After Field Hockey reached their 10-win milestone against VCU, they were crowned CAA regular season champs. This was not just any regular day for the Hawks. It was senior day and their last matchup up the year for a chance to win the CAA regular season championship. The Hawks honored five seniors before the game against Hofstra; Indiana Shakespeare a graduate student from the United Kingdom, Aylin Aufenacker a graduate student from Hamburg, Germany, Reese Bloomstead a graduate student from Ocean View, New Jersey, Abbi Nechay a senior from Hebron Maryland, and Nora Goddard-Despot a graduate student from Canada.
Hofstra took a quick lead just 3:34 into the first quarter, when Jaime Lewis got an assist from Simryn Desai. The rest of the first quarter and into the second saw little to no action but the ball was in Monmouth’s possession for most of it. At the half, Hofstra held their 1-0 lead despite the fact that the Hawks outshot Hofstra 10-2 with more scoring chances. In the second half, all eyes were on Monmouth as junior Johanna Karlhuber had the chance to tie the game with a penalty stroke just short of two minutes into the second half. Hofstra was called for illegal touching and gave Karlhuber the opportunity to tie the game and get her second goal of the season.
Karlhuber not only has two goals on the season now but has had five assists in just the 2023 season. Monmouth took the lead early in the fourth quarter when freshman Calista Schwartz caused a turnover at midfield and found junior Sofia Fouces to score her CAA-leading seventeenth goal of the season. This was Schwartz third assist of the season as well. Monmouth’s defense held the Pride the rest of regulation and Fouces’ goal would finalize the game 2-1 as she claimed her seventh game-winning goal. Monmouth’s offense led the game with 20 shots, 13 of which were on goal while Hofstra only had two shots, one of which was on goal. Jessie Eiselin did not have to make any saves this game while Hofstra’s goalkeeper had to make 11. Fouces alone had seven shots, and four on goal.
This would be Monmouth’s second straight year earning No. 1 in CAA. The Hawks look ahead to Friday, Nov. 3 as they open up play in the CAA Tournament where they will face fourth-seed Northeastern in Newark Delaware.
