Writing Sample #2

Hofstra,. Georgia State Tie 2-2

           

Hempstead, NY— On a rainy Saturday night, the Hofstra Pride and Georgia State Panthers treated the crowd of nearly 500 to an exciting, double-overtime battle ending in a 2-2 tie.

The game was the first Colonial Athletics Association matchup of the season for both teams. The Pride wrapped up their non-conference schedule last Sunday by losing 1-0 to the #2 team in the country, Southern Methodist University.

The rain didn't appear to be much of a factor, as both the Pride and Panthers were able to run their offenses with little trouble. Just 4:25 into the game, Hofstra was able to get on the board first when senior defender Corey Gudmundson scored his first goal of the year, set-up by a header from sophomore forward Johannes Grahn. Junior defenseman Richard Martinez was also given an assist on the play.

"I saw the ball in the air, and I just wanted to get it in the middle," said Grahn about the goal.

The rest of the first half was played very evenly, with no real scoring threats from either side. The final shots were even at four going into half-time.

Coming out of the locker rooms to begin the second half, the Panthers played aggressively looking for the equalizer. There was a clear push made by Georgia State to look for their offense, as opposed to the first half where at times they appeared to settle for good defense within their own zone.

Their hard work paid off when midfielder Joey Syfert scored from the left side at 55:07, on a shot that snuck by Hofstra goalie James Winters (three saves) inside the left post.

Play was controlled by the Panthers for much of the second half, out-shooting the Pride 10-4 in the half. But one of those four Pride shots in the second half was an impressive goal from sophomore Steven Ehrichs, as he dribbled through four Panther defenders to get to the net.

The call-and-answer scoring created an intense atmosphere on the field. "It was a fun game to play in. It's important to get off to a good start in the conference, and we wish we came up with a win," said freshman defender Matt Cook after the game.

Down 2-1, Georgia State pressed the issue during the final twenty minutes, and the game-tying goal was scored by junior Stephen Minyono, his fifth goal of the season.

Both teams had scoring opportunities in the two overtime periods, but neither was able to push across a winner.

Hofstra moves to 1-5-2 on the season, 0-0-1 in the CAA. With the tie, the Panthers now stand at 4-2-2 overall, 0-0-1 in the conference.

Hofstra was picked in a preseason poll voted by the CAA coaches to finish fourth in the conference this year. "It's a tough conference, and we're going to have to play well to win games," said Pride freshman defender Jamal Neptune.

Hofstra's next test will come next Saturday when they travel south to face Virginia Commonwealth.