Junior Corrine Gandolfi (pictured) scored three goals and added two assists, and junior Ashley Jones added a goal and two assists in Hofstra's 11-7 win over Brown. Hofstra raced out to an 8-3 lead at the half to improve to 3-0 on the season, the Pride's best start since an identical 3-0 opening in 2005. Brown falls to 1-1 on the year.
Gandolfi got the Pride started 3:47 into the contest, converting on a free position shot. Four minutes later, Gandolfi struck again with an unassisted tally for a 2-0 Pride lead. Senior Lauren Whitcomb gave Hofstra a three-goal cushion as she scored off a feed from Jones at the 12:47 mark.
Lauren Vitkus scored back-to-back goals 29 seconds apart to pull the Bears to within one at 3-2. Vitkus's first goal was unassisted at 13:59, while her second tally came off a feed from Molly McCarthy at 14:28. Hofstra sophomore Stephanie Rice ignited a three-goal run with an unassisted score at 15:55. Junior Courtney O'Connor scored off a pass from Jones at 17:19 and classmate K'Leigh Vanaman finished the run with a free position goal at 18:02 for a 6-2 Hofstra lead.
Bethany Buzzell scored from Kiki Manners at 18:31, before junior Kristy Bosley (from O'Connor) and Gandolfi (free position) closed out the first half scoring to send the Pride into halftime with an 8-3 lead.
The Pride stormed out of the locker room to score the first three goals and open an 11-3 lead as Rice, Whitcomb and Jones found the back of the net. Rice's unassisted goal at 3:17 started the run and Jones ended it at 4:23 off a feed from Gandolfi to put the game out of reach.
Brown tried to mount a comeback with three goals over the next 11 minutes before going into a scoreless drought until recording their final goal with less than five minutes left in the game.
Buzzell and Vitkus led Brown with two goals each, while McCarthy added two assists. Brown goal keeper Isabel Harvey made 12 saves as the Pride held a 33-23 advantage in shots.
Rice and Whitcomb each scored twice for the Pride, and junior goalkeeper Mary Cuddihy made five saves in 45:16 of action. Freshman Jackie Pandolf made one save and allowed one goal in 14:44.
Vanaman led Hofstra with three ground balls and three draw controls, while sophomore Kailey Ruszkowski had two ground balls.
The Pride return to action next Saturday, March 7 when they host Cornell at 1 p.m.
