The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team started their two-game homestand at Vidas Field against Colonial Athletic Association rival University of Delaware April 6. While the game was very close at the end, the Dragons found themselves playing catch up for the majority of the game.
The difficulties started in the first period after the Blue Hens jumped to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Drexel put a dent in Delaware’s lead and managed to get within two goals at the end of the first period thanks to impressive scoring efforts by sophomore Ryan Genord and junior Reid Bowering.
At the end of the second period, the Dragons once again found themselves trailing by a score of 10-6. The Dragons managed to score four goals in the period, but were overwhelmed by Delaware’s attack that yielded six goals just as quickly. The goals for Drexel in the second quarter were scored by Bowering, junior Colin Mailman and junior Matthew Varian, who scored two of them.
In the final two periods, the Dragons were able to outscore the Blue Hens 7-5. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough as Drexel fell to Delaware 15-13. The top performers for the Dragons were Bowering with five goals and Varian, who finished with a hat trick to go along with four assists.
Drexel’s next game was against Fairfield University April 13. The Dragons were clearly motivated from the loss to Delaware, as they put on a clinic against Fairfield. The Dragons never trailed in this one, winning by a score of 21-9. The top scorer for the Dragons was Genord with four goals. Mailman, Bowering and senior Marshall King all scored three goals.
While he did score a goal, that wasn’t what stood out in the game for junior Jimmeh Koita. Instead, it was how Koita won an incredible 24 face-offs for the Dragons. Drexel dominated Fairfield in almost every category. The Dragons outshot Fairfield 60 to 31, won the faceoffs 27-7 and held the advantage in ground balls 41-17. One of the most impressive stats from the game was that the Dragons ended the game on 8-0 run. With three goals in the game, Bowering now has an unbelievable 36 goals for the season.
The victory gives Drexel a record of 5-6 on the season. With two games remaining, the Dragons are looking to make their way up the standings in the CAA conference as they currently sit in fourth place behind Towson University. Drexel’s next game is April 20 as they travel to Hempstead, New York, to face Hofstra University who has an overall record of 4-8, with both teams looking to make the CAA playoffs.