MITCHELL SCORES TWICE TO LEAD HOFSTRA TO 2-0 WIN IN CAA OPENER

Demont Mitchell scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Georgia State, giving Hofstra its first conference-opening win since joining the CAA in 2002

Atlanta, GA (Sept. 26) - Junior forward Demont Mitchell (Delray Beach, FL) scored twice and sophomore goalkeeper Greg Cumpstone (Haddam, CT) had seven saves for the shutout as the Hofstra Men's Soccer team defeated Georgia State 2-0 on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams.

With the win, the Pride improves to 3-4 overall and starts out league play at 1-0 for the first time since joining the CAA in 2002. Hofstra had been 0-4-3 in conference openers over the last seven years, despite going on to win three straight conference championships from 2004-06. Georgia State, meanwhile, falls to 2-2-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.

The start time was moved to 2 p.m. (from the original 7 p.m.) due to inclement weather, and featured two delays due to thunderstorms in the Atlanta area before the game was called after only 75 minutes.

Mitchell snapped a scoreless tie with 55 seconds left in the first half when he got to a loose ball in the box off a Pride free kick and beat Georgia State goalkeeper Vincent Foermer for his first goal of the season. He then put the Pride ahead 2-0 on a penalty kick at the 64:29 mark of the second half, marking his first career two-goal game. It was also the second two-goal game for a Pride player this season, as Johannes Grahn (Tibro, Sweden) scored two in a loss to Ohio State on Sept. 13.

Cumpstone was called on to make three saves in the first 24 minutes, before he momentum swung the Pride's way midway through the first half. Senior midfielder Rory McCrea (Sherburn-In-Elmet, England) had a shot saved in the 28th minute, and a flurry of three corner kicks in the 31st minute resulted in shots from senior defender Jamal Neptune (East Windsor, NJ) and sophomore forward Brett Carrington (St. George, Barbados). Cumpstone then made a pair of saves late in the half to keep the game scoreless, before Mitchell broke the tie in the final minute of the opening stanza.

Hofstra finished with a 7-5 advantage in corner kicks, while shots were even at 9-9. Cumpstone picked up his second shutout of the season, after also having seven saves in a season-opening 1-0 win over Stony Brook on Sept. 1. He also had a seven-save shutout last year against George Mason, and a career-high eight saves in a 2-1 win over James Madison.

Hofstra will next be in action when it plays its first home game of the 2009 season on Saturday against VCU (7 p.m.). The Pride played its first seven games of the year away from home (five road games, two neutral site games).

Source: Go Hofstra