Towson, MD - Graduate student Alexa Mattera came up huge as she scored a game-high five goals to lead the Hofstra women's lacrosse team to a thrilling 10-9 win over #20 Towson on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Field. 

Mattera was spectacular all game as she scored three of the Pride's final four goals with the game-winner coming from senior Alyssa Parrella with 3:19 left on the clock. 

Hofstra, which is currently ranked #11 in the latest NCAA RPI and has defeated ranked opponents in two of its last three games, improved to 5-5 overall with the win and 1-2 in Colonial Athletic Association action. Towson is now 8-6 and 0-3 in conference. 

Hofstra dug itself an early hole as Towson got out to a 4-1 lead 10 minutes into the contest. The Pride's lone goal in the opening 10 minutes came off the stick of junior Jackie Gatti. The final 20 minutes of the opening stanza would be all Hofstra, though, as the Pride rallied from a pair of three goal deficits to knot the score at five at the break. Trailing 5-2 with 18:20 left before intermission, senior Arianna Esposito got the Pride started on a half-closing 3-0 scoring run that included goals from Mattera and junior Grace Langella. 

Towson would hold Hofstra without a goal for the first nearly 10 minutes of the second half as they opened up a 7-5 lead after a pair of goals from Blair Pearre. It was Esposito again as she scored a free-position goal to start another 3-0 Hofstra scoring run with Mattera adding the next two Pride goals to suddenly put the visitors in front, 8-7, with 17:54 remaining. The Hofstra run took less than three minutes to regain the momentum. In another swing, the Tigers scored back-to-back goals, including one from Kerri Thornton, to retake a 9-8 lead with 12:21 showing on the clock. The duo of Mattera and Parrella were not to be denied, though, as Mattera tied the score at nine with 5:35 remaining and Parrella put home the game-winner with 3:19 left to send Hofstra home with a huge road victory. 

Senior Katie Whelan finished with three assists, two ground balls, and two caused turnovers for Hofstra. Graduate student Darcie Smith tallied four ground balls, three draw controls, and a caused turnover in the game. Senior Shannon Boyle tied Darcie Smith for team-high honors in draw controls with three and added a pair of ground balls. Junior Erin Tierney led Hofstra with three caused turnovers and added a pair of ground balls. Junior Jess Smith was strong in net with eight saves for the Pride. 

Pearre had four points on three goals and an assist for Towson, while Thornton posted a goal and three assists. 


Hofstra's opponent next week will look quite familiar as the Pride and Towson will meet each other again. This meeting will occur on Saturday, May 1, at 1 p.m. in Hempstead. 

NOTES
- Hofstra is now 17-25 all-time against Towson. The Pride has won the last two meetings in the series. 
- With her five goals today, Alexa Mattera now has 120 in her career and moved into eighth place all-time in program history. She passed Brittain Altomare, who had 118 from 2012-15.
- With her three assists in the game today, Katie Whelan now has 58 in her career and moved into eighth place all-time in program history. She passed Kathleen Mikowski, who had 57 from 2000-03.
- With her goal today, Alyssa Parrella now has 252 in her career and moved into a tie for 16th place all-time in NCAA history with Kylie Ohlmiller, who had 252 for Stony Brook from 2015-18. She is also 18th all-time in points in NCAA history with 339.