Hofstra soccer teams have magical runs in 2010

 Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

Midfielder Tiffany Yovino was a major reason for Hofstra's magical 2010 season.

The Hofstra women’s and men’s soccer teams saw their seasons draw to a close this past weekend but both teams will be able to look back on 2010 with their heads held high knowing great strides were made with bright futures lying ahead.

The Hofstra women’s soccer team broke a school-record with 18 wins in a row and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing a hard-fought battle to 18th-ranked Boston College 3-1. The Hofstra men’s soccer team rallied from being in 11th place in the conference standings at midseason to go unbeaten in seven straight games before falling to William & Mary 4-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association title game.

“I was proud of this team from the beginning all the way through to the end,” said Hofstra women’s soccer head coach Simon Riddiough, whose team finished the year ranked 23rd nationally. “The team came together fantastically."

Freshman defender leads Hofstra men's soccer's surge into CAA Tourney

 Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications
The Hofstra men’s soccer team has achieved quite the turnaround in 2010 from being in 11th place midway through the season to going unbeaten in its last six games to quality for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. In that final six game stretch where Hofstra went 4-0-2 the Pride only gave up one goal and the Pride’s staunch defensive play has been keyed in large part by freshman Shaun Foster, who has quickly become a leader on and off the field in his year of collegiate soccer.

Foster was recognized for his solid backline play by earning both the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the fort freshman to accomplish either feat. The England native is the first player in CAA Men's Soccer history to win two major awards in the same season.

Hofstra men's soccer trio represent Puerto Rico at Central American and Caribbean Games

Three Hofstra men’s soccer players are getting quality preparation for the upcoming season and a unique opportunity at the same time by competing with the Puerto Rican under 21 National Team this month at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

The Hofstra trio of senior midfielder Steven Ehrichs, sophomore defender A.J. Laza and sophomore midfielder Stephen Barea are now in Puerto Rico gearing up for the start of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, which kicks off on July 17 and concludes on August 1. The Pride players were chosen to the pool in February after a weeklong tryouts and evaluating process in January.  The Hofstra triumvirate arrived in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on June 25 and has been practicing three times a day in addition to holding 8 a.m. workouts in preparation for the games.

“Practices are real intense,” said Barea, who was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie team last year as a freshman. “The coaches try and keep us moving.”

Win over GMU boots Hofstra men's soccer into first place

There was plenty on the line for the Hofstra men’s soccer team in its Wednesday night home affair with George Mason (GMU) as the winner of this crucial Colonial Athletic Association match would have the inside track toward reaching the conference playoffs next month. Thanks to the continued offensive firepower from senior midfielder Rob Youhill the Pride were able to get out to the early lead and never look back in 2-0 to triumph that keeps Hofstra very much in the running for the CAA regular season title.

Hofstra’s win combined with UNC-Wilmington’s 1-1 tie Wednesday with William & Mary puts the Pride in first place one point ahead of Northeastern with four games remaining. GMU won the CAA title last year and earlier this season defeated defending national champion Maryland 2-0.

“What we said before the game is if we lose this game we are back with the pack, if we can win the game we are ahead of the pack,” said Hofstra men’s soccer head coach Richard Nuttall on the importance of the GMU win.

The home victory in front of 440 fans served as some redemption for Hofstra, who suffered a 5-0 defeat at GMU in the first round of the CAA tournament last year. More importantly the victory gives Hofstra (7-5-1, 5-1-1) a two game cushion over the Patriots (8-5-1, 3-2-1) in the battle to receive one of four available CAA playoff spots. If Hofstra were to finish in first place, it would get to host the CAA playoffs scheduled for Nov. 13-15.

Hofstra’s Martinez aims for large soccer stage

When Hofstra men's soccer senior defender Richard Martinez got called up to compete for the Puerto Rico national team last year, he initially thought it would be a team comprised of the best players age 23 and under from his native country. However much to the surprise of Martinez, 10 minutes before his first practice he discovered this would be the actual  Puerto Rican national team and that World Cup qualifiers against much older players would soon be in his future.

Martinez made the most of this surprise opportunity on the global stage playing every minute of five World Cup qualifier games. The experience going up against the world’s best players has paid major dividends for the Hofstra defender both for his senior year and his hopes of playing the sport he loves professionally upon graduation.

“Mentally it gives me a lot of confidence,” said Martinez of how playing against the world’s best soccer players has set him up well for competing against teams in Hofstra’s highly competitive conference, the Colonial Athletic Association. “My whole mentality from that point on has changed.”

Even before becoming one of a select few players to compete in World Cup qualifiers, Martinez made a huge impact at Hofstra his freshman season scoring the winning penalty kick in a shootout victory over George Mason in the 2006 CAA title game. This was Hofstra’s last appearance in the NCAA College Cup and Martinez hopes his collegiate career can be capped once again with some late November soccer. After a 6-0 shutout win at Delaware this past Saturday the Pride are 5-5 and 3-1 in the CAA heading into tomorrow’s conference battle at Drexel. .

“We would definitely like to extend our season as long as possible,” said Martinez, who earned All-CAA first team accolades last season.