Hempstead, N.Y. – Junior forward Leah Galton notched her first career hat trick with three goals and forward Sam Scolarici also tallied a goal on Senior Day as the Pride closed the regular season with a 4-2 victory over Delaware on Sunday afternoon.
Galton upped her season-goal total to 13 and Scolarici extended her Colonial Athletic Association-leading goal total to 15 to help Hofstra clinch the third seed in the conference tournament. Hofstra is 5-0-1 in the last six games to improve to 11-6-1 overall and 6-2-1 in CAA play. Delaware dropped to 7-9-2 and 3-4-2 in conference play.
Northeastern defeated Drexel earlier in the afternoon to clinch the regular season title with 22 points (7-1-1 CAA record). James Madison outlasted Elon in overtime to finish with 21 points and second place. Those two teams will receive a bye in the opening weekend of the tournament, while Hofstra will face the sixth-place team at Hofstra Soccer Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2 at a time to be determined.
Galton opened the scoring in the sixth minute by helping the Pride convert a corner chance. Juniors Jeannine Molleda and Chloe Dale picked up the assist in the only goal of the half. Hofstra out-shot Delaware, 10-1, in the opening half.
In the 58th minute, Galton registered her 12th goal of the season to set a career-high. The Harrogate, England native notched 11 goals as a freshman in 2012. Galton, the reigning CAA Player of the Year, bolstered her case for a repeat performance when she capitalized on senior Lulu Echeverry's cross, controlled the ball near the top of the box and fired a shot past Delaware goalkeeper Jess Figueroa for a 2-0 lead.
Echeverry was one of six seniors honored before the game, joining Scolarici, Caylin Dudley, Ingrid Moyer, Erin Havard and Melissa Kress. Echeverry, a product of East Meadow, New York, picked up a point for a second straight game after scoring a goal versus Drexel on Friday night.
Delaware's Rachel Vaccaro gave the Blue Hens life when she stole the ball in Hofstra's end with a solid tackle and blasted a shot that beat Hofstra sophomore goalkeeper Friederike Mehring to the high right-side for her fifth goal in the 70th minute.
But Scolarici responded just 5:54 later with her own unassisted goal. The Aldie, Virginia native added to her Hofstra-best goal total with her 48th career scoring strike.
Galton then completed the hat trick in the 78th minute when she ran nearly the length of midfield and completed the breakaway for her 13th goal. With four goals in the last two days, Galton has 32 goals, which is fourth on the team's all-time list. Galton is the second Hofstra player to finish with a hat trick this season, joining Scolarici (who accomplished it on Sept. 7 versus Indiana State).
Natalie Zelenky scored with 1:33 left in regulation to provide the final margin. If Towson wins its game, the Blue Hens would finish out of the CAA Tournament field.
