Hofstra Falls To Boston College

September 5, 2013

Hempstead, N.Y. – Four Hofstra players scored to help the Pride erase a two-goal second-half deficit, but Boston College’s McKenzie Meehan scored 4:53 into overtime as Hofstra fell, 6-5, to the Eagles in the highest scoring game in program history on Sunday.

Sophomore Leah Galton scored two goals through the first 11 minutes while seniors Tara Kerns and Amber Stobbs also scored and junior Sam Scolarici found the net for the Pride. But Meehan recorded a hat trick and Stephanie McCaffrey had two goals and four assists for an eight-point outing to help Boston College improve to 2-2 while Hofstra fell to 1-3.

Galton gave Hofstra an early lift in a rematch of last season’s first round NCAA Tournament matchup. The Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year scored off a rebound attempt in the eighth minute to give the Pride an early lead. Just more than three minutes later, Galton took Stobbs’ pass, raced down the left side and scored to the far-right post for her third goal of the season.

But that proved to be just the opening onslaught of soccer’s equivalent of a slugfest. Meehan put the Eagles on the scoreboard after capitalizing on Stephanie McCaffrey’s touch pass and scoring left-to-right for the goal at 18:42. Less than a minute later, McCaffrey took advantage of a foul call on Hofstra in the box for a penalty-kick strike to knot the score at 2.

That marked two of Boston College’s five straight goals to take a three-goal lead. Meehan scored again from a McCaffrey pass just 3:10 into the second half. McCaffrey then found the net again when Haley Dowd’s pass sprung her near the left side. The duo then reversed roles with Dowd scoring from the left side off McCaffrey’s third assist of the game for a 5-2 lead with 32:40 left in regulation.

Hofstra stormed right back with three goals in less than 17 minutes. Kerns scored her first of the season when her kick from outside the box beat Boston College goalkeeper Jessica Mickelson (five saves). Scolarici then notched her team-leading fourth goal, finishing on Galton’s great cross at the right post to cut the deficit to one. Stobbs then scored the equalizer in the 75th minute. Sophomore Jeannine Molleda was credited with the assist on Stobbs' long-range marker.

Meehan ended the game when McCaffrey sent a touch pass that allowed her to split the defenders and beat freshman goalkeeper Friederike Mehring for the golden goal at 94:53.

It was the highest-scoring game in Hofstra history, breaking the previous high of nine combined goals, which was last reached in 1995 against Hartford. Galton recorded her fourth career two-goal game and the first since Oct. 24, 2012 versus Northeastern.

Senior goalkeeper Emily Morphitis made two saves through the opening half, helping Hofstra keep the score tied at 2 entering the break. Mehring came on in the second half with the score tied and finished with two saves.

Boston College entered receiving votes in the NSCAA national poll.

Hofstra will next be in action on Friday when the Pride hosts Marist in a non-conference game at 7 p.m.