Kansas’s Andrew Wiggins throws down a dunk versus Eastern Kentucky during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. (Jasen Vinlove – USA Today Sports Images)

(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of NBA Draft Previews, taking a look at a number of prospective draft picks leading up to the NBA Draft June 26.)

Somewhere, Doug Collins weeps.

Collins — the former Philadelphia 76ers head coach, NBA Countdown commentator and lover of all shots midrange — would be disgusted by the direction that the Sixers are headed. And that’s a good thing.

Under Collins in 2012, the team employed an appalling offensive system. The Sixers focused on midrange jump shots and avoided the foul line like it was a post-2009 Adam Sandler movie en route to an NBA record for least free throws attempted in a season.
When Collins resigned before last year, the Sixers organization was in a precarious position. The Andrew Bynum trade had blown up in the team’s face, and it was stuck with a middling roster that virtually guaranteed mediocrity for years to come.

General Manager Sam Hinkie had something to say about that.

In months, Hinkie and the rest of the organization accrued pieces to alter the future of the organization drastically. The Sixers hired former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, a forward-thinking basketball mind with a strong player development background, as head coach. They jettisoned all-star point guard Jrue Holiday and in the process picked up first-round draft pick Nerlens Noel and the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2014 first-round pick.

Other than the specific assets, the Sixers received something arguably more important: a direction. They proceeded to “tank” away the 2013-14 season en route to the third and 10th picks in the 2014 NBA Draft while also developing their young talent, like would-be NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.

In a little under a month, Hinkie will have the choice of any number of incredibly talented athletes with the third pick in the draft. The two talents that have scouts and fans alike waiting on pins and needles are Kansas University’s Andrew Wiggins and Duke University’s Jabari Parker.

Andrew Wiggins doesn’t look like someone who could strike fear into opponents. He’s Canadian. He’s quiet, goofy and has a friendly smile.

When asked about teams tanking for the chance to get him next year, he responded, “That’s risking a lot for one player!”

He’s humble and an unassuming presence in interviews. He’s perfect for the Sixers. More than anything, Wiggins is a freak of nature. He can jump out of the building; he’s incredibly fast and agile and has great body control.

Entering his freshman year at Kansas, he was touted as the best high school recruit since LeBron James. He hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, mostly because of the sheer impossibility of an 18-year-old measuring up to the greatest active basketball player on Earth.

But he has shown that he’s able to defend as well as almost any other player in the country. He’s put on an athletic clinic, making incredible plays on a game-to-game basis the likes of which few players on the planet could make.

That’s not to say he’s one of the best players on the planet; he’s not. He is, however, one of the most incredibly gifted athletes in recent history.

His speed and athleticism make him an elite defender, which is his greatest strength at this point in his career. With Kansas, he was forced to cover the best nonpost player on the opposing team and succeeded in this difficult role. He’s a great shot blocker and shutdown perimeter defender due to his long arms and lateral quickness.
Offensively, Wiggins would best be described as unrefined. He’s got a quick first step and moves as well as any other college prospect, but his dribbling leaves a lot to be desired.

He doesn’t have nearly enough offensive moves and relies on his quickness much more than actual offensive moves to create space. That being said, he’s still very good at creating space for himself in half-court offensive sets and is a dangerous offensive player, shooting 45 percent from the floor in his one season at Kansas.

Wiggins also averaged 7.1 rebounds per game during his freshman year, and his athleticism is a unique tool on the boards. It’s nearly impossible to box him out due to his incredible jumping ability and body control pursuing the ball.

Most importantly, Wiggins is an elite offensive player in transition. His speed, agility and open-court passing ability make him a menace on the fast break. This is particularly important for the Sixers, as their offensive game depends on a fast-paced, transition-heavy mindset, where Wiggins will excel running the court alongside Carter-Williams and Noel.

Duke’s Jabari Parker (white jersey) drives against Mercer University in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. (Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports Images)

Parker, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite. His offensive game is refined and professionally impressive, while his defense leaves a lot to be desired.
On the defensive end, Parker is a liability. Throughout his freshman year at Duke, coach Mike Krzyzewski would pull Parker on the defensive end during close games because his defense couldn’t stand up to the moment.

He’s not actually a horrible defender in terms of fundamentals, but he simply lacks the lateral quickness necessary to keep up with perimeter players, making defense much more difficult for him. However, his big body, standing 6 feet, 8 inches and weighing 235 pounds, allows him to play multiple positions on the next level if he can improve his defensive play.

Offensively, he’s a monster. He’s great at dribbling, can run the fast break and has an incredible spot-up jump shot. He has an arsenal of moves to create space for himself. His size, speed and ability to create space for himself draw comparisons to Paul Pierce, which is good company to hold.

He would fit in very well on the Sixers as a shooting option on a team that desperately needs one, while still very talented on the fast break.

In the draft, Parker presents a much more NBA-ready player than Wiggins. He requires less work on his game to improve and could join a team and make an impact right away.

In terms of limitless potential, however, the Sixers would be hard pressed not to choose Wiggins. He may be more of a project, but he has more of an upside and the dreams of his athleticism next to a healthy Noel and Carter-Williams is enough to keep fans up at night out of pure excitement.

Mark your calendars: the NBA draft is in 27 days, and we can hardly stand the wait.

The post Sixers Draft Preview: Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker appeared first on The Triangle.

Senior attacker Nick Trizano kneels down at the end of the Drexel men’s lacrosse game versus Denver University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Dragons lost, 15-6, to the Pioneers in what would prove to be Trizano’s final game of his collegiate career. (Ken Chaney – The Triangle)

Elite is a funny word.

To sports fans, it’s quite possibly the single most polarizing word one can use. The term is tossed around as if it’s a definitive description of the capabilities of a group of athletes or any athlete in particular.

“Sure, that team’s good, but are they elite?”

The difference between a good and an elite team or athletic program is unquantifiable, but it’s apparent when you see it.

