After a disappointing loss in their home opener against UMBC, Drexel men’s lacrosse looked to recapture their home field advantage against the Lafayette Leopards. After strong home wins against Air Force and Binghamton to open the year, the Leopards proved to be a worthy foe for the Dragons.
Over the program’s history, Drexel has held a firm advantage in their series against Lafayette, winning 47 contests, while only losing 18. Last season, when the Dragons faced the Leopards on the road, it was Lafayette who escaped with an 8-7 win.
It was a frosty Tuesday evening at Vidas field, with a reported temperature of 35 degrees at face-off. To open the contest, Drexel’s defense made a strong effort, preventing holes which would allow Lafayette open looks. After retaking possession early in the quarter, the Dragons did not let up, remaining in control of the ball for a majority of the first 15 minutes. After a penalty was drawn by sophomore attacker Caden Zadell, and now with a man up, Drexel had its first opportunity to break the tie. With under 11 minutes to play, a perfect pass from Gavin Kelly lined up Conor Hooley for an easy first goal.
Following the goal, Drexel again won the face off, and following an unsuccessful bounce shot, the Dragons retook possession again. This would continue for nearly the entirety of the first eight minutes, with shot after shot being taken on Lafayette goalie Joe Doherty. With eight minutes to play, Zadell found himself in one-on-one coverage, where he swiftly got past a Leopards defender to score an impressive goal, giving the Dragons a two to zero edge.
Quickly following the goal, the Dragons again aggressively retook the ball, executing almost every ground ball perfectly. The first substantial Lafayette offensive possession was abruptly concluded, when junior defender Jack Nolan took advantage of the ten man ride and scored a goal from midfield on an empty net, leaving the Dragons ahead three.
Later, when Lafayette found themselves in another rare offensive situation, Drexel’s goalie Drew McGill got a key stop, which was quickly followed by sophomore defenseman Pat Lyman ripping the ball from the Leopards, right next to a Dragons bench loving every second of it.
In the first quarter, the Dragons took 16 shots in comparison to the Leopards four, and to open the second quarter it was no different. Conor Hooley’s footwork allowed him to put pressure on Lafayette’s defense, allowing him to assist Alec Tulio for Drexel’s fourth goal. From there on, the momentum shifted dramatically, with the Leopards seemingly seizing control of the game.
For the next 20 minutes, the Leopards clawed back, finding cracks in the Dragons defense, and allowing them to tie the game at four by halftime, and hold a nine to five advantage by the end of the third quarter. Freshmen Nicholas Blalock and Joseph Duggan each added two goals, with five other Lafayette players scoring through three periods.
Under the lights, and down four goals with fifteen minutes standing between the Dragons and an 0-2 start, attacker Witt Crawford found an unlikely assist from the goalie McGill, breaking the scoreless stretch. Crawford’s fist pumped in the air was a sign of good things to come, as after a quick Lafayette goal, it was again Crawford who scored.
Crawford’s second goal would reignite Drexel’s relentless play on both sides of the ball, allowing the Dragons to score five additional unanswered goals, and win the game 12-10 . With just over eleven to play Conor Hooley added his third goal of the night completing the hat trick. A minute later, it was Hooley’s fellow captain, Liam Kammar who scored again, which brought the Lafayette lead to one.
Not finished yet, sophomore Caden Zadell joined Hooley’s hat trick, by adding his second and third goal of the game, the final of which was assisted by the aforementioned Hooley. Hooley, a Minnesota native, led the team with 17 assists last season, and again leads the Dragons with four through the program’s first two games. Zadell played a much smaller role in the Dragons offense last season scoring only four goals, a number he was one short of matching on Tuesday night.
With under two minutes to play, an unsatisfied Leopards team tried to claw back, attempting a shot on McGill, who blocked it, picking up his fourth save. After passing it out to Kammar, the captain immediately dished the ball to Lyman who hurled a hail mary shot across Vidas, and directly into an open net. Again, the Drexel bench erupted in cheers, this time for the sophomore’s first career goal.
Lyman was recognized alongside Gavin Kelly on the CAA All-Rookie team for his immediate impact last season. From the first face-off to his game clinching goal, Lyman proved to be a major problem for the Leopards on both sides of the ball. In the second quarter of the broadcast, former ACC Player of the Year, Marcus Holman labeled Lyman as the best player on the field, as his efforts highlighted the Dragons relentless effort.
Joining the rowdy Drexel bench in celebration was newly hired head coach, Steve Boyle, whose leadership on Wednesday led to his first win at Drexel. Without the expertise of longtime head coach Brian Voelker to support the program, it will be fascinating to monitor how a trio of former John Hopkins standouts, in Boyle, Tucker Durkin, and Joel Tinney can lead the program into the future.
Although an improbable comeback was required for the win, Drexel showcased the true potential of their squad. The Dragons are a team that has a strong mix of veteran upper classmen who serve as the backbone of the program, and a young core of talent that’s sure to cause chaos come conference play.
Following the victory, the Dragons will head on the road to face the University of Albany Great Danes in upstate New York. It’s crucial Drexel stays hot on the road, as this year’s CAA landscape projects to be brutal, with Delaware, Towson, Fairfield, and Stony Brook all receiving votes for the Inside Lacrosse Top 20.