MSOC: Hofstra To Host Lehigh In NCAA Tournament’s First Round On Thursday

Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in nine years when the Pride hosts Lehigh in a matchup of conference champions in the first round on Thursday at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Pride won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament to earn its first national tournament selection since 2006. Hofstra upped its record to 13-7 and will put an 8-1 home record on the line against the Patriot League-champion Mountain Hawks. Lehigh is 13-5-3 overall and will also be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

The game can also be accessed via Pride Productions with live audio. Free video will also be offered pending weather conditions. Live statistics will also be available.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting HofstraTickets.com, where it is now possible to print their tickets at home. In addition fans can also call (516) HOF-TIXX or visit the Hofstra Athletics Box Office in the Mack Sports Complex for more ticket information.

All Hofstra students will receive one free ticket to the match courtesy of Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz. Tickets can be picked up in advance at the ticket office located in the Mack Sports Complex, or at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium ticket booth starting one hour before the match.

Hofstra is making its fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2006. The Pride has won one game in the tournament, posting a victory in 2004 and 2006. The farthest Hofstra has ever made it was making it to the round-of-16, as Hofstra's first NCAA trip came in 1968 when only 16 teams qualified. Hofstra is 2-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.

Hofstra won the fourth Colonial Athletic Association in program history with a 2-0 win over Delaware. The Pride also won CAA crowns in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Four of the team's five appearances have come under Head Coach Richard Nuttall, who won his first CAA Coach of the Year award last week.

Junior midfielder Joseph Holland earned the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player honors by scoring a goal in each game, contributing to 2-0 victories over JMU and the Blue Hens. Patric Pray shut out two teams to earn an all-tournament team selection, as did defenders Marius Flateboe and Harri Hawkins.

Holland, the CAA Player of the Year, will carry a league-leading 25 points into his first-ever NCAA Tournament game. Pray has eight shutouts this season and 19 in his three-year Hofstra career. The Pride has not allowed goal after the regular season's conclusion as a starting back line of Rory Murphy, Harri Hawkins, Sean Nealis and Marius Flateboe have provided stellar protection for their netminder.

With the shutout against Delaware, Hofstra posted its first shutout in a CAA Championship title game since besting Old Dominion, 1-0, in 2004.

Hofstra is 2-3-1 in the all-time series against Lehigh and will be facing the Mountain Hawks for the first time since 2012. The teams have never met previously in the NCAA Tournament.

Like Hofstra, Lehigh is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006. The Mountain Hawks also earned an automatic berth through a conference championship. Lehigh bested American, 2-1, to win the title, behind Jamie Luchini's two goals.

The win extended Lehigh's unbeaten streak to nine games, improving to 13-5-3 overall heading into the program's fourth-ever NCAA Tournament and first since 2006.

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Players Mentioned

#24 Marius Flateboe: D; 6' 1"; Senior

#22 Harri Hawkins: D; 6' 2"; Junior

#10 Joseph Holland: M; 5' 10"; Junior

#7 Rory Murphy: M/D; 6' 1"; Junior

#1 Patric Pray: GK; 6' 1"; Senior

#15 Sean Nealis: D; 6' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#24 Marius Flateboe
: 6' 1"; Senior
: D

#22 Harri Hawkins
: 6' 2"; Junior
: D

#10 Joseph Holland
: 5' 10"; Junior
: M

#7 Rory Murphy
: 6' 1"; Junior
: M/D

#1 Patric Pray
: 6' 1"; Senior
: GK

#15 Sean Nealis
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: D