This year the Drexel men’s lacrosse team was elite, even if the final game of the season, a 15-6 loss at the hands of Denver University, shed a different light. Absolute domination by the opposing team in the biggest game of the season hurts. It’s painful and tough to swallow, but it isn’t remotely indicative of this year’s team.

The team that donned the Blue and Gold at Vidas Field this year was so much more than just a Cinderella story that defied its program’s history, going further than any other Drexel Dragons team.

It was a group of athletes who refused to give up and banded together to move this program past a roadblock the likes of which no other elite team in the country was facing coming into this season: being the best team never to make an National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament.

The quarterfinal loss to Denver was a horrible one — at no point did the Dragons actually look comfortable or even very familiar with collegiate lacrosse. They were sloppy with the ball, didn’t win faceoffs and looked as though a high school team could score double digits against their defense.

But that only matters in the short term.

In the long term, the Dragons are now scarier than ever. They’ve managed to transform a program that was always scary but never truly threatening into a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

So don’t look at the year in a negative light because of the horrible Denver loss.

It was a success — one of the most successful seasons a Drexel program has ever embarked upon.

We watched as the team spent the first half of the season middling in the conference before kicking it into high gear to make the dramatic playoff run. We watched as sophomore goalie Will Gabrielsen absolutely dominated to cement his spot as starter, and redshirt freshman Cole Shafer burst onto the scene, making an offensive impact the likes of which few other freshmen in the country could replicate.

We saw the Dragons win nine straight games and make the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, finally shedding the albatross that had shrouded the program for years.

As fans, we saw these ups and downs for what they were: victories, losses, saves and goals.

But this season was so much more than that. It was powerful, it was important, and it means something deeper than just a bunch of statistics.

I’ve spoken to head coach Brian Voelker weekly this season following each game, and though the outcomes of the games varied, his message was always the same. He emphasized his team working hard from week to week, regardless of the results of the prior week. He addressed his defense and offense working together and the importance of teamwork.

For the most part, his words were clinical and strategic, but beyond the simple words I wrote in my articles was an unspoken love. Love for his players, for the team and for the game of lacrosse.

Too often individuals interfere with the cohesiveness of the entire team and disrupt the development of the love that only occurs among teams and programs that are really special. Voelker’s team this year was special, and making it special was the first step in a direction toward a future filled with playoff games for the Dragons.

Repeatedly, the team’s unwillingness to give up on each other and throw in the towel shined through, particularly in the playoffs.
Teams like that are few and far between, and that’s why I think that, even without the incredible talents of departing seniors Ben McIntosh, Nick Trizano, Matt Dusek and many more, the Dragons are still in good hands for years to come.

The Drexel program is now in the hands of players like Nick Saputo, Shafer and Gabrielsen, all under the tutelage of Voelker and his assistant coaches.

So yes, the team didn’t play at an elite level in their Elite 8 matchup against Denver, but that shouldn’t change your opinions about the team.

Watching any other game this season would show you what this team truly is: a hardworking, dedicated group of students all absolutely in love with the sport they play. That should serve as an inspiration to anyone pursuing any goal. That level of passion rarely manifests itself, but when it does, it’s an incredible thing to behold.

And that’s why this team was successful. They had one of the best players in the country in McIntosh. They had an incredible faceoff specialist in Saputo. They had a strong defense led by Dusek and Gabrielsen. They had all of that and more, but that isn’t what makes a team elite. You have to have heart, passion, and a love for each other and the game.

And that’s something that remains, even as players cycle in and out of the system: a culture of love, hard work and passion pervading the locker room, sidelines and field. I consider myself lucky to have witnessed it firsthand.

The post Tough loss doesn’t define men’s lacrosse team appeared first on The Triangle.

The Drexel men’s lacrosse team won its first NCAA Tournament game in program history at Franklin Field Sunday afternoon in a 16-11 victory over the University of Pennsylvania. (Ken Chaney – The Triangle)

Watch out, Denver — the Dragons are officially a force to be reckoned with.
In front of a divided crowd of nearly 3,000 people, Drexel simply shut down the Ivy League champion and fourth-seeded University of Pennsylvania 16-11 May 11 at Franklin Field.

The Dragons started the game out sloppily — as teams coming off emotional victories tend to do — giving up two quick goals to go down 2-0 fewer than three minutes into the game.

Four minutes later, sophomore midfielder Hank Brown scored his second goal of the season to break the ice and put the Dragons on the board. Getting contributions from unusual sources would become a theme of sorts for the Dragons in this game.

From Brown’s goal until the end of the quarter, the Dragons and Quakers alternated goals, culminating in a Nick Saputo goal with 1.6 seconds remaining in the period to bring the game to a 4-3 Penn lead heading into the second.

The Quakers looked incredible, almost unbeatable, in the first half as they dominated possession and moved the ball with a calculated precision, leaving the Dragon defense unable to establish any kind of offensive rhythm.

Sophomore goaltender Will Gabrielsen emerged as the stabilizer for the Dragons in the first half. While the Penn offense was seemingly unstoppable in the Drexel zone and Penn goaltender Brian Feeney was having the half of his life, Gabrielsen was the reason the game didn’t get out of hand in a hurry.

With nine minutes remaining in the half, Chris Hilburn buried an unassisted goal for Penn to put the Quakers up 5-3 before a response by Drexel senior attacker Nick Trizano brought the game back within one for the Dragons.

The next five minutes were a defensive bout, as both teams possessed back and forth but were unable to score. With 1:16 remaining, a turnover on a man-up opportunity for Drexel allowed Penn’s Alex Blonsky to score a shorthanded goal to give Penn a two-goal lead.

At this point, the Penn fans couldn’t be contained, cheering a strong first-half performance by their team.

As it turns out, they may have been a bit too eager.

With 17 seconds remaining in the first half, sophomore Jules Raucci netted a rocket of a goal, setting up quite possibly the most incredible 11 seconds in Drexel men’s lacrosse history.

