Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Women's Lacrosse team gave #11 James Madison all it could handle in a battle of two of the top teams in the nation before dropping a heartbreaking 9-8 decision in double overtime to the Dukes on Sunday afternoon at James M. Shuart Stadium.

Freshman Jess Smith made nine saves and added four ground balls and two caused turnovers for Hofstra in the game, which also got two goals and one assist from junior Alyssa Parrella. Senior Jenna Budd posted two assists for the Pride. Both the ground ball and caused turnover totals for Jess Smith tied her season-highs. 

Hofstra saw its three-game win streak come to an end as it falls to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play. James Madison improved to 12-3 and 4-0 in league action with the victory. 

The Dukes scored the first three goals of the contest and held the 3-0 lead with 19:57 left in the opening stanza. Junior Alexa Mattera got the Pride on the board and after James Madison pushed the lead to 4-1, Hofstra would get goals from Parrella and freshman Amanda Guerra to close the gap to one at the break. 

Logan Brennan pushed the JMU lead back to two goals early in the second half before Hofstra stormed back. Sophomore Katie Whelan would start a 4-0 scoring run with an unassisted goal at the 24:45 mark before Parrella, Guerra and sophomore Arianna Esposito scored to turn the game around and give the Pride a 7-5 advantage with 15 minutes left in regulation. After the Dukes scored three straight goals to retake the lead at 8-7 with four minutes left, Esposito came up huge for the Pride and sent the game into overtime with a free-position goal with 26 seconds remaining in the second half. 

With Jess Smith making several point blank saves in the extra sessions, the teams battled back and forth and into a second overtime before Maddie McDaniel scored the game winner at the 3:05 mark of the second overtime. 

Mattera finished with six draw controls, two ground balls, two caused turnovers and a goal for the Pride, which got three draw controls and two ground balls from junior Darcie Smith. Guerra and Esposito each tallied two goals in the game, while freshman Erin Tierney added a season-high three ground balls and two caused turnovers. 

Hanna Haven had five points on two goals and three assists for James Madison, which got 16 saves from Molly Dougherty.

Hofstra is back in action on Friday when it hosts Towson at 7 p.m. in the Pride's final home game of the season. Hofstra will honor its senior class in a pregame ceremony before taking on the Tigers. 

NOTES
- Parrella now has 79 points this season and is two shy of the single season school record of 81 held by Brittain Altomare (2015). 
- Darcie Smith now has 88 draw controls this season and is five shy of the single season school record of 93 held by Altomare (2015). Smith also moved into a tie for seventh all-time in program history with 128 draw controls. She is tied with Jill Maier (2010-13). 
- The two goals by Esposito and the two assists by Budd both tied career-highs for each player. 
- Hofstra is 6-18 all-time against James Madison.