During the month of September, Hofstra University conducted an on-line fan vote of the top teams in school history. Today we present the teams that finished from 11-25 on the list, before featuring each of the top 10 teams one day at a time, beginning tomorrow.
#25 (tie) - 2003 Softball (39-17)
The 2003 Hofstra Softball team showcased a power-hitting line-up unlike any the program had ever seen. The Pride belted 50 home runs on the year, nearly doubling the old school record of 29, while senior shortstop Danielle Stewart hit 17 by herself, more than any other entire team in the CAA. The team also had a deep pitching staff, led by senior Sara DeAngelis, junior Alexis Alcantara, and sophomore Adrienne Clark. What it did not have was an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, since the CAA was only in the second year sponsoring softball. The Pride did everything in its power to play its way in, beating nationally ranked UMass and Notre Dame in early season tournaments, and winning the CAA regular season and postseason titles. Hofstra was rewarded with the last at-large bid to the 64-team field and proceeded to play one of the top 10 games in school history against Nebraska, a 3-1 win.
#25 (tie) - 2009 Men's Lacrosse (11-4)
The 2009 Hofstra Men's Lacrosse team developed a knack early on for winning the close games, and that ability helped the Pride roll to a 6-0 record in CAA play. Hofstra opened the season with consecutive 11-10 wins over nationally ranked UMass and Brown, with the Brown game requiring a comeback from a 10-3 deficit in the third quarter (which was voted No. 12 on Hofstra's greatest games list). The Pride also picked up a big 9-7 win over third-ranked Princeton, and then won four more games by one-goal margins, including a key 11-10 road win at Towson to keep it in first place in the CAA. Hofstra received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and battled No. 7 Cornell for most of the game on the road before falling 11-8 (Cornell went on to finish as national runner-up to Syracuse). Jay Card ended the year with 35 goals, including a whopping seven game-winners, to earn honorable mention All-America status.
#25 (tie) - 2006-07 Women's Basketball (26-7)
First-year head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey stepped into an excellent situation when she joined the Hofstra Women's Basketball program in 2006-07. The Pride had a deep, senior-laden team that was coming off its first Women's NIT appearance in school history, and was in a great position to challenge for another postseason bid. Hofstra impressed right from the get-go, as it traveled to East Lansing on Nov. 22 and knocked off No. 17 Michigan State for the program's first-ever win over a nationally ranked team. The Pride went 13-5 in the CAA, closing out the regular season with seven straight wins, and was invited to the Women's NIT for the second year in a row, defeating Seton Hall and South Carolina before falling in the quarterfinals to Western Kentucky. Senior forwards Vanessa Gidden (14.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Lizanne Murphy (11.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Lana Harshaw (11.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg) gave the Pride a formidable frontcourt, while senior guard Cigi McCollin (14.1 ppg, 76 three-pointers) provided outside marksmanship.
#23 (tie) - 1992 Softball (35-7-1)
Hofstra's softball dynasty began in 1992, led by sophomore shortstop Crystal Boyd and freshman pitcher Stacy Jackson. In only the third season for current head coach Bill Edwards, the Flying Dutchwomen finished the year with a 35-7-1 record, which remains the best winning percentage in school history. Boyd led the nation in hitting at a whopping .514, while Jackson won a school-record 26 games in the pitching circle (which still stands). The team also won the East Coast Conference championship, the first of 19 straight seasons with either a regular season or a postseason title, a streak which is still active. The Boyd-Jackson nucleus helped Hofstra to its first NCAA Tournament the following season, while Jackson pitched the Flying Dutchwomen to their first NCAA Tournament win in 1995 (3-0 over UMass).
#23 (tie) - 1959-60 Men's Basketball (23-1)
The greatest winning percentage in school history in any sport other than football's undefeated seasons belongs to the 1959-60 men's basketball team, which finished the year 23-1. Led by legendary head coach Butch van Breda Kolff, the Flying Dutchmen didn't have many stars or dominant players, but they had a terrific team. Forwards Ted Jackson (13.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Brant Alyes (12.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) provided scoring and rebounding up front, point guard Steve Balber (7.0 ppg) ran the offense to perfection and provided defensive toughness, and center Steve Einbender (8.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg) dominated the paint. Guards Richie Swartz (11.5 ppg), Steve Dunn (9.6 ppg) and Bob Stowers (9.0 ppg) provided jump shooting and perimeter defense, as the Flying Dutchmen allowed only 56.5 points per game. Only a two-point loss to Wagner (50-48) prevented Hofstra from a perfect season.
#22 - 1975-76 Wrestling (19-2)
The 1975-76 wrestling team used its depth and balance to set a standard for dual victories (19-2), which hasn't been topped since. The Flying Dutchmen, led by head coach Bob Getchell, captured the East Coast Conference championship, its second of six straight from 1975-80. Individually, Nick Gallo, Jim McDuffie and Don Mayorga all qualified for the NCAA Tournament, with McDuffie and Mayorga winning their second straight conference championships. Gallo, who was also sidetracked by his training with the United States Olympic team (he would serve as an alternate for the U.S. team in the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal that summer), would go to win the national championship at 126 pounds the following year, earning Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in the process.
