Hofstra men's lacrosse wins crucial CAA game over Delaware in first event at New Meadowlands Stadium

Saturday afternoon provided the unique opportunity for the Hofstra men’s lacrosse team to take part in the first event at the New Meadowlands Stadium but more importantly the contest versus Delaware was a must-win Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game to maintain hopes of reaching the conference playoffs. After dropping its first two CAA games the Pride played with a sense of urgency against Delaware posting a 12-11 win to keep its postseason hopes very much alive with three weeks left in the regular season.

“Hofstra lacrosse lives to see another day with the destiny in their own hands,” said a relieved Hofstra men’s lacrosse head coach Seth Tierney after his team held on for a one goal win after leading 12-8 with less than seven minutes left in the game. “They knew what was on the line and they know what is on the line.”

The win over Delaware moves Hofstra (7-3, 1-2 in CAA) into fourth place in the conference standings with key contests at Penn State next week and home versus Towson on May 1 in the rear view mirror. The top four in the six-team CAA reach the conference playoffs for the right to capture league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, something Hofstra has never failed to achieve.

Hofstra got a boost in this crucial CAA game when red-shirt sophomore attackman Kevin Ford was able to return to the lineup from a foot injury suffered in practice two weeks ago. The Floral Park High School product along with junior attackman Jay Card both led the Pride with three goals each.

The Hofstra-Delaware game kicked off a tripleheader in the Konica Minolta Big City Classic attended by 25, 710 fans, the largest ever crowd for a regular season lacrosse-only event. Hofstra also played Delaware in the inaugural Big City Classic at Giants Stadium last year with the Pride winning 10-8. “It’s definitely an honor,” said Card of being able to participate in a major lacrosse event that opened the New Meadowlands Stadium, which will soon be home to the National Football League’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

“They put on one heck of an event,” said Tierney of the Big City Classic, which was organized by Inside Lacrosse Magazine. “I would love to tell you that I found something that they could do better but I can’t. They did a great job and I would have said that win or lose.”