Amherst, MA - After trailing 5-2 at the end of the first quarter, the 19th-ranked Hofstra men's lacrosse team roared back to a thrilling 12-11 win on the road against No. 20 Massachusetts in a key Colonial Athletic Association matchup Friday night from Garber Field.

The win pushed the Pride to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the CAA, while the Minutemen drop to 3-3 overall and 3-2 against conference opposition.

With the score tied at 10-10 with 8:37 to play, graduate student Justin Lynskey picked up a ground ball after senior Ryan Tierney had a shot saved. Lynskey dodged into prime shooting space directly in front of goal and finished between the legs of the Massachusetts goalie for the go-ahead goal. Lynskey would score another nearly two minutes later after a big save at the other end by redshirt senior Bobby Casey. Senior Riley Forte attacked from behind the net and found Lynskey on the near post, and Lynskey found the back of the net for what would be the game-winner on an acrobatic shot right in front of the crease.

Following a goal by the Minutemen with 34 seconds left and down two Pride players following penalties, Hofstra's man-down unit forced a turnover with seven seconds left to come away with the big conference win on the road.

The Pride led 2-1 early in the first quarter thanks to goals by Forte and sophomore Justin Sykes, but Massachusetts rattled off five unanswered goals to lead 6-2 into the second quarter. Graduate student Michael Altmann and senior Dylan McIntosh both buried their chances to end the run and cut the deficit to two, but the hosts responded with a pair of goals themselves to bring the scoreline to 8-4. Tierney scored two spectacular goals inside the final three minutes to put the score at 8-6 going into the break.

The Pride took advantage of a non-releasable penalty against Massachusetts at the end of the first half and tied the game at 8-8 with a goal by Tierney and Lynskey's first of the day inside the first minute of the third quarter. The Pride took the lead on a Forte bouncer at 6:43 of the quarter, but Massachusetts tied it up at 4:41, bringing the score to 9-9 going into the final 15 minutes of play.

The Minutemen took a brief lead to start the fourth quarter, but Hofstra ripped three straight goals to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Tierney assisted Forte on a long-range goal to even the score at 10-10, while Lynskey's two goals and a late defensive stand sealed the win for the Pride.

Tierney led all players in today's game with six points on three goals and three assists, while Lynskey put up three goals and two assists for five points, and Forte tallied a hat-trick and an assist for four points. Senior Brian Herber was immense at face-offs in today's game, winning 18-26 and scooping up nine ground balls. In the defensive end, the Pride caused seven Minutemen turnovers, and Casey made seven saves for his third win of the season.

Kevin Tobin scored four goals and dished out one assist for five points for the hosts, while brother Mike Tobin posted three points on one goal and two assists. Matt Knote made 13 saves in the loss for the Minutemen.

Towson is next on the docket for Hofstra as the Pride heads to Maryland for another road game on Tuesday, April 13, at 12 p.m. The teams previously met on April 3, with the Pride coming away with an 8-7 win at home on Senior Day.

NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 22-26 all-time against Massachusetts.
-With six points on three goals and three assists, Ryan Tierney is now four points away from tying and five points from breaking the all-time program points record held by Jerry Simandl (238, 1952-55). Tierney is also seven goals shy of tying and eight from breaking the Colonial Athletic Association all-time goals record held by Delaware's Curtis Dickson (162, 2007-10).
-In two games against Massachusetts this season, Justin Lynskey has scored 10 points on five goals and five assists.
-Justin Sykes' goal in the first quarter gives him six goals in his last three games.
-Dylan McIntosh scored his first goal since February 15, 2020, when he scored twice at home against Michigan.
-Hofstra out-shot Massachusetts, 36-31, and led in ground balls 37-28.
-Hofstra scored on 4-6 man-up opportunities and held Massachusetts to 0-2 on extra-man opportunities.