#20 (tie) - 2006 Volleyball (24-7)
It took a little bit of time for the 2006 Hofstra Volleyball team to gel, as the Pride stood just 5-5 after its first 10 matches. There was a difficult trip out West mixed into those 10 matches, including a 3-0 loss to No. 20 San Diego in its opener in which Hofstra fared well. Once the CAA season got rolling, though, the Pride really got rolling as well. Hofstra went 17-1 in conference play, suffering only a loss to Towson after a 33-31 defeat in the first game, to finish the regular season 21-6. Hofstra was tested in the CAA semifinals by Delaware, but prevailed in five games, and then won its first CAA title with a 3-0 victory over VCU in the championship match. The Pride then went on to win the first NCAA game in program history, 3-2 over Cornell before falling to fifth-ranked Penn State in the second round. Elizabeth Curley earned All-America honors after hitting a whopping .412 with 3.63 kills per game, while Shellane Ogoshi averaged 11.65 assists per game at her setter position.
#20 (tie) - 2001 Women's Lacrosse (16-3)
The Hofstra Women's Lacrosse program had been on the rise heading into the 2000-01 season, but still hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament. Led by senior Kathleen McPike and sophomore Kathleen Mikowski, who both earned All-American honors, the 2000-01 team was arguably as potent offensively as any team the program had ever fielded. The Pride rolled to a 14-2 regular season, and faced the defending champion Boston University Terriers in the championship game. Boston University was able to slow down the Pride offense, but McPike went coast-to-coast to tie the game 6-6 in the closing minutes, and Mikowski scored the game-winner in overtime in a dramatic 7-6 win that was voted tied for the 10th greatest game in the history of Hofstra athletics. It marked the final season for head coach Carie Bodo, who stepped down after 14 years after leading the Pride to its inaugural NCAA tournament appearance. McPike and Mikowski still hold school records for assists and goals in a season, respectively.
#19 - 1962 Football (8-2)
The Hofstra Football program had already had an impressive run of success in recent years heading into 1962, including an undefeated record in 1959, a 7-1-1 mark in 1960 and a 7-2 record in 1961. About the only thing that the program hadn't done yet is play in the postseason. The 1962 Flying Dutchmen appeared to be on their way to breaking down that hurdle when a late-season loss to Wittenberg put those hopes in jeopardy. The team had one game left against local rival C.W. Post, on the road on Thanksgiving Day, and came through with a 14-6 win to earn a trip to the Cement Bowl. Ron Zoia rushed for 581 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Flying Dutchmen, while Terry Kosens had 568 yards receiving and six more touchdowns. The defense, meanwhile, allowed only 169.1 yards per game.
#18 - 1955 Men's Lacrosse (14-2)
The rapid rise of Hofstra Men's Lacrosse reached its apex in 1955, as the Flying Dutchmen rolled to a 14-2 record and a No. 3 national ranking. The program had seven All-Americans that season, a standard which still hasn't been matched. Defenseman Carl Orent was a first-team All-American, attackman Jerry Simandl was on the second team, and midfielder John Stranahan was on the third team. Honorable mention honors went to defensemen Al Lahood and Lorel Teolis, midfielder John Fahey and attackman Gary Boyle. After opening the season with a loss to Mount Washington Lacrosse Club (which counted against the program's record at the time), Hofstra went 14-1 against NCAA institutions, with the only loss an 8-7 defeat to Army. After that defeat, the Flying Dutchmen outscored its opponents 141-26 to close out the year with nine straight wins. In the 15 NCAA games (including the Army defeat), the scoring spread was 240-42.
#16 (tie) - 1951-52 Men's Basketball (26-3)
The post-World War II era was very successful for the Hofstra Men's Program, until the 1951-52 team took it to whole new level. In the first six years after the war, Hofstra combined for a winning percentage above 67 percent, going 96-47. But the 1951-52 team managed to break the curve, going 26-3 and setting a school record for wins in a season which still hasn't been broken (only tied) 60 years later. Head coach Frank Reilly's team won 11 straight to start the year before a loss to the Merchant Marine Academy, blew out regional power C.C.N.Y., throttled an Iona team it had lost to the previous year, and closed out the season with a win over Cortland State. The starting five of George Luther, Percy Johnson, Lou Bronzo, George Kiesel and Ed Morr were well-balanced and cohesive defensively, with Luther leading the Flying Dutchmen in scoring with 12.3 points per game. Morr averaged 12.5 rebounds per game to anchor a defense that allowed only 51.8 points a contest.
