Pride sophomore Sam Llinares tallied three goals and two assists but 10th-ranked Princeton battled back from a four-goal deficit midway through the third quarter to post a 12-9 victory over Hofstra at Class of ’52 Stadium Saturday afternoon.
For the second consecutive game, Llinares posted five points to lead Hofstra, which fell to 0-2 on the season. Senior Lance Yapor and red-shirt sophomore Korey Hendrickson each added two goals for the Pride. Junior goalie Chris Selva made 10 saves in the contest, including seven in the second half.
Princeton (1-0) had three players record five points in the contest as junior Mike MacDonald tallied four goals and one assist, two-time All-American senior Tom Schreiber added three goals, including the game-winner, and two assists, and sophomore Ryan Ambler notched a career-high five assists. Senior Brian Kavanagh made 10 saves in the Tiger cage in the first half before sophomore Matt O’Connor entered the game at the start of the third quarter and made two saves.
In a game that featured six tied scores and four lead changes, it was Princeton who rallied in the last 21 minutes of the contest to pull out the victory. After a see-saw first quarter that ended with the score knotted at 2-2, the Pride erupted offensively in the second period, scoring four times and dominating play for most of the quarter. Red-shirt sophomore Korey Hendrickson netted his second of the game, from the left side of Kavanagh, for Hofstra’s first lead of the game at 3-2 at the 9:40 mark.
But Princeton came back with consecutive goals six seconds apart with Tucker Shanley scoring his first, and MacDonald picking up his second goal of the game for a 4-3 advantage with 7:44 to play in the first half.
Hofstra responded by going on a five-goal run, including three in the second quarter, to open up an 8-4 lead in the third quarter. Five different Pride players tallied goals in the run as Llinares scored his second of the game to tie the contest at 4-4 before senior co-Captain Torin Varn broke the tie with his second of the year at the 3:46 mark. Freshman Brier Davis was the beneficiary of the Llinares’ second consecutive assist and tallied his first collegiate goal 40 seconds later to give Hofstra a 6-4 lead at halftime. The Pride outshot Princeton, 18-3 and picked up 10 ground balls to the Tigers two in the second quarter.
Hofstra extended the lead to four with goals by Yapor and short-stick defensive middie John Reicherter, from linemate Steve Romano, with7:34 to play in the period before the Tigers rallied. Princeton scored four goals, including two man-up goals, in 4:04 to tie the contest at 8-8 on Orban’s second man-up goal in the run at the 1:31 mark. But Hofstra would take a one-goal lead into the fourth quarter as Yapor would score his second of the contest with just nine seconds to play in the period for a 9-8 Pride advantage.
Princeton then went on a four-goal run over the first 9:32 of the fourth as MacDonald scored twice and Schreiber and Rotatori added solo goals to open up a 12-9 lead with 5:28 to play. Schreiber’s game-winner was a screamer from 15 yards on the left side of Selva. Llinares added an unassisted goal with 2:43 to play but the Pride could get no closer. Hofstra outshot Princeton, 41-29 and had the advantage in ground balls, 30-22.
The Pride return to action on Tuesday, February 25 when they host the Stags of Fairfield at James M. Shuart Stadium. Game time is 3 p.m.
