Lady Seahawks beat Hofstra 4-1 for first CAA win

Noah Thomas | Sports Editor | @iNoahT

UNC Wilmington coach Paul Cairney went into Sunday’s game against Hofstra searching for a breakthrough into the Colonial Athletic Association win column.

Coming off Friday’s loss to Northeastern, the Seahawks responded with a quick strike and aggressive play on offense to secure a 4-1 victory, their first at home vs. Hofstra since 2002.

UNCW (7-3-2) wasted no time getting started. It took senior Kennedy Ulrich just under two minutes to net the match’s first goal, a score that found her dribbling through the middle of the Pride’s defense and finding the back of the net unassisted.

“I think scoring that early goal today took the pressure off of us a little bit,” said Cairney. “Today was another classic CAA battle. The scoreline may flatter us a bit, but I think it was a lot closer.”

The Seahawks would not stop there. Brittany Cline and Serenity Waters would add goals of their own in the first half, taking a 3-1 lead into the break.

Waters’s goal proved to be the highlight of the game. On an assist from Savannah Andrews, she chipped the ball past a few overly aggressive defenders.

Hofstra (6-6-1) gave chase, but the ball continued to hop towards the net until it crossed the goal line.

“I had it in my mind, it’s kind of a thing that I’m used to,” said Waters. “I didn’t expect it to go as slow as it did — I almost didn’t think it was going to go in because of how muddy it is out here.”

Goals for Ulrich and Cline were both players’ first on the year. Through 12 games, 13 different Seahawks have made their way into the scoring column.

Madison Melnick would contribute a score of her own in the 63rd minute on a penalty kick, giving the game its final score. UNCW finished with a slight 13-12 edge in shots taken.

Points gained in the victory will help the Seahawks in the CAA postseason race. They are currently sixth in the conference standings.

“I think we needed the confidence,” Waters said of the win. “It’s really nice to get back on our horses, especially when going on the road next weekend.”

UNCW is set to travel to Delaware on Friday. The Seahawks won’t return to UNCW Soccer Stadium until they round out the season with matches against William & Mary and Elon on Oct. 21 and Oct. 23, respectively.