Pride ready to roar again

A year after setting a school record for victories with 19, becoming the first women’s soccer team to go undefeated and untied in the Colonial Athletic Association since 1998, and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Hofstra is faced with the challenge of replacing six starters including 12-goal scorers in CAA Player of the Year Tiffany Yovino and Salma Tarik.

“Last year was one of those miracle years you can never take for granted,” Pride coach Simon Riddiough said. “We had question marks in certain areas that didn’t go unanswered for long and we found some luck along the way.

Accounting for the offense provided by Yovino and Tarik, and getting the defense to jell in front of sophomore goalkeeper Emily Morphitis (7-1 record), are Riddiough’s main concerns.

“I always have high expectations,” he said. “We have a lot of offense to replace along with some leadership, but we still have the ability to beat teams. If we stay injury free, I think we’ll be highly competitive again.”

Senior striker Laura Greene (six goals, seven assists) is the top returning scorer for the Pride, which ranked as high as No. 17 in the nation in 2010. Seniors Courtney Breen (four goals, five assists) and Brittany Butts, both All-CAA selections, return to lead the midfield and will be counted on to pick up some offensive slack. Breen, a dominant defender, is a scoring threat on set plays and corner kicks. 

Junior Danielle Murino moves from fullback to midfield, where her speed and energy can help generate offense. Junior Nicki Choffel, sophomore Amber Stobbs and freshmen Luisa Echeverry and Samantha Scolarici will also contribute in the middle and up front. Anchoring the defense is senior center back Brooke Bendernagel, the lone returning starter to the unit with Murino’s switch to midfield. Three sophomores — Brittany Farriella, Tara Kerns and Ruby Staplehurst could round out the starting group. 

Hofstra opens at home this Friday against Fairfield at 4:30 p.m. and hosts Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m. The CAA opener is Sept. 23 at home against defending tournament champion James Madison.