On the ensuing faceoff, specialist Saputo quickly won possession from Penn’s Danny Feeney. After about 20 feet of full-on sprinting down the middle of the field, Saputo did the improbable and ripped a shot from 20 feet out, bouncing it in to tie the game at 6-6 with 12 seconds remaining in the half.

The Dragons would have been happy going into half on that note, as they were simply outplayed for most of the first half, according to head coach Brian Voelker.
“To be honest, Penn totally outplayed us in the first half,” Voelker said. “I was thinking it would be good to go into halftime only down one until Nick [Saputo] really turned things around for us.”

But Saputo wasn’t done turning things around with 12 seconds left.

Just a mere six seconds later, Saputo scored in virtually the same exact way, giving the Dragons their third goal in 11 seconds of play, as well as notching his third goal of the game.

Nick Saputo, right, follows through on the first his back-to-back goals at the end of the first half Sunday. Saputo scored three goals in the first half, including two in less than ten seconds. (Ken Chaney – The Triangle)

To put that in perspective, the Dragons scored three goals in 11 seconds after managing just four in the first 1,789 seconds.

That outburst, led by Saputo scoring the same amount of goals in a half against Penn as he had all season, would essentially end the Quakers, even though there was still the entire second half to be played.

Those three goals were the beginning of a 7-0 Dragon run, which ended with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter and Drexel leading 11-7.

Leading in the fourth quarter seemed kind of foreign to the Dragons, who won their last two games in heroic comeback fashion, but they showed that they can dominate regardless of whether they’re leading or trailing late in games.

They came out in the fourth and put up a 3-0 run in the first five minutes of the period to extend their lead to seven goals and seal the victory.

Notably, senior attacker Ben McIntosh scored his first two goals of the game during this run. Up until this point in the game, McIntosh hadn’t even scored and the Dragons still had a four-goal lead.

In terms of future postseason success, this is incredibly important, as having depth and a multitude of scoring options makes effective defense virtually impossible.
“We’ve said it all year: We’ve got so many offensive weapons that they can’t just cover myself, or Nick [Trizano], or [Ryan] Belka, or Cole [Shafer],” McIntosh said after the game. “If one of us isn’t having a good day, we need other guys to step up. Like today, we had Jules [Raucci] and Saputo step up and score multiple goals — it makes us very tough to defend.”

In the playoffs, that’s especially important. Teams game plan harder than ever against specific players.

But the Dragons have so many weapons that cutting one player out won’t even slightly dampen their output; it will leave other players open for opportunities, as they showed Sunday.

On Sunday, the real hero was Saputo. Sometimes an unsung hero, doing the dirty work that is facing off against the opponents’ faceoff specialists, Saputo has become the heart of this team.

Possession is at a premium in lacrosse, and Saputo has shown a unique ability to win faceoffs and give his team the opportunity to win games. Throughout the streak, Saputo has been one of the best in the country at this somewhat underrated aspect of the game and consistently comes up with big victories in crucial moments.
In Sunday’s game, Saputo won 21 of 31 faceoffs, which proved to be a major difference between the two Philly rivals.

When asked about his performance in the game and the upcoming game against the University of Denver, Saputo gave a coy smile and spoke one sentence:
“Things were clicking today, and hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

Short and sweet — just like the possessions leading to his goals.

The Dragons will look to keep it rolling May 18 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament against Denver at the University of Delaware.

The post Saputo leads Dragons over Penn in first NCAA game appeared first on The Triangle.

Photo Credit: Miranda Shroyer

On July 20, 1969, mankind took its first step on the moon.

On May 3, 2014, that became the second-most important “first”in history.

The Drexel Dragons men’s lacrosse team is on its way to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament berth in their otherwise storied history after topping Colonial Athletic Association rival Hofstra University, 11-10, in a phenomenal triple overtime CAA Championship game.

The game started as an overwhelmingly defensive battle, with both groups exchanging trips into the opposing team’s zone, only to turn the ball over or otherwise lose possession. The trend continued for almost 10 minutes to start the game, and frustration seemed to be brewing among the offenses.

With six minutes remaining in the first, Hofstra’s Torin Varn ended the drought with an impressive goal, kickstarting what would be an impressive game from Varn, to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

Soon thereafter, back-to-back goals byfreshman Cole Shafer and senior Nick Trizano would give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Another Hofstra goal in the waning moments of the first quarter brought the game to a 2-2 draw at the first break.

The second quarter featured equally tight defense as Drexel netted two more goals, one each from Trizano and Shafer, while Hofstra’s Drew Coholan scored their lone goal in the period, assisted by Varn, allowing the Dragons to take a slim 4-3 lead into halftime.

The seven combined goals scored in the first half were the fewest the team had experienced since a 9-7 win March 29 at the University of Delaware.

Then, as was the story in the team’s semifinal game against Towson University, the third quarter almost spelled their downfall.

An incredible over-the-shoulder goal from Shafer extended the Dragons’lead to 5-3 to start the quarter, but that was the final positive point of the quarter for the team.

Hofstra exploded from that point, scoring five straight goals over the next eight minutes of play, leaving the Dragons looking confused and disoriented. The Pride’s Varn scored three straight goals during the run, upping his total to four for the game, and Hofstra exited the third quarter leading 8-5.

Throughout the Hofstra run in the third, the Dragons seemed unable to put together any strong possessions and trailed by three goals with 15 minutes to save their season. For most teams, this would be too much to overcome, and they would crumble under the pressure of a daunting comeback.

This Dragons team isn’t most teams.

Head coach Brian Voelker knew as much when he talked to his men before the final frame of regulation.

“I knew that they were a resilient group, as they’d shown all year,”Voelker said. “I didn’t try to give them too much to think about; I just wanted them to focus on getting back to the basics and playing lacrosse like I knew they could. They’re all great players, and just needed to focus on that.”

To start the fourth, the Dragons came in with a vengeance and, within a minute, junior Ryan Belka scored a goal to slice the deficit to two goals. Newly-minted CAA Player of the Year and Tewaaraton Trophy candidate senior Ben McIntosh scored another Dragon goal six minutes later to cut the deficit to one.

