Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra Men's Lacrosse team (4-5, 1-1) will reach the midway point of their Colonial Athletic Association regular season schedule this Saturday, April 4 when the Pride host the defending league champions, the Drexel Dragons (4-6, 0-1) at James M. Shuart Stadium. Game time for the second annual HEADstrong Hero Bowl and Hofstra's Senior Day contest is 1 p.m.
 
Pride Productions will have live video and audio beginning with the pregame show at 12:30 p.m. Dan Savarino and Matt Durant will have the call for the radio broadcast on WGCH (1490 AM)). Live stats can be accessed at HofstraStats.com and on GoHofstra.com. The contest will also be televised on a tape delay basis on Verizon FiOS. Check your local listing for the time of airing.

Fans can purchase tickets to Saturday's Hero Bowl at the Hofstra Athletics Ticket Office in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Monday through Friday during normal business hours, by phone by calling (516) HOF-TIXX (463-8499), or online at GoHofstra.com by clicking here.

It will be a busy day at Shuart Stadium on Saturday as the Pride and the Dragons square off against each other in the HEADstrong Hero Bowl for the second consecutive year and the first time since Drexel's 11-10 triple-overtime victory over Hofstra in the CAA Championship Game last May. The Hero Bowl pays homage to cancer survivors while also serving as a tribute to those who have lost their battle against cancer. This year, teams will help raise awareness for the HEADstrong Foundation by taking the field wearing HF lime green shoelaces and chinstraps. In addition, the goals will also be strung with HEADstrong's lime green nets. Aside from a key CAA win, the victor of the Hero Bowl will be presented with a custom-made, 3-tiered lime and royal blue trophy with a silver cup on top. The trophy will be proudly displayed for the year in the athletic office of the winning school.  Last season, Hofstra claimed the trophy with a thrilling 11-9 victory over Drexel in Philadelphia.

In addition, on the occasion of their final weekend home game of the season, Hofstra will also recognize its eight senior student-athletes and senior manager/videographer and their parents in pregame ceremonies. The graduating Pride seniors are: attackman Tyler Begley; midfielders Connor Horl, Mike Malave, John Reicherter, Ryan Rielly, and Steve Romano; defenseman Jack Moorehead; goalie Chris Selva; and manager/videographer Mark Dale.

If that wasn't enough for the big showdown with the Dragons, Hofstra is also welcoming back their former student-athletes on Lacrosse Alumni Day.

Hofstra is coming off a 9-5 CAA victory at Delaware last Saturday. After the Blue Hens scored the first goal of the contest, the Pride scored the next four goals and six of the next seven tallies and never looked back to even their conference slate at 1-1. Senior Mike Malave tallied four goals including two in the early four goal run. Sophomore Zachary Franco, who made his first start on attack last week, posted the first two Hofstra goals. Junior Sam Llinares extended his consecutive game point streak to 38 with two goals and two assists. Junior Korey Hendrickson added a goal and two assists for the Pride. Sophomore Kris Clarke continued his stellar play on face-offs by winning 15 of 17 against Delaware. Senior goalie Chris Selva made seven saves for his fourth win of the season.

Hofstra continues to be led in scoring by attackman Sam Llinares. The Tewaaraton Trophy candidate now has a career-high 26 goals and 22 points as he closes in on his career-high of 32 assists and 53 points which were both achieved last season. Llinares ranks fifth in Division I in points (5.33 p/g) and 10th in assists (2.44 p/g). Malave, who is tied for the Division I lead with nine man-up goals, is also closing in on a career-high as his 25 goals this year are just one shy of tying his 2014 total. Malave also has three assists. Three players follow with 14 points each. Sophomore Brier Davis has 12 goals and two assists, junior Korey Hendrickson has nine goals and five assists and freshman Dylan Alderman has five goals and nine assists. Kris Clarke has now won 129 of 196 face-offs for a .658 winning percentage. He ranks sixth in the country. Chris Selva now has a .823 goals against average with 77 saves and a .517 save percentage.

Saturday's game is the 29th meeting between Hofstra and Drexel in a series that started in 1986. Hofstra leads the series, 22-6 but the Dragons have won three of the last four encounters. The two teams last met on May 3, 2014 in Hempstead in the CAA Championship game with the Dragons winning, 11-10 in three overtimes. Hofstra defeated Drexel in Philadelphia during the 2014 regular season, 11-9 last March.

Drexel is 4-6 on the season and 0-1 in the CAA following their 7-4 loss to new conference member Fairfield last Saturday. The Dragons have wins over Saint Joseph's (11-7), Bryant (11-8), Michigan (9-7) and Binghamton (9-5). Their losses have come against Virginia (14-10), Albany (15-8), Villanova (14-11), Maryland (12-3), St. John's (10-9) and the Fairfield Stags.

Drexel is led in scoring by senior Ryan Belka with 20 goals and 15 assists. Sophomore Cole Shafer, who scored five goals including the game-winner in the third overtime of the CAA title game last May, has added 18 goals and six assists Junior Jules Raucci has chipped in with nine goals and six assists while sophomore Robert Frazee has contributed seven goals and four assists. The Dragons have utilized two goalies this season as sophomore Jimmy Joe Granito has started six games and has a 7.35 goals against average with 44 saves and a .500 save percentage. Junior Will Gabrielsen has started four contests and has a 13.68 goals against average with 31 saves and a .392 save percentage.