CAA contest Friday afternoon at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
Kristin Thompson (Santa Cruz, Trinidad) and Nancy Wagenbrenner (Berlin, Germany) also added goals for Hofstra as the Pride improved to 9-8 overall and 3-4 against the conference. The Pride also moved into a tie with Towson for one of the final CAA Championship berths. The CAA Championship begins this Thursday in Virginia Beach, VA.
Christina Boarman, who entered as the CAA points leader with 19 goals and 51 points, didn't score but assisted on both Towson goals. But the Tigers still fell to 11-7 and 3-4 against the CAA. Hofstra freshman goalkeeper Amanda Heyde posted three saves to earn her team-leading fifth victory.
Thompson allowed Hofstra to force overtime when the junior forward scored off a scramble in front of the Towson net with 5:48 remaining in regulation. Thompson's seventh goal of the season helped force the overtime session, where the Pride capitalized on the extra space thanks to the seven-on-seven rules.
Kovar improved the Pride to 3-1 in overtime games, initiating a breakaway. Towson goalkeeper Whitney Clugston raced out of the net and tried to make a sliding stop. Kovar, a freshman, side-stepped the netminder and lifted a shot into the empty net, recording her fourth goal and pushing the Pride one step closer to a CAA postseason bid.
Thompson added her third multi-point game in her past seven contests, initiating Hofstra's first tally off a penalty corner. Brit Blankmeyer (Convent Station, NJ) stopped Thompson's pass and Wagenbrenner fired it past Clugston to start the scoring 21:59 into the contest.
Towson tied the score just 3:33 before halftime when Mariah Schuette's shot from the top of the shooting circle beat Heyde. The Tigers then surged ahead off a penalty corner nearly 17 minutes into the second half. Danielle Wacker gave Towson the temporary lead after Boarman and Angie Brewer set up the senior after Hofstra committed an infraction in front of Towson's net.
Hofstra soon erased the deficit, out-shooting the Tigers, 12-10, to earn its first CAA home victory of the season. The Pride will be back in action Sunday when it faces conference rival Delaware at home. Game time is set for 1 p.m.. There will be a pregame ceremony to honor the team's eight seniors before the regular season finale.
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