Hempstead, NY - Four Pride players contributed goals as Hofstra posted a wire-to-wire 4-2 victory over Columbia in a non-conference matchup Wednesday afternoon at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
Sophomore Genna Kovar assisted on Hofstra's first goal and scored the Pride's late second-half insurance marker for her seventh multi-point game in her last nine contests. Hofstra extended its winning streak to a season-high four games in improving to 9-6. Columbia fell to 5-6.
Senior Ashleigh Daniels extended her goal-scoring streak to three just 2:40 into the game. Daniels, who scored the overtime goal against William and Mary last week, broke open the scoring when she took Kovar's pass and fired a head-on shot that beat Christie O'Hara on the right side. That marked Daniels' career-high fifth goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Heyde helped her team keep the lead, batting down Katie DeSandis' penalty stroke attempt at the 7:58 mark.
Junior Amy-Lee Levey and freshman Micaela Gallagher extended Hofstra's lead to 3-0 by scoring 4:56 apart. Levey capitalized on the first of Hofstra's seven total penalty corners, blasting a shot from the top of the shooting circle.
Gallagher, who earned CAA Co-Rookie of the Week for netting the game-winning tally against nationally ranked Old Dominion Sunday, added her second goal of the season by tipping in Arielle Williams' pass in front of the left post 19:30 into the opening half.
Williams, a sophomore, picked up the assist on Levey's goal after initializing the corner chance. She finished with two assists and one shot.
But Columbia scored twice in a 3:09 stretch to cut Hofstra's lead to 3-2 entering halftime. Gabby Kozlowski directed Caitlin Mullins' shot off a corner 21:34 into the opening half and DeSandis rifled Paige Simmons' pass for a one-timer by the left post to make it a one-goal game.
The Pride's defense was tested in the second but kept the Lions off the scoreboard. Heyde finished with five saves, including four in the final 35 minutes. Columbia registered 12 second-half shots nine penalty corners in the second half.
Columbia switched Erin Conway in for O'Hara (one save) after halftime. The Lions inserted position player Kaitlyn Busler in the goalkeeper position with 5:39 remaining in the hopes she could serve as an extra attacker.
Hofstra thwarted those plans when Kovar collected the ball in Columbia's zone and fired a shot past a scrambling Busler into the open net. Kovar notched her team-leading 13th goal this season.
The Pride concludes its non-conference schedule when it plays Sacred Heart at Yale University Friday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
