Oliver Svalander scored the Pride’s first goal. (Photo courtesy of Hofstra)
In a rematch of the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association championship game, the third-seeded Hofstra University men repeated as conference champions on Saturday.
The Pride defeated top-seeded Elon, 2-1, at Rudd Field in Elon, N.C. The championship was Hofstra’s sixth overall and third since 2015.
The Pride (14-3-3) will discover its NCAA Division I Tournament destination Monday at 1 p.m. during the NCAA Selection Show that will air on NCAA.com. The team enters the NCAA tournament on a five-game winning streak and a seven-game unbeaten streak. Elon, which is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll, dropped to 11-4-3.
Hofstra controlled the pace during the majority of the opening ahlf, outshooting the Phoenix, 6-1. Ryan Carmichael registered four of those six opportunities, but it was Oliver Svalander who found the back of the net in the 39th minute after receiving a pass from Roc Carles. Carles dribbled 40 yards to set up the score.
The visitors continued to add opportunities into the second half, but Elon did the same as the Phoenix rattled off four shots in less than five minutes with goalkeeper Wessel Speel making two great back-to-back saves.
With about five minutes to go, Hofstra drew a corner kick as Svalander booted it in, finding the head of Carmichael. Carmichael’s header was saved by a diving keeper Ryan Bilichuk, but Francesco Perinelli put home the rebound into the top left corner from a near-impossible angle.
Elon had one last bit of life with two blocked shots inside the four-minute mark before adding a goal with 12 seconds remaining.
Following the match, Eliot Goldthorp was named the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Performer and was joined on the All-Championship team by Carmichael, Pierce Infuso and Perinelli.