Hempstead, NY –
Matthew Vowinkel scored three second half goals and
Storm Strongin added a goal and an assist as Hofstra shutout Delaware, 5-0, Saturday night at Hofstra Soccer Stadium in a Colonial Athletic Association matchup. The five goals were the most for the Pride since a 5-1 victory at Drexel on Sept. 30, 2015. The Pride's margin of victory was the largest since a 6-0 win at Delaware on October 10, 2009.
Hofstra moved to 7-6-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the CAA with the win, its second consecutive victory. Delaware, which is in the midst of a five-game losing streak, fell to 2-8-3 overall and 1-4-2 in league play.
The Pride took a 2-0 lead at the half behind goals from
Frederik Rieper and Strongin. Rieper opened the scoring when corralled a loose ball in the box after a deflected cross and put his shot past Delaware keeper Renan Thomazo at 16:33. Strongin added to the lead at 21:13 when he took a cross field pass from
Oscar Ramsay and raced down the right side before blasting a shot into the right side of the net.
The second half was the Vowinkel show as he recorded the natural hat trick. The junior forward wasted no time as he put home a corner kick from Strongin just 1:28 into the half to make it 3-0. Ten minutes later,
Petter Soelberg sent Vowinkel in all alone against Thomazo with a perfectly-timed pass and the New Hyde Park, New York, native found the back of the net again for a 4-0 lead at the 56:32 mark. Vowinkel would close out the scoring with another set piece goal at 64:10 as he right-foot volleyed a low corner kick in traffic past Thomazo.
Hofstra dominated all aspects of the game, outshooting the Blue Hens, 18-4. The Pride had 14 shots on goal while Delaware did not have one. The Pride also had 12 corner kicks compared to none for Delaware.
Thomazo did make nine saves for the Blue Hens.
Alex Ashton did not record a save in picking up the shutout.
Notes:
-Hofstra is 20-12-1 all-time versus Delaware.
-The shutout was the 18th of Ashton's career, one shy of moving into a second place tie on the Pride's all-time list.
-Vowinkel now has a team-best seven goal on the season
-Vowinkel's hat trick was the first for a Pride player since Constantinos Christoudias scored three versus Delaware on October 2, 2005.
-Hofstra honored the 1985 East Coast Conference Championship team at halftime.