The Dragons were rolling, but they hit a bump on the comeback trail. What was an 8-7 game soon became a 10-7 Pride lead with five minutes remaining following unassisted goals by Hofstra’s Lance Yapor and Mike Malave.

That three-goal lead, however, lasted all of 23 seconds.

An enormously important goal by Shafer assisted by McIntosh brought the momentum back to Drexel’s side with 4:37 to play.

A goal from Trizano—his third of the game — a little over a minute later brought the fans and the sideline back into it, and suddenly the Dragons only trailed by one, 10-9, with three minutes remaining.

Thirty seconds later, the Dragons had once again done it.

Belka, who scored the game winner in double overtime against Towson University in the semifinals, rifled an unassisted bullet to tie the game at 10 with 2:45 to play.

The Dragons had closed a seemingly insurmountable deficit and were sending the game to overtime for the second straight game, looking for their eighth straight win and first-ever NCAA berth.

The first two overtimes passed like a blur, with both teams having chances but eventually being thwarted by the opponents’stalwart defenses. Notably, sophomore Will Gabrielsen had multiple huge saves in the extra time periods to save the season.

Then, in the third overtime, the moment came.

The Dragons possessed the ball with around four minutes remaining in the period, passing it around as Hofstra frantically looked for a turnover. With 3:17 remaining, sophomore Jules Raucci found an open Shafer, who launched a rocket from the left wing past Hofstra goaltender Chris Selva.

The gloves came off, the sticks flew in the air and it was finally a sealed deal —the freshman sensation Shafer had sent the Dragons to their first NCAA Tournament ever and sent this team officially into the depths of our hearts.

Sunday, May 4, the Dragons watched the selection show on ESPNU and waited for their first round matchup to be announced. It’s a match made in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Dragons will face the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin FieldMay 11 at 3 p.m. in a battle for West Philadelphia supremacy in what is essentially a home game for the Quakers.

When asked about the importance of home field play, Voelker focused on the positives, but noted that some negatives come with it.

“We’d love to have the guys experience some new things and stay in a hotel and be fully immersed,”Voelker said.“But it’s definitely more positive than not. We’re extremely excited to have the students and alumni and parents [come] out to support us. It’s extremely important.”

The Quakers will be a tough challenge for the Dragons, coming in ranked fourth overall after winning the Ivy League title.

But this team has shown an inability to let their opponent phase them and a determination to win by any means necessary.

Sunday they will try to do it one more time.

The post MEN’S LACROSSE GOING DANCING appeared first on The Triangle.

The men’s lacrosse team celebrates scoring a goal against Robert Morris University March 1. The Dragons won that game, 18-12, and have won seven of their last nine since that afternoon to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The team concludes the regular season April 25 at High Point University.

This postseason, the Dragons are coming home.

The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team dominated Colonial Athletic Association rival Towson University April 19 en route to a 13-7 victory to lock up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming CAA tournament.

Drexel started the game out strong, controlling possession for the first five minutes, but was unable to get on the board and a quick goal by Towson’s Justin Mabus gave the Tigers a one-goal lead with 12 minutes remaining in the period.

From that point on, the game was completely one-sided. The Dragons scored three quick goals, two by freshman attacker Cole Shafer, and took a two-goal lead with eight minutes remaining in the first period. A goal by Towson was quickly followed by another Shafer marker, giving him a hat trick in just one period of play.

The second period was fairly uneventful, yielding only three goals.

The Dragons went into the half leading 5-4 and truly began to breathe fire.

They came out of the locker room raring to go and crushed the Tigers in every facet of the game. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Dragons outscored the Tigers 4-0 with yet another goal by Shafer, bringing his tally to four goals for the game. Before the end of the third period Shafer would net yet another, his 25th of the season, joining senior attacker Nick Trizano and senior midfielder Ben McIntosh as the third Dragon this season to reach that mark.

The Dragons entered the final quarter leading 10-5 and proceeded to outscore Towson 3-2 in the final period to cement a victory that clinched the No. 2 seed in the CAA tournament.

The performance of freshman Cole Shafer was undeniably a deciding factor of this game. During the Dragons’recent winning streak, Shafer had only managed to net two goals in four games, far off the pace set by the 18 he scored in the first eight games of the season.

“Cole is a big piece and played very well in the Towson game, but the important part is just getting everyone playing in the flow of the offense and working hard,”head coach Brian Voelker said.

Shafer’s offensive abilities were invaluable for the team in the beginning of the season when the offense wasn’t fully cohesive. Now that the team has finally managed to bring all the pieces together, bringing Shafer into that will be an incredible asset. With Shafer on board, the Dragons have serious offensive depth— six players with double-digit points this year—which bodes well for the postseason.

That offensive depth will be especially important in the postseason if the Dragons end up facing off against Hofstra University, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, in the final game. Hofstra is the only CAA team to have defeated the Dragons this year, and they did it with a mostly defensive effort. With the Dragons’offense playing at this level, that performance likely will not be repeated.

Trizano has also come into his own as the year has progressed. During the five-game winning streak, Trizano scored 14 goals, including four games of three or more goals. He’s demanding the ball on offense and converting on most of his attempts.

Players like Trizano and McIntosh not only score goals but also foster offense through their extraordinary passing abilities and the way the defense knows they have to account for their offensive output on every possession. The opposing teams’defenses pressure them too hard, leading to holes that allow other players, like Shafer, to capitalize.

Sophomore goaltender Will Gabrielsen has officially cemented himself as a goal-stopping force. He ranks 19th among qualifying goalies in saves per game, a ranking that tops all other goalies in the CAA.

The Dragons have historically always been a great offensive team, but their defensive and goalie flaws have let them down, ultimately causing their downfall. This season, the defense and goalie play have been consistently above average and have allowed them to win games and hold the game together when the offense goes through streaks of stagnancy. This bodes extremely well for Drexel’s chances to win the CAA Championship and finally make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Halfway through this season, it seemed unlikely that the Dragons would be in this position. Coming off a home loss to Hofstra a little over a month ago, they sat at 4-4 with a 0-1 in conference record, a mark that left them middling in the CAA.

The Dragons are now 4-1 in conference and are poised to do some serious damage during the postseason. They have clinched the second spot in the conference, which means the team will return to Vidas FieldApril 30, hoping to punch its ticket to the CAA finals.

With the second spot locked up, the team could take next week as an opportunity to rest the players, but Voelker doesn’t believe in that philosophy and keeps the season in perspective.

“We plan to go into the game like it’s a regular game,”he said. “We’re going to play like we need it. It’s not only about the CAA; we have a long shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and that’s only possible with a win Friday night.

“We want to keep our run going and ride momentum into the playoffs, and a win will keep us rolling.”

The Dragons play next at High Point University April 25.

The post Men’s lacrosse seals No. 2 seed appeared first on The Triangle.

Junior midfielder Nick Saputo, No. 16, possesses the ball earlier this season in an 18-12 victory over Robert Morris University March 1. Saputo and the Dragons have won four straight after Saturday’s 13-9 victory over University of Massachusetts. (Miranda Shroyer)

In the 2011 season, the Drexel University men’s lacrosse team fell short of a berth in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

In 2012, the Dragons made it to the finals of the CAA tournament before falling to the University of Massachusetts.

In last year’s campaign, the team once again made the CAA tournament, only to fall to Towson University in the semifinals.

The players present for all three of those crusades include seniors Ben McIntosh, Nick Trizano, Jared Boudreau, Matt Dusek and Mitch de Snoo, and they couldn’t be hungrier for a chance to improve on their already storied past with the Drexel program.

On April 12, their Senior Day, they made that hunger evident, topping CAA rival No. 14 UMass 13-9.

But the stakes were actually larger than simply clinching a spot in the CAA tournament. Senior Day is traditionally the last game that the seniors will play on their home field, but the team desperately wanted to make sure that wasn’t the case this year. The Dragons entered the game just one game back from the No. 1 seed in the CAA tournament, a position that guarantees a home playoff game.

A win against UMass would keep them in the race for the top seed, while a loss would ruin their chances.

Sports, by nature, present reciprocity between athletes and spectators that motivates both to give their all. Athletes thrive off the energy provided by their supporters, while pride and enthusiasm inspire fans to show up in droves and support their team wholeheartedly.

With a loss in the game against UMass, they wouldn’t be eliminated from playoff contention. On the contrary, they still would have a very good chance to make it. The ultimate prize at stake was giving the seniors the chance to play at least one more time at home.

And the team—specifically the seniors— played like they had everything to lose.

Drexel came out in the first quarter and put up a 5-3 lead, including three goals in a key two-minute stretch, one each from sophomore Jules Raucci, freshman Joseph Rainoldi and freshman Cole Shafer.

But the Minutemen came out shooting in the second quarter and quickly brought the game to a draw with 11 minutes remaining in the half.

Unsurprisingly, the Dragons responded with a strong effort from their seniors.

Following a faceoff, the Dragons controlled the ball for the entire next minute before McIntosh buried a shot in the back of the net. Later in the quarter, a forced turnover by the defensive captain, Dusek, led to a transition goal by junior Ryan Belka to extend the lead to two. A minute later, a penalty against Kyle Karaska of UMass gave the Dragons a man-up opportunity that was quickly capitalized on by Trizano.

An unfortunate turnover by Shafer allowed UMass to score with fewer than 30 seconds remaining in the half to cut the gap to two, but the Dragons went into the locker room with their heads held high.

The third quarter, however, swung heavily in favor of the Minutemen. A quick goal by UMass cut the lead to one and it looked as though they might be able to overtake the home team. But the Drexel defense, led by Dusek and sophomore goaltender Will Gabrielsen, contained the onslaught by the UMass offense and managed to hold the scoring to a single goal for the entire quarter.

The main issue with the third quarter was offensive sloppiness on the Dragons’side. Rampant turnovers and an inability to maintain possession allowed UMass to claw their way back into the game.

The Dragons promptly squashed these problems in the fourth quarter.

They controlled the game for the entire fourth quarter and outscored UMass 5-2 en route to a 13-9 victory. They were aggressive, careful with the ball, caused turnovers and disrupted the game plan of the Minutemen, dominating the entire final quarter.

Essentially, the Dragons played how a playoff team plays: calm, resilient and strong.

That style of play and mental fortitude doesn’t just happen. It comes from the coaching staff and the seniors pushing everyone to stay focused and get better each day. When asked about the seniors and the importance of getting them one more home game, head coach Brian Voelker noted that it was a focal point for the team.

“We preached all week that we don’t want this to be the seniors’ last game on this field,”Voelker said. “The only way to do that was to win this one. These seniors have been with me all four years, and they’re a really special group.”

On April 12, they played like a special group. The defense was swarming, the goalie play was spectacular and, most importantly, they refused to give up when things went poorly.

After the game, an exhilarated McIntosh commented on his feelings on the course of the team, his time at Drexel and Voelker in particular.

“This senior class is incredible,”the senior said. “We have a lot of great leadership on this team and some great guys causing our success and we’re getting hot at the right time, which is really what matters. I’m excited to see if we can keep it rolling.

McIntosh continued, “We want to be the first team to make the [National Collegiate Athletic Association] Tournament and get Drexel on the map and show what we can do. Coach Voelker is great, he can be calm at times, he can be firm at times, but he’s great, and he’s the real leader of this team. He’s got a lot of respect from his players, and that’s a big compliment.”

This senior class has given their all for four years under Voelker, and they are as poised as they’ve ever been to make a run deep into the postseason. They stand at 8-4 overall, good for second place in the conference.

The Dragons play at CAA rival Towson April 19.

