University Park, PA – The Hofstra men's soccer team erupted for three first half goals and poured on five more in the second half to rout the 12th-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions, 8-2, Sunday night at Jeffrey Field in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. Hofstra advances to the third round for the first time in program history and will face No. 5 seed Pittsburgh next weekend.
A pair of players for the Pride had two goals and an assist as Hendrik Hebbeker and Roc Carles led the offensive onslaught for Hofstra, while Ryan Carmichael posted a goal and two assists.
The eight goals are one off the NCAA Division I Championship record of nine goals which has been accomplished four times, most recently by Appalachian State in 1978 against George Washington. The goals total is the highest by a Colonial Athletic Association team in NCAA Tournament history and is tied for the fifth-most by any team in the 63-year history of the NCAA Championship
Hofstra improves to 18-1-2 on the season with those 18 wins marking a school record. The Pride is also on a 17-game unbeaten streak (15-0-2). Penn State sees its season end with a record of 13-7-1.
Hofstra opened the scoring in the third minute when Stefan Mason sent a free kick into the box that found Mason Tatafu and Matthew Vowinkel before Carmichael flicked in a shot to the far post for his 15th goal of the season.
Hebbeker put Hofstra ahead, 2-0, in the 30th minute when he broke in and scored an unassisted goal, his eighth of the season. Vowinkel closed out the Hofstra first half scoring with a goal assisted by Carles, who sent a pass across the goal mouth to a waiting Vowinkel for his 13th goal of the year.
It was a remarkable display in the second half as Hofstra never let up and added its fourth goal of the game just 23 seconds into the half as Francesco Perinelli tallied his first of the season to make it 4-0 in favor of the Pride. Carles would tally his two goals in a six-minute span, notching them at the 55:30 and 61:23 marks to expand the incredible lead to 6-0. Hebbeker didn't wait long to add Hofstra's seventh goal of the contest as he scored 21 seconds later before Holger Maaloe added the capper on one of the most amazing nights in Hofstra Athletics history with his first career goal in the 70th minute.
Femi Awodesu and Daniel Bloyou added two late goals for Penn State to account for the final score.
Vowinkel added a goal and an assist for Hofstra, while Storm Strongin and Mason Tatafu each added an assist.
NOTES
- Hofstra is 2-1-1 all-time versus Penn State
- Hofstra is 5-5 all-time in NCAA Championship play
- This is Hofstra's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance
