In a Puerto Rico State of Mind--Rewards for YOU

As Long Island natives and Hofstra alumni, Kelly and Bill Cruz are two of the Pride's biggest fans and became winners of Jet Blue Airways tickets to the five-star Rio Mar Beach Resort in Puerto Rico, to rekindle their romance and watch the Pride play in the Honda Tip-Off Tournament.

Pictured above are Kelly and Bill during the five-day, four-night stay in Rio Mar. Though the Pride did not yield any wins while in Puerto Rico, Bill said that he "won big." Of his stay in Puerto Rico, Bill added, "Spending time with my wife and getting to rekindle our fondness for Hofstra Men's Basketball was so relaxing...we even had breakfast beachside with Coach and the team."

After reflecting on the couple's experience in Puerto Rico, we suggested to Coach Cassara that we need more rewards for YOU, the fans. That is why we, Kate and Willy, will host Kate and Willy's Wintry Tailgate upon return to Hofstra for the 2011 year. The graduating class of 2011 is a key component of the Lion's Den and you deserve to kick off your last semester the right way.

Below is a picture from the Lion's Den at the Whiteout game against Farmingdale State--the Whiteout game was an idea we received from the Den's most loyal members.

So come join the tailgate on Sat., Jan. 29, as the Pride take on the Drexel Dragons at 4PM in the Mack Sports Complex. The tailgate will start that afternoon at 1PM in the parking lot between the baseball field and the Mack Sports Complex. For directions to the tailagate, click here. Join Hofstra's pep band, cheerleading squad, and dance team in the pre-game pep rally to cheer on Greg Washington, Charles Jenkins, and  Nathaniel Lester as they enter their final semester as seniors at Hofstra.

Don't forget to bring your gloves, grilles, hot dogs, brews, and parkas, as January on Long Island is sure to be windy and cold. Need any of those items? Visit the Hofstra Bookstore in the Student Center for your tailgating necessities!

And don't forget your paint! You'll want to be as colorful as this guy, pictured above, as the student with the most spirit will win a stay for FOUR at the Rio Mar Beach Resort in Puerto Rico for spring break!

Scenes from the Lion's Den

First of all, THANK YOU for coming to the Meet and Greets in the beginning of November. An amazing amount of support was shown, and now, a good portion of you are season ticket holders! We still need more people to come out to the games though. Being a student and going out is important, but school spirit can add an incredible element to your collegiateWith the upcoming Christmas holiday, some wacky, wild things haev been going on in the Lion's Den.

Below you will see two Santas dressed up from when the Pride defeated the Towson Tigers on December 4 by a score of 74-62. Click on the score to read the game story, brought to you by Hofstra University Athletic Communications.

After the most recent game, senior guard Charles Jenkins said, "The fans dressed up in Santa and bathing suits encourage us to keep performing as a team--we love being a force of excitement and fun for the fans, especially the student body in the [Lion's] Den." Below, you will see Spiros Stefanatos, a senior at Hofstra, dressed in a Speedo for the game agaisnt Towson, as part of a Christmas in July theme.

The scenes from the Lion's Den are always entertaining, and if you haven't been to a game, you need to support your team, if only to see the wacky quips from the leading lions and lionesses in the den. Take a look at the rest of the Pride's 2010-2011 schedule to check out Head Coach Mo Cassara and the Pride as they continue their winning streak. Additionally, there are more giveaway and promotions than ever before, as free Rock Star energy drinks and samples of California Pizza Kitchen are now readily available at all games.

2010: What an Exciting Year to Be at Hofstra

In 2010, our home, Hofstra University celebrates its 75th Anniversary and Diamond Celebration. We have been so busy making appearances since the year started. If you look closely, you'll see us on the Unispan cake made by Charm City Cakes.

You can imagine how long we had to pose for them to make six-inch icing replications of ourselves. After the anniversary, we thought we could get a little rest from all the exhausting photo shoots and posing, but then we realized it is our favorite time of year--basketball season!

Hofstra University's Men's Basketball team will kick off the 2010-2011 season against Molloy College on November 7. As the Pride have the biggest following on Hofstra's campus, the start of the season is very exciting. But this year, the season should be especially enthralling as we welcome new Head Coach, Mo Cassara, to the David S. Mack Sports Complex and into the Lion's Den.

Coach Cassara and alumnus Craig "Speedy" Claxton welcome all fans, community members, students, stakeholders, and supporters to the Pre-season Meet and Greet. The Meet and Greets will consist of speeches from Coach Cassara and Speedy Claxton, performances by Hofstra University's dance team and cheerleading squad, and the first-ever Blue and Gold game, in which the coaches and alumni will play your 2010-2011 Pride team.

 

The Meet and Greets will follow the Pride's exhibition game against Molloy College on November 7 and after the regular season home-opener versus Farmingdale State on November 13. The event, co-sponsored by official partners of Hofstra Men's Basketball, Jet Blue Airways and California Pizza Kitchen, will grant participants the chance to get autographs from their favorite players--they can even enter the chance to win tropical vacation and trip to Puerto Rico when the Pride challenge the UNC Tar Heels, Minnesota, and Western Kentucky in the Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament.

By participating in the Meet and Greets in November, you can receive a 15% discount on YOUR 2010-2011 Pride season tickets and carry out the Diamond celebration with what's looking to be an amazing first season for Coach Cassara and the Pride, as the team is fifth in preseason rankings according to CAA Zone.