NEWARK, Del. -- The red-hot University of Delaware women's lacrosse team fell out of sole possession of first place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings Sunday afternoon. The Blue Hens suffered their first league loss of the season with an 8-6 setback to Hofstra at wind-swept Rullo Stadium.

Delaware (7-6, 3-1 CAA), which had a three-game win streak snapped and lost for just the fourth time at home in 24 games since 2007, pulled to within a goal with just under 10 minutes left to play but were shutdown the rest of the way.

Hofstra (9-4, 3-1 CAA), which had played three straight overtime games and won two of them, got four goals and an assist from Ashley Jones and Liz Falco scored twice, including an insurance tally with 7:20 left to play. Falco also dished out an assist while Corrine Gandolfi scored twice and goalkeeper Mary Cuddihy came up with eight saves in a solid effort in the nets.

Emily Schaknowski and Julianna Jeffers each scored twice for the Blue Hens, who had entered the game in sole possession of the top spot in the CAA standings. Seniors Deb Sloan and Alexis Curcio also scored goals and senior goalkeeper Jessica Cerveny notched seven saves as Delaware honored its six seniors in a pre-game ceremony. Freshman Stephanie Allen, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Week, was held scoreless and had a seven-game goal-scoring streak snapped.

Despite the loss, the Hens did remain in first place in the jumbled CAA standings and now share the top spot with Old Dominion, Hofstra, and William & Mary, all of whom won Sunday to improve to 3-1 in league play. The league regular season champion earns the right to host the CAA Tournament April 30-May 2.

Schaknowski scored just seven minutes into the game to give Delaware what proved to be its only sole possession of the lead as Hofstra answered on back to back goals by Jones four minutes apart. Sloan tied the game at 2-2 on a free position goal for Delaware with 14:49 left in the first half but Jones scored again for the Pride at the 8:54 mark to give Hofstra a 3-2 advantage and a lead they would never relinquish.

Falco and Gandolfi scored two goals in a span of just 1:34 to up the Hofstra lead to 5-2 but the Hens cut the margin to 5-3 at the break as Jeffers scored with just 31 seconds left in the stanza.

The teams traded goals in the second half as Hofstra maintained its lead on goals by Jones and Gandolfi and the Hens countered with scores by Schaknowski and Curcio.

Curcio's goal with 10:03 cut the Hofstra deficit to 7-5 and when Jeffers scored just 10 second later off a nice feed from Holly Burman off the draw, Delaware had pulled to within one goal at 7-6 at the 9:53 mark. Falco gave Hofstra some breathing room on a goal by Falco with 7:20 left and the Hens would manage just two shots the rest of the way - both saved by Cuddihy.

Delaware will return to action April 17 at James Madison while Hofstra takes on Old Dominion the same day.

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Newark, DE -- Ashley Jones had four goals and one assist to help stake Hofstra women's lacrosse team to an early lead, and the Pride held on down the stretch for an 8-6 win over Delaware on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the #19 Pride improves to 9-4 overall and 3-1 in the CAA. Delaware slips to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Jones scored Hofstra's first three goals, the last of which gave the Pride the lead for good at 3-2 with 8:54 left in the first half. Liz Falco and Corrine Gandolfi added goals to stretch the Hofstra lead to 5-2, before Delaware trimmed the lead to 5-3 at intermission.

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2009-04-12