Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra University men's soccer season gets underway Thursday evening when the Pride hosts Fordham in the season opener for both teams at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Hofstra returns 15 players from the 2018 squad that went 10-6-5 and advanced to the CAA Championship game. Included in the 15 are eight starters including leading scorer Matthew Vowinkel (8 goals) and goalkeeper Alex Ashton (0.90 GAA, 9 shutouts). The Pride also welcome back starters Storm Strongin, George O'Malley, Oscar Ramsay, Peter Meyer, Luca Tausch, and Hendrik Hebbeker, as well as veterans Adam Savill, Genarro Vilardi, Felix Smith Halle, Lennart Seufert, Etienne Botty, and Jack Nuttall, which provides Hofstra with tremendous depth and experience. The Pride's 12 newcomers are also expected to contribute with defender Frederik Rieper, and midfielders Petter Soelberg and Stefan Mason leading the way.

The Rams are coming off an 8-5-4 season and a 4-3-1 record in the Atlantic 10. Fordham returns 17 players and seven starters from that team including A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Joergen Oland and top returning scorer Sameer Fathazada (5 goals, 2 assists). Carlo Acquista, the former head coach at Adelphi, is in his first year at the helm of the Fordham program.

The Pride is 10-5-3 all-time versus Fordham and has won three of the last five meetings. The teams have not met since the 2011 season, a 2-0 Hofstra win at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.  

Hofstra has been extremely tough at home, posting a winning record in 15 of 16 seasons at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. The Pride was 6-1 at home in 2018 and will play 10 games at home this season.

The Pride is unbeaten in its past seven opening day matches and is 7-3-4 in season openers since 2005. Hofstra tied Dayton, 2-2, in the 2018 opener. Hofstra is 19-8-3 in home openers under Coach Richard Nuttall, who is entering his 31st year at Hofstra. The Pride downed Harvard, 3-0, in the 2018 home opener.

Admission to the game is free. But if you can't make it in person, there will be a live stream available via Pride Productions with an audio broadcast on WRHU-FM (88.7). Live statistics will also be available for the game. Links for all can be found above or on the men's soccer schedule page on GoHofstra.com.

Following Thursday's game, the Pride will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, for a Sunday night (7 p.m.) contest at UMBC.