Despite dominance in nearly every aspect of the game, the Stony Brook Men’s Soccer team dropped its season-opening match Friday night, losing 3-1 to Hofstra in front of a historically crowded Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
The outcome may have been different had it not been for the right foot of Hofstra senior Joseph Holland. The defending Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year roped a 32-yard free kick inside the near-side left post in the 75th minute. Just 80 seconds later, the star took a pass in the box and kicked it past Stony Brook junior goalkeeper Tom McMahon to raise the lead to two.
But before the pair of late goals, the Seawolves controlled the game. The home team had a 14-5 edge in shot attempts, leading 9-2 in corner kicks.
“I thought we beat them in more areas than just possession,” head coach Ryan Anatol said. “For 75 minutes, I thought we dictated the game… That’s a big positive.”
The official attendance for the match was 2,136, a number that is the largest recorded in Stony Brook’s Division-I history and may have contributed to the energy of the team on the pitch.
“I thought [the crowd] was tremendous,” Anatol said. “Not only was it big, I thought they were into the game and gave our guys a lift.”
Hofstra freshman forward Luke Brown opened scoring in the 20th minute with a header tap-in off a rebound skirmish in front of the net.
Junior midfielder Thibault Duval — who seemed to drive possession all half long with good touches and effective passes — was able to score for the Seawolves in the 26th minute. After the ball ricocheted off a Hofstra defender, the Belgian chested it down and hit a perfect left-footed shot that found its way to the back of the net.
“I saw the ball coming down,” Duval said. “Took a touch, and just kicked it. Lucky for me, the ball went in the goal.”
Stony Brook senior defender Lars Togstad had a pair of grade-A chances midway through the first half as well. In the 21st minute, the Norwegian stepped into a ball from 24 yards out, requiring a leaping save from the Hofstra goalkeeper. On the ensuing corner kick, Togstad again nearly struck twine, hitting the crossbar.
“He’s good,” Anatol said. “He communicates well, he led back there and showed his experience. I thought Lars had a good game, but I thought our back four for the most part had a good game as well.”
Sophomore Serge Gamwanya played forward alongside junior Vince Erdei for Stony Brook after playing in the midfield during his Rookie of the Year campaign last season. Gamwanya and Duval were the primary free-kick takers for the Seawolves, generating a number of quality opportunities.
But in the end, Hofstra’s All-American proved to be the difference. Stony Brook kept Holland off the score sheet without a shot, in the first half, but the superstar demonstrated his might late in the game. This allowing the cross-island rivals to avenge last season’s loss, when the Seawolves defeated the then-No. 17 Pride 3-0 in the highest-ranked win in Stony Brook program history.
Stony Brook plays next at 7 p.m. on Sunday night at Seton Hall, the first of four straight road games for the Seawolves.
