Brody Eastwood’s 4 goals lead Stony Brook past Hofstra
Stony Brook's Ryan Bitzer carries the ball around the cage in the second quarter during the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse game between Stony Brook and Hofstra on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at Stony Brook University. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Take your pick of Stony Brook highlights in a mesmerizing first quarter: three goals within 68 seconds, a nearly 10-minute offensive stand and a drive downfield for a goal as the period ended.
The Seawolves grabbed a 7-0 lead and beat Hofstra, 13-5, Tuesday night in a battle of nationally ranked Division I lacrosse rivals.
“Our offense is always just moving the ball,” said Brody Eastwood, who led Stony Brook with four goals. “Most of them were just ground balls. There’s a couple I picked up and scooped in. I just thought we played with so much energy.”
The Seawolves (5-1), ranked No. 13, had their first scoring chance three minutes into the game, and got comfortable in the offensive zone behind short passes and strong drives to the net.
Jeff Reh picked up a pass inside 10 yards of the net and faked left before moving right for a goal to give Stony Brook a 4-0 lead with under eight minutes left in the first. It was the team’s third goal in the 1:08 burst.
Challen Rogers added two goals before Eastwood scored with seven seconds left in the first. Alex Corpolongo had Stony Brook’s first goal of the game and three overall. Matt Schultz, a Smithtown West product, also had three goals.
Hofstra (4-2), ranked No. 12 nationally, got within five in the second with two goals by Sam Llinares, of Hauppauge, and one by Brian von Bargen, but was outscored 3-1 in the third for an 11-4 lead.
The Pride scored seconds into the fourth, but Corpolongo put the game out of reach with two goals in the final five minutes.
“I thought the guys played remarkably well early in that game,” Stony Brook coach Jim Nagle said. “Ground balls — they were really sharing the ball so admirably, it was not much coaching going on at that point. It was great to see.”
Added Schultz: “In the flow of the game you don’t have to worry about what’s going on, you just continue to work hard and things will bounce your way.”
Schultz credited the defense for keeping Hofstra mostly at bay, and said he believes good things are to come for his well-rounded team. “I think in years past we’ve been good offensively and have struggled defensively, but this year we have confidence all over the field.”
