Hofstra tops LIU in first meeting in nearly 30 years
Hofstra's Ryan Tierney gets around LIU's Mike Kadnar during their men's lacrosse matchup at Hofstra on Saturday. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
The Hofstra Pride and the LIU Sharks finally staged their rematch in men’s lacrosse. The previous time they met, Hofstra arrived as the Flying Dutchmen and the Sharks were the C.W. Post Pioneers.
That was nearly 30 years ago. Hofstra won on Saturday at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, just like it did on May 5, 1990, at Hickox Field in Brookville.
Ryan Tierney contributed three goals and four assists and Brian Herber won 21 of 24 faceoffs this time in a 14-6 victory. That enabled the Pride to snap a two-game skid, capped by Tuesday’s loss at rival Stony Brook.
“Awfully proud of our guys,” coach Seth Tierney said. “It’s been a rough week. It’s just been … a malaise over what has went on, losing two games and losing Dylan McIntosh (to a torn ACL). And then having a spirited Long Island rivalry rekindled today — back in the day, when it was C.W. Post, those games vs. Hofstra were classic lacrosse games.”
C.W. Post moved from Division II to D-I in men’s lacrosse from 1982-92. The program returned to D-II and won three national titles and finished as the runner-up five times, the last time in 2014 as LIU Post.
Then Long Island University merged its Post and Brooklyn athletic programs, beginning with this school year. They all became the Sharks, and the D-II teams went D-I. So there was LIU playing Hofstra almost three decades after falling 14-5.
“We would love to have this game every year,” Sharks coach Eric Wolf said.
Seth Tierney is optimistic, saying, “There have been some conversations of having a Long Island tournament” with Hofstra, LIU, Stony Brook and St. John’s.
“I think that would be great for Long Island lacrosse,” he said. “It would be great for the four teams.”
His team led 4-2 after one quarter. Justin Sykes made it a four-goal advantage by scoring twice in the first 1:44 of the second quarter.
LIU (0-4) trailed 6-3 at halftime. But it got outscored 5-0 in the third. Hofstra (3-2) scored twice in the first 3:31. Ryan Tierney assisted on a Will Stopak goal, then caused a turnover by goalie Will Mark and turned it into a goal.
“We probably played our worst game of the year,” Wolf said.
Richie LaCalandra, Will Snelders and Doug Chase beat Bobby Casey in the fourth to cut it to 11-6 before the Pride pulled away.
“Any team from Long Island wants to beat the other team from Long Island because that’s where the recruits are going to go,” Ryan Tierney said. “... To me, it’s something for pride-wise.”
