FH: Pride Fall To No. 4 UConn In Season Opener

8/26/2011 8:28:00 PM

Storrs, CT - Junior Jestine Angelini scored three goals and senior Ali Blankmeyer added two to lead the fourth-ranked Connecticut Huskies to a 7-1 victory over the Hofstra Pride in the first game of the Husky Invitational at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex Friday afternoon. It was the first regular season game for both teams.

Hofstra junior forward Krizia Layne (Arima, Trinidad) scored the Pride's lone goal of the contest, just 1:40 into the second half, which tied the game at 1-1. But the Huskies, an NCAA Championship quarterfinal team a year ago, erupted for six goals in a span of 27:30 to post the victory.

Blankmeyer, the younger sister of former Pride standout Brit Blankmeyer, opened the scoring 4:36 into the contest off a pass from sophomore all-region selection Anne Jeute. Despite 10 UConn shots and five by the Pride, neither team was able to score after that as Huskies' sophomore All-American Sarah Mansfield made two saves and Pride senior goalie Amanda Heyde (Somers, NY) made one to keep the game at 1-0 by halftime.

The second half was a different story as Layne tied the game for the Pride off a pass from junior Micaela Gallagher (Port Jefferson, NY). But just three minutes later, Blankmeyer scored her second with all-region pick Jestine Angelini picking up the assist. At the 48:34 mark, freshman forward Chloe Hunnable scored off a penalty corner with sophomore Marie Elena Bolles and senior Alicia Angelini assisting for a 3-1 advantage. Almost nine minutes later, Jestine Angelini scored the first of three goals off a penalty corner with senior Kim Krzyk and Alicia Angelini assisting.

Just 93 seconds later, senior All-American Rayell Hesitand boosted the UConn lead to 5-1 on a penalty stroke. Jestine Angelini would score the final two goals, both on penalty corners, over the next nine minutes. Her second of the game, at the 61:31 mark, was assisted by Bolles and Krzyk, while and her third goal and the final one of the contest, with just 2:34 to play, was assisted by Alicia Angelini and junior Vicky Arthur.

The Huskies outshot the Pride in the contest, 22-8, and had nine penalty corners to Hofstra's four. Mansfield finished the contest with three saves for UConn while Heyde made five saves and allowed six goals in 64 minutes of action before being replaced by sophomore Kaitlyn De Turo (South Setauket, NY).

The Pride will face the 20th-ranked Cardinal of Stanford in the second round of the Husky Invitational on Saturday at noon. The starting time was moved one hour earlier due to the approaching Hurricane Irene.

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