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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Mani Walcott
Mani Walcott

Men's Soccer By Brian Bohl

MSOC: #22 Hofstra To Face Charleston And #13 Coastal Carolina In Road Clashes

Hempstead, N.Y. – Bolstered by its best conference start since 1997, the first-place Hofstra Pride will look to sustain its high-level of play with a pair of challenging games, starting Saturday with a Colonial Athletic Association matchup at Charleston at 7 p.m.

Hofstra, ranked 22nd by the NSCAA, will then face No. 13 Coastal Carolina on Monday at 6 p.m. The Pride is 10-3 overall and 5-0 in CAA play to take a one-game lead over No. 11 Elon in the league standings.

Both games will feature live video and live statistics.

The Pride has played four consecutive double-overtime games for the first time since 2012. Hofstra won three of those games, including all the contests against league foes. Junior Joseph Holland capped the streak by scoring the game-winning goal Wednesday night versus Northeastern. His sixth goal moved him into a tie with sophomore Meshack Eshun Addy for the team lead and in second place in the CAA. Holland, a native of London, England, also leads the conference in points (20) and his eight assists also is pacing the league.

Hofstra is undefeated in the all-time series against Charleston (5-5-2, 2-1-1 CAA), going 1-0-1, including a 1-0 home victory in the regular season finale last season that helped the Pride earn a share of the CAA regular season title.

Charleston is winless in the last three games after dropping a close 3-2 non-league contest at North Carolina. The Cougars played James Madison to a scoreless draw at home in the previous conference game after falling to Delaware, 2-0.

Charleston has shut out three opponents this season. Goalkeeper Kevin Shields' .774 save percentage is the second-best in the conference, trailing only Hofstra's Patric Pray league-leading .822 figure. Shield is also second by posting 41 saves. Pray leads the category by a significant number in the conference, posting 60 in 13 games for a 4.62 saves-per-game average in playing every second in net.

Nico Ruttmeyer's four goals is pacing Charleston's offense and makes him the only Cougar to rank in the CAA top-10 in goals entering the weekend.

The Pride will be playing a national ranked team for the fourth time this season in opposing No. 13 Coastal Carolina. Hofstra is 0-1 in the all-time series.

The Chanticleers are off to an 8-1-1 start and a 3-1 Big South record following a 2-1 win over Campbell at CCU Soccer Stadium on Wednesday. Coastal Carolina has allowed just six goals in 10 games for a paltry 0.60 goals-against-average as the team has out-scored foes, 22-6. The team has been a model of consistency, out-scoring teams 11-3 in the first half and out-scoring foes by the same margin in the second half.

Six players have scored at least two goals, including Bryce Follensbee and his team-leading six goals on just 14 shots-on-goal. Sergio Camargo, who scored against Campbell, has four goals and four assists while Jair Espinoza has contributed three goals. Goalkeeper Fernando Pina has made the leads stand up, posting five individual shutouts and combining on another in starting every game. 

Hofstra is 9-1 when scoring the first goal this season and the team is 10-0 when allowing one or fewer goals this season. Hofstra will be playing a nationally ranked team for the fourth time this season after defeating No. 15 Syracuse, 2-1, a 2-0 loss to No. 21 American and a 2-1 win over No. 24 UNCW. Head Coach Richard Nuttall's team is 15-11-4 against ranked teams since 2004.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Meshack Eshun Addy

#19 Meshack Eshun Addy

M
6' 1"
Sophomore
Joseph Holland

#10 Joseph Holland

M
5' 10"
Junior
Patric Pray

#1 Patric Pray

GK
6' 1"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Meshack Eshun Addy

#19 Meshack Eshun Addy

6' 1"
Sophomore
M
Joseph Holland

#10 Joseph Holland

5' 10"
Junior
M
Patric Pray

#1 Patric Pray

6' 1"
Senior
GK