Team splits first two CAA matches, remains .500 | The Triangle

Team splits first two CAA matches, remains .500

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The Drexel University women’s soccer team split their games Sept. 23 and 25, in their first two conference matchups.

“I think our team competed well in the first weekend of Colonial Athletic Association play. Friday night the team was really in sync and in a good rhythm and the result confirmed this. Sunday was a typical conference second-leg contest. We were really, really unlucky with the way the ball bounced, but I believe that if we continue to work and play at this level, those things will even out,” said head coach Ray Goon.

The Dragons defeated the Hofstra University Pride at home Sept. 23. They picked up their first conference win with a 3-0 victory. Wilhelmina Hauch-Fausboll, Vanessa Kara, and Shaelyn McCarty each contributed a goal in the win.

Drexel got on the board early in the ninth minute of play when Hauch-Fausboll headed the ball off a corner kick for her first goal of the season.

Kara improved the Dragon’s advantage to 2. She scored on a one-on-one with the goalie, firing the ball into the top left corner of the net and giving Drexel a 2-0 going into halftime.

After the halftime break, Hofstra came out with a strong effort and had opportunities to score, but Drexel held them to no goals.

In the 68th minute of regulation, McCarty scored the third Dragon goal. McCarty took advantage of a weak clearance from a Hofstra defender and took the ball down the field for a breakaway sinking. She sank the ball into the top right corner of the goal.

The Pride could not come back in the remaining time and the Dragons secured their first CAA victory of the season.

The Dragons had 18 shots on goal, while the Pride had 17. Drexel goalie Christina Ogunsami had six saves on the day and now has five shutouts on the season.

The Dragons lost 1-0 in their second CAA matchup of the season on Sunday Sept. 25 in a tough overtime battle with the Northeastern University Huskies. Northeastern won the game off a penalty kick.

Despite both teams being held scoreless, the Huskies controlled the pace of play during the first half. Drexel had a solid chance to take a first half lead when Kara fired a shot that hit the post in the 40th minute. The rebound was recovered by McCarty whose shot hit the crossbar.

After halftime, Northeastern nearly scored with a shot that bounced off the crossbar.

As time expired in regulation, the game went to an overtime period. The Dragons were called for a handball penalty in the box, leading to a penalty kick. The Huskies scored off the penalty kick for a sudden victory.

The Dragons had 12 shots in the losing effort, while the Huskies had 17. Ogunsami had 10 saves in the game, a career high.

With the loss, the Dragons fell to 5-5-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

“To be competitive in the CAA you need to be able to perform well while away from the friendly confines of your home field. As I stated earlier, we’re competing well, so we will focus on just fine-tuning some things from this past weekend in preparation of our first conference road swing,” coach Goon Said.

Drexel will go on the road this weekend to continue CAA action with a visit to James Madison University Sept. 30 and Towson University Oct. 2.