Shuart Stadium was sunny and breezy on Sunday, April 23rd
as a nervous anticipation filled the air for the day’s festivities. The Hofstra Men’s Club Lacrosse team was
fresh off their win against Fordham University, which secured them a spot in
the NCLL playoffs, but this game would be bigger than just lacrosse.
In January of 2015, sophomore Joe Ferriso passed
away in a car accident. The current seniors on the Club Lacrosse team are
fellow members of Ferriso’s graduating class at Hofstra. To honor their
teammate, the Club Lacrosse team decided to put together the 1st
Annual Joe Ferriso Classic with all proceeds going to the Joe Ferriso Scholarship.
“Being on the club lacrosse team means everything to me,”
said senior and president of the team, Greg Stengel. “It’s been my home and my
family since freshman year. When Joe passed it was really tough on all of us.
Now that our class became seniors, we wanted to make sure his legacy lived on
at Hofstra.”
With a packed home crowd of nearly 150 people, the Club
Lacrosse team took the field against Quinnipiac University in their fallen
brother’s honor, knowing that the outcome of this game would determine if their
seniors would get another shot at hosting a playoff game at Shuart Stadium.
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The
Hofstra Men's Club Lacrosse Team stands for the National Anthem before taking
the field against Quinnipiac University. Shuart Stadium, Sunday, April 23rd.
PC: Cam Keough.
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A riveting and close game from start to finish, the Pride came out
firing in the second half, and wouldn’t let up. With eight different
players tallying goals for the Pride, it was a true team effort in beating the
Bobcats by a score of 12-9.
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Faceoff between
Quinnipiac and Hofstra. Shuart Stadium, Sunday, April 23rd. PC: Cam Keough.
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With the victory over Quinnipiac, the Pride secured a home
playoff game and the opportunity to play for Joe at Shuart Stadium, yet again.
“It’s been our goal since freshman year to get back to the elite 8 and it’s
very exciting that we are close to accomplishing our goal, especially in honor
of Joe,” said Stengel.
Ultimately, the 1st Annual Joe Ferriso Classic
was a success both on and off the field. The team
honored Stengel and Nate Schilling with the “JF 16 Award” for “superb
leadership, devotion to the team, and the emulation of our late brother-Joe
Ferriso.” The team ended up raising over $1,200 for the Joe Ferriso
Scholarship, and will look to carry on his legacy as they continue to play for
Joe.
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The Hofstra Men's Club Lacrosse Team with the Ferriso family during the post game
ceremony. Shuart Stadium, Sunday, April 23rd. Photo courtesy of Greg Stengel.
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Please consider coming out to support the team on Sunday,
April 30th, as the Pride (11-3) will look to extend their winning
streak to eight straight games and nine of their last ten as they take on the
University of Massachusetts at 5pm at Shuart Stadium.
Zachary Englis, Graduate Assistant for Club Sports, contributed to this blog.
