It’s a prideful end for Hofstra men’s soccer coach Richard Nuttall in his 37th and final season at the helm.
His unranked bunch stunned the soccer world with a barn-burning NCAA tournament upset over the defending national champion, top-ranked Vermont, with a 3-2 overtime extravaganza in Round 2.
“I said to them after, ‘Get it in your mind that we can beat any team in the country,’ ” Nuttall told The Post ahead of Sunday’s round three matchup against No. 16 Furman.
“We’re super proud, and we’re enjoying the ride.”
What Nuttall is most grateful for is another week with the Pride — he already feels spoiled for moving on from a 2-0 shutout over Syracuse in round one — before retiring after nearly four decades.
“I don’t think there’s been a day when I didn’t want to come to work,” added the coach, who traded life on a pig farm in England for Long Island.
That’s not to say the Vermont instant classic, which came to a close from an unforgettable golden goal by midfielder Laurie Goddard six minutes into extra time, wasn’t exhilarating for Nuttall and the bunch.
“You live every single moment, every single kick, every ball movement, you have fear when they’re going forward, then you have hope when you’re going forward,” he poetically put it.
“But what we said to our players before the game is, ‘Can you play clearly minded with calmness?’ And I thought we’d done it beautifully.”
The Pride are also cherishing Nuttall’s final days on the pitch as he’s been showered with warm wishes — and a few sweet parting gifts.
“I like bicycling, and they bought me a Cannondale bike I really loved. I play pickleball with the wife, and they’ve gotten me two new paddles for that,” he said. “Everybody at Hofstra from the president down has been incredibly kind to me.”
Now it’s back to business as the Pride turns its attention to Furman and tries to keep the miracle run going.
“There’ll be a big crowd. They’re very talented in their own way, a lot of team speed, and a lot of technical ability. It’s going to be a major challenge for us, without a shadow of a doubt,” Nuttall said. “I’m confident that we’ll give our all, and we’ll have a focus…I know we can play with anybody in the country, which, as a mid-major, I am very proud of.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
