Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will look to extend its longest shutout streak in nine years when Hofstra heads to Delaware for a Wednesday matchup at 7 p.m. The Pride will then travel to James Madison for a 7 p.m. Saturday game to conclude the pair of Colonial Athletic Association meetings.
Both games will feature live statistics and Wednesday's contest will feature free live video from Delaware.
Led by junior goalkeeper Patric Pray, the Pride will carry a five-game shutout streak into the matchup against the Blue Hens. A season-high five-game winning streak has Hofstra (7-3-2, 2-0 CAA) entering Wednesday night with momentum. Head Coach Richard Nuttall's team last blanked five straight opponents in 2005 and has an active shutout streak of 473:06.
Delaware earned an at-large selection to the 2013 NCAA Tournament and is off to an 8-4 start, including 1-1 in conference play. The team is coming off a 1-0 home loss to JMU on Saturday. Delaware was receiving votes in the latest NSCAA national poll at the time.
Hofstra defeated William & Mary, 3-0, in its last game. Senior forward Maid Memic scored the game-winning goal for a third consecutive game, helping him earn Co-CAA Player of the Week honors on Oct. 13. Memic was also named to the College Soccer News' National Team of the Week while helping Hofstra receive votes in the latest CSN top-30 poll.
In the latest rankings, Hofstra posted a RPI of 55. Delaware's RPI is 72 with JMU right behind at 73.
The matchup against the Blue Hens will pit the CAA's top-rated offense (25 goals) in Delaware against No. 3 Hofstra (18 goals). The Pride's shutout streak will face a stern test against Guillermo Delgado, who was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2013 after he won the scoring title. The sophomore forward is on pace to add another one to his resume, as Delgado leads the conference in goals with eight and points (16). Jamie Martinez and Joe Dipre have provided complementary scoring with four goals apiece while Tobias Muller has added three goals.
Hofstra is 14-11-1 in the all-time series against the Blue Hens. Hofstra has gone unbeaten in six of the last eight games in the series.
JMU is 5-4-3 overall and 1-0-1 against the conference. The Dukes are 2-1-2 in its last five games, including a 1-1 draw against No. 25 UNCW in the team's previous game. The Dukes saw Connor Coward score the tying goal in the 38th minute to help earn a point against the nationally ranked Seahawks.
Hofstra leads the all-time series, 9-6-1. The Pride defeated the Dukes, 5-2, at home last season. Memic scored twice in the game. Hofstra netted three scoring strikes in the opening half, including an own goal, as the Pride scored the most goals in a game since the Pride beat Delaware, 6-0, in 2009. The home goal total was also the highest since Hofstra defeated the Blue Hens, 5-0, in 2005.
This season, JMU is hoping a balanced offense will lead to a deep playoff run. Joe Vyner leads the team with three goals despite coming off the bench in three of the team's 12 games. Four players have tallied two goals, led by Coward and Josh Grant. Jamal Umar has provided a jolt as a reserve with a pair of goals and Toby Appleton also has produced two goals. In net, Kyle Morton has played every minute and carries a 1.16 goals-against-average into the week.
Game Notes
