Hempstead, NY – Hofstra scored three second half goals in a span of 3:50 to erase a 2-1 halftime deficit and post a 4-2 victory over Lipscomb in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Thursday night at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. Hofstra advances to the second round for the fourth time in six NCAA appearances and the third consecutive time (2006, 2015, 2021).
The Pride improved to 17-1-2 on the season, increasing their school-record win total. Hofstra also extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games (14-0-2) and its winning streak to three. Lipscomb, the champions of the Atlantic Sun Conference, sees its season end at 12-4-2.
The visitors struck first as Hayes Wood scored off a rebound of a Tyrese Spiecer shot at 13:28. The Pride would score the equalizer two minutes later as
Storm Strongin sent in a perfect free kick from the right sideline that found the head of a streaking
Pierce Infuso at 15:29. The Bisons would go back on top at 25:03 when Bakary Bagayoko finished a set piece off a corner kick with Louis Robinson and Thomas Priest getting assists.
That would be how the first half ended, and much like their CAA Championship victory over Elon, the Pride came out firing on all cylinders in the second half to erase a one-goal deficit.
Hendrik Hebbeker got things started with a goal at 49:34 as he took a pass in the center of the box from
Matthew Vowinkel and sent a shot past Lipscomb keeper Michael Stibley to knot the game at 2.
Ryan Carmichael put Hofstra ahead to stay, 3-2, when he converted a pass from Vowinkel 1:58 later. Not to be satisfied with a pair of assists, Vowinkel put the finishing touches on the Hofstra outburst with a goal from Hebbeker at 53:24.
Stibley made four saves in goal for the Bisons, while Hofstra keeper
Wessel Speel did not record a save in the contest.
Hofstra, ranked 13th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll but unseeded in the tournament, advances to play at 12th-seeded Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Championship Sunday at 5 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
Notes:
-Hofstra is now 4-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
-Vowinkel, the reigning National player of the Week (College Soccer News) has five goals and two assists in his last three games.
-Strongin and Hebbeker's assists give them each 10 on the season, tied for fourth on the single season list.
-Vowinkel took sole possession of third place on the Hofstra career goals list with 41 and moved into third place on the career points list with 97.
-This was the first meeting between Hofstra and Lipscomb.
