RICHMOND, VA -- The University of Delaware women’s soccer team’s hopes for a Colonial Athletic Association title and NCAA Tournament berth were dashed Friday night as Hofstra scored the game-winner with 26:29 left to play for a 2-1 victory at the CAA Tournament semifinals at Virginia Commonwealth’s Sports Backer Stadium.

No. 3 seed Delaware, which advanced to the CAA semifinals for the first time in three seasons in the league, lost for the first time in their last six games and finished the season at 10-6-4. Delaware had advanced to the semifinals with a 4-3 shootout win over William & Mary Tuesday night.

Hofstra, the No. 2 seed, improved to 10-6-4 and will face host Virginia Commonwealth in the CAA championship Sunday at 2 p.m. No. 1 seed VCU downed No. 4 James Madison 3-2 in the other semifinal game Friday. The CAA champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Delaware opened the scoring just 13 minutes and 32 seconds into the contest when Shelby Lawrence (right) took a feed from Alli D’Amico from the left side and scored from 10 yards out into the left corner of the net. The goal was the fifth of the year for Lawrence.

Hofstra sent the game into halftime tied at 1-1 when Marie Curtin scored off a corner kick for her third goal of the season with just 5:41 left before intermission. The Pride then clinched the win when Chrissy Arnone lofted a shot over the head of Delaware goalkeeper Lindsey Shover (seven saves) from 20 yards out with 26:29 left to play. The goal was the 10th of the season for Arnone.

Delaware had the chance to tie the game late but Hofstra goalkeeper Becky Wachsberger (two saves) made a diving stop off a shot by Delaware’s Shannon Alger with 9:04 remaining.

“I’m really proud of the way our team played tonight and all season long,” said Delaware head coach Scott Grzenda, the 2005 CAA Coach of the Year. “Over the last six or seven games we played our best soccer of the year and I hope we can carry that over to next season.”

Hofstra, which defeated Delaware 2-0 during the regular season, outshot the Blue Hens by a 22-12 margin.

At the conclusion of the tournament, seniors Shannon Alger and Shelby Lawrence were named to the All-Tournament Team. They were joined on the squad by Hofstra's Becky Wachsberger, Edel Malone, Ashley Sheban and Sue Weber, James Madison's Kim Argy and Emily Baskin, and Virginia Commonwealth's Stephanie Power, Samara Stephen-Dowd and Hedda Gardsjord. Hofstra's Weber was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Performer.

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