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No. 31 Markel Nelson, a freshman defenseman, looks down field versus Robert Morris. Nelson and the men’s lacrosse team won an awe-inspiring triple overtime game against Penn State University April 5. (Miranda Shoyer)

In sports, the emotional toll of a close outcome is remarkable. It’s difficult to quantify and describe, yet the sinking feeling of a close loss or relieved elation of a last-second victory is familiar to anyone involved in sports.

That relieved elation flew freely in the air at Vidas Field April 5, when the Drexel men’s lacrosse team conquered the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions 13-12 in an exhausting triple-overtime thriller.

Senior midfielder Ben McIntosh started the scoring with a goal two minutes into the game and then responded to a goal by Penn State’s Dan Craig with two more of his own in the first quarter, which ended deadlocked at 3-3.

Then the Nittany Lions bared their teeth.

From the four-minute mark in the half until the buzzer mercifully sounded to indicate halftime, Penn State scored five goals to transform a 7-4 Drexel lead to a 9-7 deficit for the Dragons.

Redshirt freshman attacker Cole Shafer put the Dragons on the board to start the second half — his first points in three games — and Drexel began to regain the composure it lost at the end of the first half. The Dragons scored three quick goals to take a one-goal lead before allowing Penn State to score two goals, ending the third quarter trailing 11-10.

Junior midfielder Ryan Belka scored early in the fourth quarter to bring the game to a draw before Penn State’s Pat Manley drilled one home past Drexel goalie Will Gabrielsen, giving the visitors a one-goal lead.

The next eight minutes of gameplay were tense. Drexel fans watched as their favorite team fired shot after shot but seemed unable to tie the game up. As time wound down, the Dragons had the ball in the Penn State zone. McIntosh received the ball in scoring position and was finally able to satiate the fans’ requests for one more goal to even the game at 12-12 and send it into overtime.

Two minutes into the first overtime period, Drexel sophomore Jules Raucci almost snagged his one shining moment. His shot managed to make it past the Penn State defense before unluckily hitting the post, a solid scoring chance deflected away.

The game continued on, mostly dominated by Drexel, but the Dragons remained unable to capitalize on their chances.

With less than a minute remaining in the third overtime, Drexel junior attacker Mitch De Snoo picked up a ground ball in the offensive zone, charged toward the Penn State goal, and buried his shot in the back of the net to give the Dragons the 13-12 victory.

The stakes in the game were as high as they’ve been for both teams this season, with Penn State’s Colonial Athletic Association Tournament hopes in jeopardy coming into the game with a 4-5 season record and a 0-1 CAA record. On the flip side, the win against Penn State bolstered the Dragons’ claim to a spot in the conference tournament and possibly even an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

During head coach Brian Voelker’s four years with Drexel, the team is 37-23 overall and has made the CAA Tournament twice in the last three years. Two seasons ago the Dragons made it to the final game of the tournament, only to fall to a very good University of Massachusetts team and miss an opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament.

The Dragons have been close to finally making their way to the “Big Dance” during Voelker’s tenure only to finish each year disappointed.

A player particularly familiar with the team’s late-season losses is senior Ben McIntosh, who has spent his entire collegiate career under Voelker. He has blossomed into a force on the field, and it’s undeniable that more than anything, he wants a chance to showcase his talents on the biggest stage available.

This entire season, he’s shown the ability not only to be a leader to the team on a personal level but also to take the reins on offense and cause the Dragons’ opponents fits. In the game against Penn State, all of his talents were on display. He made crisp passes leading to opportunities for his teammates but also buried almost every chance he got. He finished the game with five goals on nine shots and three assists.

Last week, Shafer’s struggles seemed like a problem that could severely hinder the Dragons’ hopes of success in the postseason. But if McIntosh keeps playing at this level, the team could start former Philadelphia 76er Evan Turner at attacker and still compete with any team in the country.

When asked about the impact of the seniors on the team and their goals for the season, Voelker sounded confident in his fourth-year players.

“Our goal this year is to make the NCAA Tournament,” Voelker said. “It’s our goal every year, and we want to be the first to do it in Drexel’s history. Where we are, even having a chance at it, is a credit to the seniors. [McIntosh] and Jason [Klunder] have been great leaders, making sure everyone stays motivated and works hard and overall makes a positive impact on the program. We really want to make this year special.”

The victory Saturday brought the team’s record to 7-4, 2-1 in the CAA, good to leave them tied for second place in the conference.

The next two weeks bring them up against important in-conference competition in UMass and Towson University. A win in either of these games puts the team in a great position to make the CAA Tournament.

The Dragons play next against UMass April 12 at 4 p.m. at Vidas Field.

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Freshman midfielder Nick Valentino rushes down field in the team’s season opener Feb. 16 versus Virginia. Valentino has notched three goals this season.

The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team traveled to Saint Joseph’s University March 25 and took down the Hawks 14-10 in the swirling snow before taking down the University of Delaware 9-7 four days later.

The Dragons came out hot, moved the ball well and got out to an early two-goal lead following goals by senior attacker Nick Trizano and senior midfielder Ben McIntosh. St. Joe’s responded on a man-up opportunity with a goal from Michael Rastivo and then added two more over the next five minutes to go up 3-2.

A minute later, a man-up opportunity for the Dragons allowed Trizano to notch his second goal of the game. Another goal by McIntosh near the end of the quarter gave the Dragons a 4-3 lead heading into the second period.

In the second, the Dragons unleashed the full potential of their offense.

In certain games, like their March 4 game against St. John’s University, the Dragons have reached another level of offensive productivity that makes them virtually unbeatable. Against the Hawks, the Dragons did just that, scoring seven goals in the second period to one from St. Joe’s to pull out to an 11-4 lead at the half.

The rest of the game was decidedly less one-sided, but the seven-goal advantage from the first half proved to be too much for the Hawks to overcome. The Dragons’ lead shrank to 12-10 with four minutes remaining in the game, but a goal from junior midfielder Ryan Belka with 3:14 remaining squashed the hopes of a St. Joe’s comeback.

