Hofstra men's lacrosse recuit Stephen DiGiovanni honored as one of New Jersey's top players

Hofstra men's lacrosse recruit Stephen DiGiovanni has received accolades as one of the top players in New New Jersey by being named to the Star-Ledger All-Waterman Conference First-Team.  

The 6'0 185 pound attackman/midfielder finished as the all time leading scorer in Cranford High School boys' lacrosse history, including 90 points (65 goals and 25 assists) as a junior in 2009. This past Monday DiGiovanni was featured in Cranford Patch where he said of his decision to attend Hofstra, "I didn't want to go to a big school like Ohio State. Hofstra is close to my family, and I just thought, that with the facilities and athletics, this was the school for me and I could keep up academically while balancing my athletics."

Hofstra softball's Kriss Root recognized for hitting and GPA

One week after Hofstra's Kriss Root was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year,  the just graduated Pride centerfielder's success on the diamond and in the classroom was featured in the South Central Pennsylvania newspaper "The Chambersburg Public Opinion."

Root excelled in sports and academic statistical categories as the Waynesboro, Pa. native was Hofstra's leading hitter with a .366 batting average in 2010 and she graduated in May with a 3.83 GPA with a degree in exercise science. The article  mentions how the former Pride star will now be pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy and earned the nickname "Dr. Root" by Hofstra head coach Bill Edwards because of her mastery of the sciences and his belief that she has the ability to graduate medical school.

MLL All Star Game to feature two former Hofstra lacrosse players

Major League Lacrosse (MLL) announced the rosters for its 2010 All Star Game Monday and two former Hofstra players will be taking part in the game that features the top players in the sport.

Long Island Lizards defensemen Nicky Polanco and Brian Spallina, who both starred for Hofstra in the early 2000s, were named to the 20-man All Star squad that will face off against the U.S Men's National Team on Thursday July 8. Spallina, a 2000 graduate, helped lead Hofstra to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 1999 and another NCAA Tournament berth the following year. Polanco, a 2002 graduate, became Hofstra's main defensive force following Spallina's graduation and led the Pride to the 2001 NCAA Quarterfinals.

The July 8 MLL All Star Game at Harvard Stadium in Boston will be broadcasted live on ESPN2 starting at 7 p.m.

Hofstra women's soccer to have challenging 2010 schedule

The Hofstra women's soccer team's 2010 schedule has been released and the Pride will be greatly challenged its non-conference slate.

Hofstra will kick off the 2010 campaign on August 27 at Boston College, which finished last season ranked seventh in the nation. The early non-conference schedule is also highlighted by road contests at Big Ten powers Purdue and Indiana and a home game on Sept. 5 against Fordham, who fell in the Atlantic 10 championship last season.

Hofstra men's lacrosse projected to be top 10 team in 2011

While the 2010 Hofstra men's lacrosse season only ended a month ago with a first round NCAA Tournament loss to then third ranked Maryland, the Pride are already projected to be a top 10 team in 2011, according to a very early poll released today by insidelacrosse.com.

The Insidelacrosse.com "way early' 2011 Media Poll has Hofstra ranked 10th with voters attributing the high expectations to the Canadian attack tandem of Jay Card and Jamie Lincoln, who will both be seniors next year. The voters also however expect the loss of defenseman Christian Scuderi, who was selected in the third round of last week's Major League Lacrosse Draft by the Long Island Lizards, to be a large void to fill. One reason for hope on the defensive side however was the emergence this past season of Cody Solaja, who was named to insidelacrosse.com's All-Freshman Team for Division I after causing eight turnovers as a rookie.

Hofstra's 2011 season opener may be eight months away but with a solid offensive nucleus returning and Shuart Stadium being one of the NCAA Quarterfinal sites next May, there is plenty of reason for Pride fans to be full of optimism that the program could make a splash on the national scene next year.

Long Island Lady Riders feature heavy Hofstra women's soccer contingent

The Hofstra women’s soccer team is getting a major lift in its preparation for the 2010 season thanks to four Pride players currently competing with the Long Island Rough Riders of the USL W-League.

The Hofstra players earning some valuable experience playing for the team that commonly uses the nickname Lady Riders include forwards Salma Tarik and Laura Greene as well as midfielders Tiffany Yovino and Danielle Murino. The Lady Riders, which competes in a league recognized as North America’s main women’s developmental organization, also feature numerous former Hofstra players including goalie Rebecca Wachsberger, defender Sue Weber as well as forwards Brooke DeRosa and Janine Cappello-Bielia.

Future Hofstra softball player Nicole Hagerty ends high school career with title

Future Hofstra softball player Nicole Hagerty concluded her high school career in grand style tossing a five hitter to lead Gloucester Catholic to an 11-1 victory over Lodi Immaculate in the championship game of the NJSIAA/Blue Ribbon Awards Non-Public B tournament on Friday June 4 in Toms River, N.J. 

While Hagerty has excelled as a pitcher in high school she will not be in the circle at the college level. Hofstra softball head coach Bill Edwards has said Hagerty could play first base for the Pride and fill the gap being vacated by graduating senior Michele DePasquale, who the Gloucester Catholic star has had communication with since signing with the Pride. Last year Hagerty was named to the Newark-Star-Ledger All-South Jersey team after leading Gloucester Catholic to a South Jersey championship.

Former Hofstra lacrosse players gear up for Long Island Lizards 2010 Shuart Stadium debut

This Saturday June 5 the Long Island Lizards will make its 2010 Shuart Stadium debut with several former Hofstra lacrosse players getting the chance to perform in familiar territory.

The Long Island Lizards, a Major League Lacrosse franchise founded in 2001, have four of its six home games in 2010 at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium. Saturday's matchup against the Denver Outlaws facing off at 7 p.m. will feature a half dozen former Hofstra players suiting up for the Lizards including defensemen Nicky Polanco, Brian Spallina , Julian Watts and John Orsen as well as midfielders Anthony Muscarella and Mike Unterstein. The visiting Denver Outlaws also boast some former Hofstra lacrosse players including midfielders Kevin Unterstein and Brian Langtry as well as defenseman Sean McCarthy.