M. lacrosse falls to Towson | The Triangle

M. lacrosse falls to Towson

After vanquishing Towson University 11-10 just days beforehand, the Drexel University men’s lacrosse team fell to the Tigers, 11-8, in a rubber match in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament April 30. The loss knocked the Dragons out of the tournament and ended their season.

The Dragons capped their regular season with a win over Towson, a team ranked first in the conference coming into the game. By the end of the day, the Dragons captured the second spot in the conference and Towson dropped to third.

The first half was a vintage Dragons performance, as they netted seven goals and only allowed Towson to score two. The main player in the Dragons’ first half dominance was sophomore attacker Robert Frazee, who scored three goals, including the final goal of the half.

Cole Shafer capped the first half with a late unassisted goal and the Dragons took a 7-2 lead into the break. Coming out, Towson played much like Drexel did the first half. They moved the ball well, made their shots and defended the Dragons all over. The third quarter was particularly bad for the Dragons, as Towson netted four goals, and they were unable to get on the board.

The beginning of the fourth was more of the same, as Towson scored the first two goals of the quarter, giving them a one-goal advantage and it seemed like Towson was going to run away with it.

Shafer, known for his stout play in the clutch throughout his Drexel career, made the difference. About two minutes after Towson claimed the lead, Shafer rifled a shot by Towson’s Tyler White to tie the game at eight. Mason Pynn followed that up with a goal of his own, and the Dragons were back in control.

Despite allowing a late goal to Justin Mabus, the Dragons pulled out the victory, 11-10.

With the huge victory, the Dragons sealed the second seed and were slated for a quick turnaround rematch against Towson in Fairfield, Connecticut.

But the rematch didn’t fall in the Dragons’ favor.

The contest was essentially deadlocked through the first 30 minutes, with neither team able to grab a solid foothold.

With the game tied at six goals apiece midway through the third quarter, the Tigers exploded for three quick scores to take a three-goal advantage. The Dragons fought back, and a goal made the score 9-7 with less than 15 minutes to play.

Yet the comeback effort, unlike the first matchup with the Tigers, would fall short when Towson scored two more goals to secure the 11-8 victory. The Tigers will face either Fairfield University or the University of Massachusetts in the final game May 2.

The Dragons finished the season with an overall record of 7-8, and a CAA record of 3-3. After beginning the season 0-4 in February, the team went on a 4-2 run starting in the month of March and won three of its final four conference games.

The momentum was there for the team, but in the end, the results didn’t materialize.