LIU, Stony Brook to meet in first Long Island Cup
LIU celebrates its win during a NCAA Division I men's lacrosse game against Hofstra on Friday at Hofstra. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Eight words. Eight small words.
That was all Long Island University coach Eric Wolf needed to describe the 60-minute roller coaster he and his lacrosse team rode.
"That was a crazy game," Wolf said after LIU outlasted Hofstra, 14-11, in the first of two games in the first ever Long Island Cup Friday afternoon at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. "That was crazy."
Marcin Maleski led LIU with four goals. Blake Behlen, Richie LaCalandra, Sean Boll and Jake Gillis each scored two goals, and James Butler and Will Snelders added one apiece. Goaltender Will Mark recorded four saves.
LIU will meet Stony Brook in the championship game Sunday while Hofstra will take on St. John’s in the consolation match. The Seawolves rolled over the Red Storm 17-10 in the second game Friday.
"It was a battle," Stony Brook coach Anthony Gilardi said.
The Seawolves spotted the Red Storm the first two goals of the game before outscoring St. John’s 17-8 over the final 56:45 to move to 3-0 while sending St. John’s to its third straight loss in as many games this season, and its 13th loss in a row dating back to last season.
"We’re excited to play for the championship," said Gilardi.
Sunday afternoon’s contests will have a heck of a time trying to live up to the standard set by Friday’s match as LIU nor Hofstra backed down at any point. "Two Long Island teams going at it," said LIU’s Wolf.
Trailing 9-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Sharks outscored the Pride 7-2 over the final 15 minutes to improve to 3-1.
After Colton Rudd scored 1:54 into the quarter to extend Hofstra’s advantage to 10-7, LIU scored four goals in a span of 5:35 to take an 11-10 lead. James Philbin tied the game with 3:53 left, but Maleski (3:03), Behlen (1:45), and LaCalandra (33 seconds left) to put the game away.
"We got a lot of chip-on-the shoulder guys," Wolf said. "A lot of guys passed over in the recruiting process. A lot of guys that I think a lot of people don’t believe in, and none of these guys were . . .highly touted guys coming out of high school. Some of them were really, really talented but I think a lot of people looked past a lot of the guys on our team and I think — myself included — we’re chip-on-our-shoulder dudes and I think we played like that."
Philbin’s four goals led Hofstra, and Rory Jones recorded a hat trick. Rudd, Corey Kale and Charlie Ragault each added a goal for the Pride, who received a 14-save effort from Mac Gates.
Hofstra, which dropped to 2-2 with its second straight loss, led 6-3 at halftime. The Pride scored all six of their first-half goals in the second quarter.
"When things were going well for us, we were cruising," Wolf said. "When some stuff wasn’t going well we kind of got a little passive. We challenged them in the locker room at halftime and I think they really stepped up in the second half."