All season long Drexel’s goalie situation has been somewhat in question, with two seemingly competent goalies competing for a single spot. Once again, sophomore goalie Will Gabrielsen showed early that he deserved to be the guy, and head coach Brian Voelker rewarded him. Gabrielsen played the entire game, only allowing 10 goals with seven saves in the victory.

Redshirt freshman attacker Cole Shafer had an unremarkable performance — going scoreless, committing four turnovers and only taking three shots. As a freshman games like this are to be expected and, frankly, his performance so far this year has been outstanding. Going forward, however, the Dragons will need more from the kid from Canada.

The Dragons traveled to the University of Delaware March 29 to take on the Colonial Athletic Association rival Blue Hens in an attempt to raise their conference record to 1-1 after losing to Hofstra University March 22.

The first quarter was relatively uneventful, with goals by Drexel’s Belka and Delaware’s Beau Jones leaving the game tied 1-1 at the end of the first. Both teams seemed primed to play a defensive game throughout the first quarter, but that quickly changed in the second.

The next 20 minutes of gameplay were dominated by the Dragons[SMC1]  [BM2] offense, much like in their game against St. Joe’s. They scored four goals in the second quarter and two to start the third while only allowing a single goal to the Hens, building a 7-2 lead. Though Delaware mounted a minor comeback throughout the remainder of the game, the Dragons held on to win the game 9-7.

The trends from the St. Joe’s game continued into this one, with Gabrielsen once again earning himself a full game of play in the goal, allowing only seven goals and making 12 saves. Shafer had a similar game to the St. Joe’s game, with only three shots on goal and no goals.

Voelker said Shafer has been unlucky with illness and a minor injury, which is good news for Dragons fans because it means it should be just a short-term setback.

This victory was particularly important to the Dragons. Not only was it a major midseason game against a good opponent in Delaware, but it also has implications for seeding in the CAA Tournament. With the victory, the Dragons moved to fourth in the conference, only a game from moving up in the standings. They also managed to improve their in-conference record to 1-1.

The CAA Tournament begins in about a month, and now is the time for the Dragons to begin making their run. Ideally, they’ll go into the tournament on a hot streak and have a chance to lock up the No. 1 seed with some crucial wins over the next few weeks.

The team will finish the season playing against mainly CAA competition. The Dragons have a good chance to defeat an underperforming Pennsylvania State University team and could easily win against the University of Massachusetts and Towson University in the following weeks if they keep playing strong. They play High Point University in their regular-season finale and could finish 10-4 with a victory in that game.

An undefeated rest of the season is not likely, but the team could easily pull off a 3-1 record in these games. With that, the Dragons would finish the season 9-5 overall with a 4-1 or 3-2 record in CAA play. That seems like it would be adequate not only to make the CAA Tournament but also to earn one of the top two seeds, putting the team in a good position to win the whole thing and make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Voelker said he’s optimistic about the team’s CAA chances but knows that the team needs to keep working hard to avoid a letdown.

“We need to win the next couple games to get into the tournament,” he said. “We know that it’s going to be tough against teams like Penn State. Although they’ve been having a bad season, they’re a very scary team, and we need to stay focused to win some games to finish the year strong.”

The Dragons will attempt to continue their winning streak April 5 at home against CAA rival Penn State at Vidas Field.

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Photo Credit: Miranda Shroyer

The Drexel men’s lacrosse team fell in a big way to the Bryant University Bulldogs in the sixth game of the Dragons’ season March 8, losing 12-6. With the loss, the team fell to 3-3 overall.

Drexel entered the game on a hot streak following big victories against Robert Morris University and St. John’s University in the week prior, but the streak came to a screeching halt in large part because of a lopsided third quarter, when Bryant pulled away for good.

The Dragons came out of the gates looking shaky and were immediately unable to find momentum on offense. They quickly fell behind 3-0 and it took the team over 10 minutes to get its first goal, which came from senior attacker Nick Trizano on a man-up opportunity.

The second quarter was much more productive for the Dragons and their powerful offense. On Drexel’s second man-up opportunity of the game, senior midfielder Ben McIntosh netted a goal with an assist from redshirt freshman attacker Cole Shafer to start the quarter. Despite two goals from Bryant in the quarter, the tide of the game seemed to be shifting. The Dragons were possessing the ball more and getting more opportunities, and they were able to score four goals in the quarter to go into halftime tied 5-5.

Again, sophomore goalie Will Gabrielsen played very well in the first half of the game, earning him the right to play the remainder of the contest. He had seven saves in the first half, while only allowing five goals. He most likely will continue to be the go-to guy for head coach Brian Voelker if he keeps playing so strongly.

The second half started with a Bryant goal to put them up by one. McIntosh quickly responded to bring the game back to even but from there it was all downhill for Drexel.

Bryant ended the game on a 6-0 run that lasted the final 22 minutes of the game. The Dragons couldn’t possess the ball, allowing Bryant to take 20 shots in the second half while they only managed to get 12 shots of their own.

The third quarter was the biggest problem in this game, where the Dragons were outscored 5-1. What was the most staggering statistic of that third quarter? That Gabrielsen made five saves in the quarter and Bryant still managed to net five goals.

The one-sidedness of the half is something this Drexel team is unfamiliar with in the early portion of this season. Most of their contests have been competitive, but this one simply got away from them.

McIntosh was a bright spot on offense, as he netted three goals and added an assist, taking 11 shots total. Trizano also managed to score two goals, but otherwise the team was lacking offensively. Shafer in particular had a quiet game, only assisting on a single goal and being held without a goal. Coming into the game, he was averaging over three goals and two assists per game. This was mostly a result of a strong defensive effort by the Bulldogs, holding him to only five shots, his second-lowest shot count of the season.

This game was obviously troublesome for the Dragons, a team that depends on its offense to succeed. When the offense performs this poorly, the pressure gets placed on the other side of the ball, which has been the weak spot for the Dragons over the past few years. Voelker said that a major problem in the game was the effort the team put forth.

“They just played harder than us all around,” he said. “We were sloppy with the ball, took bad shots that ruined times where we had some opportunities. We had a lot of chances that were ruined by bad passing and poorly placed shots.”

