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Alphabetical 2014 NCAA D1 Preview: Hofstra

We’re back with the Alphabetical 2014 NCAA D1 Previews! Like last year, we’ll go through all of the D1 men’s teams for 2014 (there are 67 this year!) and we are now moving on to the Hofstra Pride, located in Hempstead, NY.

Hofstra went 7-7 in 2013 and got a huge win over Notre Dame. In terms of being a Top 20 team, Hofstra ended up on the outside as they lost games to Princeton, Drexel, St. John’s, Towson, UNC, UMass, and Penn State. Hofstra was right there though, and 3 of those losses all came by a single goal. So can Hofstra notch a couple more Gs in 2014 and go over .500? Their schedule looks to be about the same level of challenge as last year’s, so it’s all up to the guys on the field.

Hofstra returns 7 of their top 8 scorers from last year. Adrian Sorichetti is gone, but Torin Varn, Sam Llinares, Dre Coholan, Mike Malave, Brian von Bargen, and Tyler Begley all return. Each dropped at least 8 points last year, and both Varn and Llinares notched 32 points apiece to lead the team last year. Hofstra has plenty of talent on offense, and they also have a great class of freshmen at attack and in the midfield to supplement the existing talent.

Hofstra’s big loss in the midfield is John Antonides. Antonides won 50% of his face offs last year and took all but 11 of the team’s face offs last year. No one outside o Antonides won a face off for Hofstra in 2013. Replacing him will be tough, and must be a top priority for the Pride. Helping this new face off man will be Ryan Reilly at LSM. Reilly has played the last two years, is athletic and smart, and has even taken some face offs. I like Reilly to have a good Jr year at pole.

Defensively, Hofstra looks a little thin and potentially young. Corey Caputo is back this year and should see some time after playing in 14 games (and starting 9) in 2012. Another guy that interests me down low is NYIT (NCAA D2) transfer Ian Leary. Jack Moorehead is a beast that missed 2013 with an injury. He could see some serious time if properly rehabbed and in shape. Hofstra also has a bevy of talented young players on the roster, and I’d expect at least two of them to see some time.

Leading the D this year will be Chris Selva, and the Junior is back in net after a solid 2013. Selva started all 14 games, had a save percentage right around 60%, and let in just over 7.5 goals per game. Those are great numbers. If Selva can get this defense operating on the same page early, look out competition!

Hofstra has talent this year, and they have plenty of offensive fire power. Their D may not have seen a ton of time last year, but many of these guys played in 2012, and should be hungry to make 2014 their year. Good leadership and talent in goal is a good start, but Hofstra will definitely need to find a great face off guy if they want to make serious waves in 2014. The Colonial is going to be tough this year, but Hofstra might just have what it takes to win that AQ if they get going at the right time.

For more NCAA D1 Lacrosse coverage, check out Alphabetical 2013 NCAA D1 Preview: Air ForceAlbanyArmyBellarmineBinghamtonBostonBrownBryantBucknellCanisius,
Colgate,  CornellDartmouthDelawareDetroitDrexelDukeFairfieldFurman,
GeorgetownHartfordHarvardHigh Point, and Hobart.