Hofstra aims for conference title

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The Hofstra men’s lacrosse team entered the 2017 campaign fueled to capture a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title after falling in the conference semifinals to Fairfield last season.  

The Pride returned five starters from last year’s 9-6 squad that included a season-opening win against eventual national champion North Carolina. The new campaign also got off on the right foot with an 11-9 win against Monmouth in the opener followed by a 10-8 victory at Princeton last Saturday. Hofstra is aiming for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 and first CAA championship in nine years.

“Our goal as it is every year is to be the last team standing in the CAA,” Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney said. “We need to learn from the out-of-conference games so it can prepare us for the conference schedule.”

Senior attackman Josh Byrne has taken on more of a leadership role for his final year of college lacrosse and was named a co-captain with classmate Tommy Voelkel. Byrne led the Pride in scoring last season with 30 goals and 15 assists. The native Canadian opened 2017 with back-to-back three goal efforts. 

“He has done a good job of learning from last year and having a plan coming into this year,” said Tierney of Byrne, who tallied 76 goals at Nassau Community College before transferring to Hofstra. “He has done everything we’ve asked.”

Byrne has developed chemistry near the net with freshman attackman Ryan Tierney, who also tallied a hatrick against Monmouth and fed Byrne for one of his goals. Tierney, the son of Hofstra’s head coach, was a two-time All-American at Massapequa High School and registered 79 points as a senior.

“It has been everything that I could have hoped for and I hope it has been everything that he has hoped for,” said Tierney of coaching his son. “He has done a great job of working hard in the weight room and understanding the offense.”

Tierney is among several former Long Island lacrosse stars on Hofstra’s roster. Junior Brendan Kavanagh, a Rockville Centre native and Kellenberg alum, scored three goals in the Monmouth victory, which Coach Tierney hopes will be a precursor for a big offensive year. “He is as competitive as it gets,” Tierney said of Kavanagh. “He is an emotional guy who wants to win so bad and play so hard.”

Junior Dylan Alderman, who tallied seven goals in 11 games last season, joins Kavanagh in the midfield. Alex Moeser, a red-shirt junior from Greenwich, Conn, is also taking on an increase role in the offensive midfield this season and registered two goals in the Princeton win. 

Bellmore native Kris Clark returns for his senior season as faceoff specialist determined to fight for crucial extra offensive possessions.  The former Chaminade standout, who led the CAA in faceoffs wins last year with 57%, missed the season opener with an injury, but Tierney expects him to back and healthy for a big spring. Freshman Kyle Gallagher, A St. Anthony’s product, has filled in for Clarke and won 13-of-21 faceoffs against Princeton. 

The Pride defense is keyed by junior goalie Jack Concannon, a 2017 Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America third team selection. The St. Anthony’s product was 10th nationally in save percentage last year.

Concannon was joined on the roster this season by three freshmen that also shined at Saint Anthony’s in Eric Wenz, Lawrence Galizia and Gallagher. Wenz, a Wantagh native, is part of Hofstra’s man-down defensive unit early and helped hold Princeton to just one of four on extra man opportunities. 

Galizia and fellow Saint Anthony’s product, John Puckakaber, a red-shirt junior from Wantagh, are among Hofstra’s large group of defensive midfielders that add depth to a unit led by Voelkel, Luke Gomez and Brendan Lynch.  The position has a heavy local flavor with Cole Considine (Rockville Centre), Kyle Sliwak (Wantagh) and Kevin O’Keefe (Oceanside) among the contributors.

After back-to-back road games at Georgetown and UNC, Hofstra returns home to face new college lacrosse program Cleveland State on March 14 for a 7 p.m. faceoff. The Pride will then host Providence College on March 18 at 3 p.m. and rival Stony Brook on March 21 at 7 p.m. Hofstra’s two CAA home games are slated for April 15 against Drexel at 7p.m. and April 22 versus Massachusetts at 1 p.m.

Hofstra will host the NCAA quarterfinals on May 20, giving the Pride extra motivation to reach the postseason stage.