Hofstra men's lacrosse still alive for NCAA bid after win over Towson

“We aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet,” said Hofstra men’s lacrosse head coach Seth Tierney in Saturday night’s post game press conference following his team’s 12-10  home win over 11th ranked Towson.

Tierney hopes it was not the final time his team took the field in 2010 as Hofstra will now have a week to pray that despite missing out on its conference playoffs their 9-4 record will be enough to receive an invite to the NCAA Tournament. Hofstra’s season has included several impressive wins but it was three critical close Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) losses to Massachusetts, Drexel and Penn State that prevented the Pride from making the  four-team conference playoffs next week despite Saturday’s  huge win over Towson. Had Hofstra reached the CAA playoffs it could have captured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with two wins, but instead it will be a wait and see to determine if its resume with victories over the likes of Johns Hopkins, Brown and Army will be enough to see its season extended. 

“I am praying along with the other guys in the locker room that the committee will see us as a body of work of what we have done this year,” said Tierney, whose team came into the Towson game with the second highest RPI in the CAA at 16th.. “We are going to practice next week like we are going to the playoffs.”

In order for Hofstra to reach the NCAAs despite missing the CAA playoffs the Pride will likely need some results in other games to fall into place. One result on Sunday that would enhance Hofstra’s at-large possibilities would be Army capturing the Patriot League title over Navy to make the Pride’s 17-2 blowout win over the Black Knights on March 29 look even more impressive. Another team Hofstra will be rooting for Sunday is sixth ranked Loyola when it takes on Denver with the ECAC title and automatic bid at stake, as a win by the Pioneers, coached by Tierney’s uncle Bill Tierney, would lessen the available at-large spots.

One of the members of the NCAA Tournament selection committee is Towson head coach Tony Seaman who said in his post game post game press conference that Hofstra should get serious consideration. “I certainly hope the NCAA committee takes a good look at their body of work for the year,” said Seaman. “Other than the [CAA] it has been excellent.”