HOFSTRA (#24)
2013 Record: 7-7
The Skinny
Hofstra got off to a strong start in 2013 winning five of their opening six games, including an impressive road win over No. 2 Notre Dame. However, the Pride dropped four one-goal affairs and only won two of their final eight games to drop out of postseason contention. Focusing on the little things will be the biggest challenge for Seth Tierney and his coaching staff. The university is a host for one of the NCAA Quarterfinals, so there is an incentive to find a way to return to the big dance.
Returns and Losses
The Pride have been one of the nation’s best defenses for years. Part of that was due to a close defense unit that played together all that time. Now they are gone and finding their replacements could become a challenge. At the midfield, longtime face-off specialist John Antoniades graduated, as well as Canadian sniper Adrain Sorichetti. Both players struggled in their final year, but their presence on the field will be missed.
Fortunately, the attack trio of Sam Llinares (19 goals, 13 assists), Lance Yapor (10 G, 7 A) and Torin Varn (30 G, 2 A) is back this season. Aside from Sorichetti, Hofstra returns most of their big contributors at midfield. The entire defensive midfield, the “Three R’s,” LSM Ryan Reilly, SSDM Steve Romano and John Reicherter will look to establish themselves as one of the best in the country. The same can be said for junior goaltender Chris Selva.
Who should you know
Chris Selva—Goaltender
The Long Beach native won the starting spot in pre-season and never looked back. Driven by his strong compete level and footwork, Selva played big in the crease and gave his team a chance to win each week. He finished with the fourth-best save percentage in DI last year at 60 percent. When Hofstra finds itself in close game situations (very likely), having a keeper like him can be the difference maker. The pre-season honorable All-American will have to play strong while his new defense gets acclimated in front of him.
Sam Llinares—Attack
The speedy Hauppauge product had a strong freshman campaign, establishing himself as one of the more dynamic attackmen in the CAA. Working down low, he can successfully nail the top corners on wrap around and maneuver around the crease. He also has a high lacrosse IQ. Llinares scored the game-winning goal in Hofstra’s upset at No. 2 Notre Dame. When Yapor was sidelined with an injury, he had to help shoulder the load for the rest of the year. Expect the sophomore to be one of the Pride’s and the conference’s top contributors.
Question Marks
1) Close Defense
Under Seth Tierney and recently promoted associate head coach Kevin Unterstein, the defense has become the team’s foundation for the past three years (7.79 GAA in 2013, tied for third in the nation). All three are now gone, thus the next crop of long poles must be raised. It is an open competition between upper and underclassmen. Senior Corey Caputo returns after sitting out last season with a leg injury and is the only returnee with starting experience. For the Pride to go far, they will need their defense to be on the same page when the conference slate come around.
2) Managing the Home Stretch
In the last two years, Hofstra has dropped a number of heartbreaking contests. Some involved the Pride unable to hold a fourth quarter lead, others in overtime, or a comeback bid just falling short. In the final eight games of the 2012 season, they only won three of their final eight games of the season. In 2013, it was only two. In both years, Hofstra has lost the final three games to North Carolina, UMass and Penn State. They must find a way to break this trend and close out games if they wish to return to the CAA Tournament.
