JMU spoils Drexel’s senior day with 2-1 win | The Triangle

JMU spoils Drexel’s senior day with 2-1 win

With a 2-0 loss to James Madison University Oct. 22 and a 2-1 loss to University of Maryland, Baltimore County Oct. 25, the Drexel University men’s soccer team was defeated in its final two home games of the season.

The loss to UMBC at Vidas Field to stretched the team’s losing streak into the double digits, ten, and the team’s record
fell to 1-12-2.

UMBC knocked off the Dragons with a late goal to steal Drexel’s thunder on Senior Day.

Drexel honored four seniors before the game: Aymen Ben Hadj Slama, Aaron Thompson, Jameson Detweiler and
Tyler Afflerbach.

UMBC put pressure on the Dragons early, attempting eight shots before the Dragons could even get off their first.

Despite the Retrievers relentless attack on Drexel’s goal, senior goal keeper Tyler Afflerbach stood on his head and saved the first four of UMBC’s shots on goal. However, in the 25th minute, Afflerbach made a save that deflected off his hands and practically landed in Christian Morales’ lap. Morales buried the ball into the back of the nylon for the Retrievers and gave
them a 1-0 lead.

After UMBC got on the board, the Dragons went on the offensive. Following Morales’ goal, the Dragons took four shots in a row before UMBC could get off another one.

The fourh Drexel shot found the back of the net when junior Xavier Bou Hernandez gained control of a loose ball on a breakaway and fired a bullet into the upper left corner of UMBC’s goal, which evened the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

Despite several opportunities for both teams to get back on the board, the score would remain that way until the final few
minutes of the game.

UMBC broke the 1-1 tie in the 85th minute when Jordan Dove scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Cormac
Noel’s corner kick.

Dove’s goal proved to be a backbreaker for the Dragons as they were unable to get off another shot in the final five minutes of the game. The Dragons fell 2-1
to the Retrievers.

Despite his team’s loss, Afflerbach finished the game with eight saves, a season high for him. He improved his career total to 239, and with two games remaining in the season, he needs six saves to tie Mike Habermann for sixth all-time on the Dragons
career list.

Prior to the loss to UMBC, the Dragons took on the JMU Dukes in their final home Colonial Athletic Association match Oct. 22.

The first half was a 0-0 stalemate in which the Dukes outshot the Dragons six to two. Once again, Afflerbach showed up for the Dragons by saving all three shots the Dukes put on goal in the first half.

It took 66 minutes for the ball to cross a goal line, when Joe Vyner headed in his first goal of the season off an assist
from Billy Metzler.

Metzler burned the Dragons again in the 74th minute when he scored his second goal of the season to give JMU a 2-0  advantage. Metzler’s goal was the nail in the coffin for the Dragons, who were able to attempt just one shot in the final 15 minutes of the game.

With the loss to JMU, the Dragons fell to 0-6-0 in the CAA and were officially eliminated from postseason play.

With the season winding down, the Dragon’s will play their next game on the road against The College of William & Mary Oct. 29. Drexel will play their final game of the season at the College of Charleston Nov. 1.