The wins just keep coming at home for the Stony Brook’s men’s lacrosse team. The Seawolves scored yet another victory, helping extend their unbeaten home streak to three after defeating the Hofstra Pride at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium by a score of 14-11 on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to move to 3-1.

While Stony Brook opened the night up with a goal from senior attacker Chris Pickel Jr., it was Hofstra who took the early lead with a three-goal run to put the Pride up 5-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Despite facing an early deficit, the Seawolves’ consistency was the key. Senior attacker Cory VanGinhoven recorded a hat trick midway through the second quarter as Stony Brook climbed ahead of Hofstra with a goal from senior midfielder Harrison Matsukoa at the end of the first half.

“I was just trying to get them on cage when I was shooting,” VanGinhoven said in a press release. “And then I was just keeping my head up when I was dodging and finding the open guy.”

While Hofstra would tie it up early in the third quarter, Stony Brook redshirt junior midfielder Wayne White’s second goal of the game would put the Seawolves up for the remainder of the game. Stony Brook beat Hofstra out in shots on goal (29-27), saves (senior goalkeeper Michael Bollinger saved one more shot than Hofstra redshirt-junior goalkeeper Bobby Casey), and faceoffs (16-12).

In all, 11 different players scored goals for the Seawolves and head coach Anthony Gilardi was more than content with that.

“We’re an unselfish team,” Gilardi said in a press release. “We preached that from Day 1.”

The geographic rivalry between the Hofstra Pride and the Stony Brook Seawolves is not one to be underestimated if you listen to the Seawolves’ players and coaches. 

“It was a quick turnaround, a rivalry game and two great Long Island teams battling,” Gilardi said. “I told the guys we needed great energy, effort and toughness. The guys did it from the first play until the last play. I loved their effort. The guys gave us everything they had the entire game.”

VanGinhoven also reinforced the importance of the Long Island duel.

“We had a lot of energy going into this one being that it was a rivalry game.”

The Seawolves will now leave the Island to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in SHI Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 29 at noon in Piscataway, New Jersey. However, as far as the team is concerned, Long Island’s territory belongs strictly to them.

“We took down St. John’s. We took down Hofstra. We’re pretty much Long Island’s team now,” VanGinhoven said.