#16 (tie) - 2005 Softball (43-16-1)
Coming off a season which saw it finish one win shy of the Women's College World Series and graduate only one senior starter, the 2005 Hofstra Softball team was poised for one of the best seasons in school history. Led by a deep senior class, including pitchers Callie Osborne and Adrienne Clark, the Pride set a new school record for wins with 43, and got back to the NCAA Regional finals at Alabama by beating Arizona State 2-1 in an elimination game. The Pride also finished with a 12-2 mark in the CAA after losing its first conference game, and breezed through the conference tournament in three games, winning 7-4 over James Madison, 5-1 over Towson and 6-3 over Towson in the rematch. Osborne was named the CAA Pitcher of the Year after winning a school record 21 games in a row, while Hailey Clark tied the school's home run record with 24 in her career (including a three-homer, 10-RBI game in a win over LIU, setting single-game records in both categories).
#14 (tie) - 1952 Men's Lacrosse (12-2-1)
Hofstra Men's Lacrosse was still in its infancy in 1952, as the program was in only its fourth year of competition. The first three years all resulted in losing records, but Head Coach Howdy Myers had helped turn the program around at the tail end of the 1951 season, helping the Flying Dutchmen win four of their last five games (with the one loss coming in overtime). Hofstra kept that momentum going the following year, and won more games (12) than it had in its first three seasons combined (nine), ending the year with a 12-2-1 mark and earning the first national ranking in the program's young history. Joe Masone, Vincent Vieten and were named honorable mention All-Americans, while future Hofstra University president James M. Shuart was also a key player. The Flying Dutchmen closed out the year winning nine of their last 10 games with the only defeat in that span coming to Yale, which had been fielding a lacrosse team since 1882.
#14 (tie) - 1956 Football (7-3)
One of the most legendary teams in the history of Hofstra Athletics, the 1956 Flying Dutchmen football team found itself down to just 20 players under Head Coach Howdy Myers, far below the roster size of most of its opponents. At one point, the team had only 16 healthy players. Yet the team kept finding ways to win. Led by captains James Condon, Michael Russo, and Warren Tucker, the Flying Dutchmen finished the year 7-3. as Dave Provenzano rushed for 793 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. Hofstra earned a dramatic win over Cortland State along the way, as George Wiemer turned a short pass from quarterback Larry Magilligan with less than two minutes to play into a 51-yard touchdown to give the Flying Dutchmen a 13-7 win (which was tied for 25th in the fan poll of Hofstra's greatest games). To learn more about the Tiny 20, read George Vecsey's story on the 50th anniversary of the team in the 2006 New York Times:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E4D71730F932A35753C1A9609C8B63
#13 - 1983 Football (10-0)
The 1983 football team continued the program's upward rise under new head coach Mickey Kwiatkowski in a big way, recording the Flying Dutchmen's first undefeated regular season in 24 years. Hofstra earned the Lambert Cup as the top Division III program in the Northeast and also earned the program's first bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The 1983 team boasted a devastating ground game, as running back Bob McKenna ran for 1,019 yards on 198 carries, making him only the second player in school history to reach 1,000 years in a single season. The 1983 Flying Dutchmen also had a knack for pulling out close games on the road, defeating Alfred 14-11, USMMA 10-6, St. John's 28-24 and Hobart 24-14. At home, the defense was especially stingy, allowing only 20 points total in five home games, including shutouts over local rivals Iona and Wagner.
#12 - 1999-2000 Men's Basketball (24-7)
The 1999-2000 Men's Basketball season was one of the more memorable campaigns in the history of the athletic department for many reasons. Hofstra Arena (now called the Mack Sports Complex) opened mid-year, and the Flying Dutchmen closed the Physical Fitness Center in style with a 91-69 win over Iona, led by 39 points from Craig "Speedy" Claxton. Hofstra opened its new building with a sweep of Boston University and Northeastern, sold the place out for the grand opening against Delaware, and then had another near-sellout for Claxton's Senior Day against Maine, when he came up with two big steals late in the game to lead Hofstra from behind for a win to clinch the top seed in the America East Tournament. The top seed gave the Flying Dutchmen the right to host the conference championship game, which it won 76-69 over Delaware in front of an ESPN audience (and a WFAN broadcast team of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo). Hofstra made its first NCAA appearance in 23 years (facing Oklahoma State) and Claxton was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft (20th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers.
#11 – 1995 Football (10-1)
After nearly making the NCAA Division I-AA Tournament in 1994, the 1995 Flying Dutchmen had their sights set on breaking that door down from the first kickoff of the new season. Led by multi-threat quarterback Kharon Brown and a devastating defense that took every point allowed personally, Hofstra stormed out to a 10-0 record to start the year. Only one of those games was even close (a 17-14 win over Buffalo) as Hofstra outscored its first 10 opponents 348-82. In fact, during that stretch the highest point total allowed was 15 (in a 55-15 win over Sacramento State and a 36-15 win over Fordham), while the lowest point total it scored was 17 in that win over Buffalo. The Flying Dutchmen closed out the regular season with perhaps one of the best losses in school history, as it fell by just two points on the road to powerhouse Marshall (30-28), earning the first Division I-AA tournament bid in school history. Brown finished the year with 977 yards rushing and 1860 yards passing, while junior linebacker Eugene McAleer had 133 tackles to led a defense that ranked second in the nation in points allowed (10.2 ppg), earning first-team All-America honors from The Football Gazette.