Nick Saputo did his best to give the Dragons the ball as often as possible, winning 14 of the possible 22 faceoffs in the game and continuing his run as one of the best faceoff winners in the country. In fact, Saputo came into this game ranked 14th in the country in faceoff win percentage with just over a 60 percent success rate, he now sits at sixth with a 64 percent mark.

On the Bryant side, freshman attacker Tucker James had a huge role in the Bulldogs’ victory, scoring four goals on six shots, while adding two assists and four groundballs to pad the lead. Coming into the game, he had only scored three goals on the season but used this game as a coming out party, of sorts.

A main factor in Drexel’s struggles on offense was Bryant’s defense stopping the Dragons from moving the ball around the net. This caused the offense to be less based on ball movement and more based on individual effort, mostly coming from McIntosh.

McIntosh is a great player, but it is difficult to win any game when the opposing team stops ball movement that leads to high percentage shots. The Dragons got their shots off, shooting 38 times in the game, but they weren’t high percentage chances, which meant they were either easy to save or simply missed the net completely.

Voelker plans to go into the break between games encouraging hard work, allowing players to earn their spots on the team.

“There are some players that haven’t been playing very hard out there, and this week is a try-out week where someone new can earn a spot on the team,” Voelker said.

The Dragons hope to rebound from the loss when they travel to Mount St. Mary’s University March 15.

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Redshirt freshman Cole Shafer has made an immediate impact on the field for Drexel. The attacker leads the team with 14 total points in three games so far this season.

The Drexel men’s lacrosse team topped University at Albany, State University of New York, the No. 11 team in the country, Feb. 22 on the road.

The Dragons started off extremely well, with goals by senior attacker Nick Trizano and junior midfielder Ryan Belka to put them up 2-0. Albany’s seventh-ranked offense couldn’t be contained for long, as Ty Thompson and Riley Lasda scored two quick goals to end the first quarter tied 2-2. The second quarter followed suit, with the Dragons and Great Danes exchanging goals to the tune of a 3-3 score in the quarter and a 5-5 draw at halftime.

Unlike the game against University of Virginia, the Dragons came out of the locker room firing, with two goals from senior midfielder Ben McIntosh and an additional score by sophomore Jules Raucci to take a three-goal lead.

But the Great Danes kept responding, ending the quarter with a 4-0 run over an eight minute stretch to recapture the lead and take a one-goal advantage into the final period. After an additional goal from Albany midfielder Tim Cox stretched the lead to two goals, the game appeared to be virtually out of reach at 10-8.

The momentum shifted, however, on a penalty against Albany’s John Maloney. Senior attacker Jared Boudreau was quick to capitalize with an assist from redshirt freshman attacker Cole Shafer.

From that moment until about two minutes remained in the game the Dragons overpowered Albany, scoring five of the last seven goals of the game. But with two minutes remaining, Albany tried to fight back. The Danes scored with 1:45 left in the game to draw within one, turning the pressure back up.

Albany fired furiously, but every shot was turned away by the impressive goalie play of sophomore Will Gabrielsen. Though his play has sometimes been turbulent during his time starting for the Dragons, he came up huge in the biggest moments of this game against a top-flight offense.

Though head coach Brian Voelker had intended to play both Gabrielsen and Cal Winkelman for half of the game, that plan changed when he saw Gabrielsen’s play in the first half of the game.

“We planned to have the same rotation as the Virginia game, but Gabrielsen was playing so well in the first half that I couldn’t bring him out,” he said, before disclosing that he planned to reinstate the rotation system against Villanova University.

McIntosh himself had a huge game, scoring four goals on nine shots and also collecting four ground balls. Most importantly, McIntosh came through when it mattered the most, scoring goals with five and two minutes remaining in the final quarter. Additionally, Shafer might have only scored one goal in the game, but he came up huge otherwise with five assists, including one on a McIntosh goal late in the game.

In their next game Feb. 25, the Dragons suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss at the hands of the Villanova University Wildcats, 11-10.

The team once again started out strong, jumping out to a 3-0 lead following a goal from sophomore Frank Fusco with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. Villanova responded shortly thereafter, reeling off three goals of its own and tying the game with two minutes left to play in the quarter. But Raucci and Shafer scored two goals in quick succession to end the quarter, giving Drexel a 5-3 lead.

The second quarter was a tightly contested one with offense at a premium, as the entire quarter only netted one goal for either team: a Kevin O’Neil goal for Villanova to cut the lead to one.

Midway through the game it was clear Gabrielsen was once again playing marvelously in net, which earned him his place in the lineup for the remainder of the game. It seems that if Gabrielsen keeps playing at such a high level, he might earn himself a full-time job at a position that the Dragons have been searching for consistency in for years.

The third quarter started well, with a goal from Belka to put the team up by two before Kevin O’Neil tied the game up with two quick goals of his own. A man-up opportunity following a penalty on Villanova’s Christian Kolderup allowed sophomore midfielder Jordan Cunningham to put the Dragons up by one goal. Villanova went on to tie the game again, but Belka scored a goal for the Dragons with 39 seconds remaining in the quarter to put the Dragons on top by one.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats tied the game up at 8-8 on a goal by Austin Frederick. McIntosh once again came up huge, scoring two goals to give the Dragons a two-goal advantage with 7:38 to play. But the end of the game once again proved problematic as they allowed two goals, tying the game at 10 and sending the contest into overtime.

The Dragons played well and got their own chances in the overtime, but Villanova’s defense stopped them from scoring, and a goal by Austin Frederick with 54 seconds remaining in the overtime gave Villanova the victory.

This loss should almost certainly be taken with a grain of salt, as the Dragons were playing their second game in three days and Villanova had a nine-day break since its last competition. This type of rest is key in tightly-contested games and particularly in games that extend into overtime.

The Dragons are now 1-2, with each of their games having been decided by a single goal. Drexel’s next game is March 1 at Vidas Field against Robert Morris University.

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