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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Joseph Holland
Jsoeph Holland
0
James Madison JMU (5-10-4)
2
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA (12-7)
James Madison JMU
(5-10-4)
0
Final
2
Hofstra HOFSTRA
(12-7)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
James Madison JMU 0 0 0
Hofstra HOFSTRA 1 1 2

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

MSOC: Top-Seeded Hofstra Advances To CAA Title Game With 2-0 Win Over JMU

Hempstead, N.Y. – Junior midfielder Joseph Holland assisted on the game-winning goal and added a key insurance marker and senior goalkeeper Patric Pray made four saves to help the Pride post a 2-0 win over James Madison in the CAA Championship semifinals on Friday night at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

Sophomore Mani Walcott potted the game-winning goal to lift top-seeded Hofstra to 12-7. The Pride advanced to the title game on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. against Delaware in a game produced by the American Sports Network and televised locally on SNY. The game will also be streamed for free online and can be accessed on Hofstra's Pride Productions portal. Hofstra qualified for the CAA title game for the first time since 2012.

Fifth-seeded James Madison, who eliminated Hofstra at Hofstra Soccer Stadium last season in the quarterfinals, ended its season at 5-10-4 despite goalkeeper Kyle Morton making four saves and Toby Appleton posting four shots. The Pride lost to the Dukes in the season finale, but the CAA regular-season champions extracted revenge by scoring on Walcott's 28th-minute goal. Holland added the second goal in the 61st minute when he converted junior midfielder Andreas Iosifides' pass by scoring to the right corner for his team-leading seventh goal.

Pray made three saves in the opening half and another in the second to register his seventh shutout this season. The Chandler, Arizona product earned CAA All-Second team honors on Thursday and notched his 18th career save, which is second on Hofstra's all-time list.

A back line consisting of juniors Rory Murphy and Harri Hawkins along with senior Marius Flateboe and freshman Sean Nealis supported Pray and helped Hofstra earn a possession advantage in holding an 8-4 edge in corners.

Walcott provided all the offensive support the team would need at 27:01 when he finished a give-and-go with Holland for his career-high fourth goal. Holland, the CAA Player of the Year, notched his ninth assist in setting up Walcott's shot from six-yards out.

Iosifides had one career assist in his first 10 Division I games before picking up one in his first career CAA Tournament game. Holland took a through-ball and converted for the two-goal lead.

Hofstra advanced to the CAA finals for the sixth time in program history. The team won three consecutive CAA titles from 2004-06 under Richard Nuttall, who earned his first career CAA Coach of the Year award a day earlier. The Pride has lost in the final round in 2010 and 2012.

Hofstra will now face third-seeded Delaware in the championship round after the Blue Hens out-lasted second-seeded Elon in penalty kicks in the opener.

The Pride defeated the Blue Hens, 1-0, at home on Oct. 10 as Hawkins scored the only goal.

Hofstra last posted a shutout in the CAA Championship in 2012 when a 0-0 tie went Hofstra's way in penalty kicks.
 
 
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