Hempstead, NY - Junior Genna Kovar scored a career-high four goals and classmate Darrah Rachman added a goal and two assists to lead the Hofstra Pride to a 7-2 victory over Sacred Heart University in a non-conference game at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Pride evened their season record to 2-2 while the Pioneers fell to 0-4.

Hofstra, which scored the most goals in a game since an 8-4 victory over Missouri State in 2008, tallied three goals in the first half and blew the game open with four in the second half. Kovar, a NFHCA All-America third team selection in 2009, notched one goal in the first half and three in the second half to give her six for the two games this weekend.

Bu it was the Pioneers who struck first, scoring 7:44 into the contest as sophomore Lindsay Kasten scored her first goal of the season off a short pass inside the circle from senior Stephanie Fazio following a penalty corner. But less than two minutes later, the Pride tied the game as senior Diane Caldwell, who is playing her first year with the Pride field hockey team following a stellar career with the soccer team, scored in front on a scramble after a short pass from senior Nancy Wagenbrenner. 

Hofstra took the lead for good at the 17:46 mark as sophomore Krizia Layne scored her first goal of the season on a tip-in of a Wagenbrenner shot that beat Sacred Heart goalie Kim Stow (8 saves) low and to the right. Kovar would score her first of four goals on the day almost three minutes later when Rachman passed back to her in the middle of the circle and beat Stow to the right for a 3-1 lead.

The Pioneers closed the deficit to 3-2 just 6:40 before halftime when senior Dana Luhrs passed to Fazio to the left of the goalie and deposited a high shot past Pride junior goalie Amanda Heyde (2 saves). Despite being outshot, 11-2, Sacred Heart was down by only one at halftime as Stow posted six saves in the first 35 minutes.

The Pride blew the game open in the second half as Kovar scored her second 4:11 into the period, carrying the ball around the Pioneer goalie. At the 17:10 mark of the second half, sophomore Micaela Gallagher sent a pass across the circle to Rachman who buried her second goal of the year. Kovar would record the hat-trick three minutes later off, a pass from Rachman, and then close out the scoring 6:17 from the end of the contest with an unassisted goal from in front.

Heyde, who played 16 minutes in the second half and red-shirt freshman Kaitlyn De Turo, who played the remaining 19 minutes, blanked the Pioneers in the second half. Hofstra outshot Sacred Heart, 23-11 in the contest.

The Pride will return to action on Wednesday, September 8 when they travel into the city to face Columbia University at 3 p.m.