VIRGINIA BEACH – VCU advanced
to the championship after a thrilling
win Friday night over top-seeded
William and Mary. The Rams and
Tribe were both unable to score in
regulation and overtime. With the
season on the line, freshman Laurel
Pastor (Springfield/West Springfield)
sent VCU to sudden victory with her
converted penalty kick.
Sunday’s match with Hofstra also
started slow, and the Rams were aware
they had to capitalize on the few scoring
windows the Pride gave them. VCU
looked to avenge a 2-0 loss on Oct.
21 at Hofstra.
Hofstra’s Brooke DeRosa and Edel
Malone combined for the match’s two
closest first half shots. DeRosa scored
both goals for the Pride in its shutout
win defeating James Madison in the
semifinals.
The Rams once again went to the
locker room tied at 0-0 and did not
generate any first half shots on goal.
In the second half, Hofstra succeeded
in continuing to apply pressure in
the offensive zone. The Pride took
advantage of neutralizing VCU’s goal
kicks and turned the ball back up the
field, forcing goalkeeper Emily Niman
to stay on her heels.
Tiffany Yovino created one of the
match’s best scoring opportunities in
the 71st minute when the freshman
had an open shot from 20 yards out
that missed wide to the right of the
goal. Yovino finished with three shots
in the match.
Hostra goalkeeper Krystal Robens did
not have to make a save until the 74th
minute when junior Stephanie Power
(Dartmouth, Nova Scotia/Dartmouth)
came up with the Rams’ only shot on
goal in the match.
Just as it appeared the Rams were
going to overtime to settle their second
consecutive match, Malone beat
Niman (Pittsburgh/Fox Chapel Area)
for her seventh goal of the season on
a one-timer from
six yards away to
give Hofstra a 1-0
lead.With less than
eight minutes remaining
in regulation,
co-head coaches Tiffany Roberts
Sahaydak and Tim Sahaydak were
limited in options to substitute fresh
players into the match. Sophomore June
Hartman (Virginia Beach/Tallwood)
came in for junior Francesca Gioeli
(New York/Brooklyn Tech) immediately
following the goal. That was
the last substitution the Rams, who
played Sunday as they had most of
the season with only two extra field
players, made.
The 1-0 advantage held for the
final minutes as Hofstra won the CAA
Tournament crown.
Seniors Niman and Bridgit Cooley
(Clifton/Seton Hall), as well as junior Samara
Stephen-Dowd (Vienna/Oakton),
were named to the All-Tournament
team for the Rams.
The loss for VCU was just its fourth
overall in conference play, and the
team remains alive for an at-large bid
to the NCAA Tournament. Hofstra
keeps its season alive with the win and
earned an automatic trip to the NCAA
Tournament.