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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Mallory Ullrich
Mallory Ullrich and the Pride fell to Northeastern in the CAA championship game
0
Hofstra HOFSTRA (13-7-1)
2
Winner Northeastern NU (14-4-3)
Hofstra HOFSTRA
(13-7-1)
0
Final
2
Northeastern NU
(14-4-3)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hofstra HOFSTRA 0 0 0
Northeastern NU 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | By Brian Bohl

WSOC: Hofstra Drops 2-0 Decision To Northeastern In CAA Championship Game

Brookline, Mass. – Mackenize Dowd scored a 12th-minute header and Hannah Lopiccolo added an insurance goal off a failed clear in the second half as Hofstra fell to Northeastern, 2-0, in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship finals on Sunday afternoon from Parsons Field.

Junior forward Leah Galton, the two-time CAA Player of the Year, recorded four of Hofstra's 10 total shots, but the third-seeded Pride fell to 13-7-1. Northeastern's Paige Burnett made three saves for her 15th shutout of the season to help the top-seeded Huskies (14-4-3) to the third CAA championship in program history.

Hofstra entered the week on Nov. 3 with a RPI of 43 and still has a chance at an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will air on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Northeastern earned the league's automatic bid. It was the second time in history Northeastern has bested Hofstra in the CAA championship game with the Huskies also prevailing in 2008.

Northeastern has allowed just six goals in 21 games this season and put forth another stellar effort on the back line thanks to a unit led by CAA Defensive Player of the Year Bianca Calderone.

The game featured the league's top-rated offense in Hofstra against the stingiest defense. Both Galton and senior forward Sam Scolarici entered the contest tied for first in the CAA with 17 goals. But the duo was held to just two shots-on-goal combined as the Huskies crafted an overall 15-10 shot advantage.

Sophomore goalkeeper Friederike Mehring made five saves to keep the Pride in the game while Burnett finished with her second straight shutout of the CAA Tournament. The Huskies out-scored William & Mary and Hofstra, 6-0, in championship action.

Senior forward Amber Stobbs ripped a shot that clashed off the crossbar in the 83rd minute, nearly ending Burnett's shutout bid before Burnett grabbed the bounce to negate the scoring chance.

Hofstra made its sixth appearance in the CAA championship game and the first since the Pride captured the title two years ago. It was also the third time the Pride and Huskies squared off in the CAA Tournament. Both teams played to an official 2-2 tie in the 2012 quarterfinals in which the Pride advanced on penalty kicks.

Following the conclusion of Sunday's game, Galton, Scolarici and junior midfielder Chloe Dale were named to the All-CAA Tournament team.

Northeastern generated the game's first four shots in total and Dowd headed in Breeana Koemans' right-side corner kick from six-yards out just inside the right post for the game-opening goal in the 12th minute. Lopiccolo provided breathing room for the Huskies when she converted a defensive miscue and scored just inside the left post in the 70th minute.

Dowd's team-leading seventh goal at 11:08 gave the Huskies momentum that was nearly extended to a two-goal lead when Kayla Cappuzzo forced a turnover on Hofstra's back line and hit Lahaina Zoeller on a close-range centering pass. Zoeller's volley attempt sailed just high of the cross bar in the 15th minute.

Lopiccolo fired a 25-yard shot just high in the 30th minute. Northeastern again forced a turnover but Mehring made a great save on Capuzzo's shot to quell a 2-on-1 chance and posted another save on Zoeller's second attempt.

The stop gave the Pride a jolt as Galton registered Hofstra's first on-target shot that Burnett smothered 33:12 into the half. The Huskies ended the half with a 7-3 shot advantage while allowing just one on-target attempt.

Galton raced nearly 40 yards and drew the attention of four defenders but still managed to unleash a left-footed attempt with good pace that sailed just high in the 56th minute. Mehring then made a save off Lopiccolo's top-of-the-box shot to keep the deficit at one.

Lopiccolo missed a great chance at the goal mouth when her shot crashed off the bottom of the cross bar and caromed right out for a Hofstra clear at 61:26. Junior defender Mallory Ullrich then ensured Hofstra stayed down just one by clearing the ball in front of the right post near the goal line during a scramble off a corner kick.

Freshman Kristin Desmond responded with a long-range shot that Burnett stopped and Northeastern scored on the next trip down on Lopiccolo's sixth goal.
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