HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Evangeline Perdomo and Loren Gehret each found the back of the net for the Monmouth University women's soccer team, but Hofstra scored the eventual game winner in the 77th minute to earn a 3-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Captains Field.
The loss moved Monmouth to 7-3-5 overall and 2-2-3 in CAA play, while Hofstra improved to 5-6-4 and 4-1-2 in league action. The Pride held a 15-10 advantage in shots and a 9-6 edge in attempts on goal.
"First and foremost, I'm proud of the way our team competed today," said Head Coach Kylee Flynn. "We knew the physical battle that was in front of us and our players competed from start to finish. I felt there were moments when the game got away from what it should have been, but I'm not going to take anything away from our opponent. They came ready to compete, and so did we. At the end of the day, we have to learn from this and find a way to get the desired result."
Monmouth wasted little time opening the scoring. Less than three minutes into the match, Perdomo found the ball after a deflection and scored unassisted at 2:50 to give the Hawks an early 1-0 advantage. The goal was Perdomo's third of the season and moved her to 11 points on three goals and a team-leading five assists.
The Hawks nearly added to the lead minutes later. Ashley Lavrich and Maddie DeMaio each put shots on target in the sixth minute, but Hofstra goalkeeper Lilly Bailey stopped both attempts.
The Pride pulled even at 21:03, and neither team would strike again in the final minutes of the first period. Monmouth and Hofstra each registered six shots in the opening 45 minutes, with Tallulah Miller making three first-half saves to send the teams into halftime tied at 1-1.
Hofstra moved in front for the first time in the 59th minute taking a 2-1 advantage after the Pride opened the second half with sustained pressure. Miller kept Monmouth within one with back to back saves in the following sequences.
Monmouth responded with an equalizer in the 74th minute. DeMaio took a free kick from 30 yards out connected with Gehret, who finished the opportunity with her head at 73:40 to tie the match at 2-2. The goal was Gehret's first of the season, DeMaio's assist was her fifth of the campaign, moving her season totals to two goals, five assists and nine points.
The tie lasted less than three minutes. Hofstra's scored in the 77th minute to restore the Pride's lead, 3-2. Monmouth continued searching for another response over the closing stages. Emily De Almeida forced Bailey into a save in the 83rd minute, and Grace Notarfrancesco had an attempt blocked following a Monmouth corner kick with under two minutes remaining, but the Hawks could not produce a third equalizer.
Miller finished with six saves over the full 90 minutes. Lavrich led Monmouth with three shots, including two on goal, while DeMaio and Perdomo each recorded two attempts.
Monmouth returns home for its final regular-season match at Hesse Field on the Great Lawn when it hosts Towson on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. The Hawks will honor its six graduating seniors with a pregame ceremony at 12:45.
