Photo courtesy Drexeldragons.com

The Drexel University women’s lacrosse team split their games this weekend, taking a tough loss against James Madison University April 8 and defeating the College of William & Mary 11-8 for a team cumulative score of 8-4 this season.

In both games, the Dragons showed strong offense.

“I was really pleased with the composure our offense had in both games. Both teams sent extra pressure to our leading scorers, and our players not only handled that pressure, but distributed the ball for wide open looks,” coach Hannah Rudloff said.

The Dragons fell to the Dukes 9-8 in overtime.

Devin Nihill led the Dragons with three goals. Emily Duffey contributed a goal and two assists. Lacey Aghazarian, Nadia Pelham-Lacey, Grace Osterdale and Maggie Stetson were each responsible for one goal.

With less than 15 minutes remaining in the game, Drexel had an 8-6 lead. Unfortunately, immediately after Nihill’s goal brought Drexel’s score to eight points, the Dukes stole the ball and scored two points making it a tied score.

With 1:35 left in the game, Duffey made a shot on the goal. While her attempted winning shot passed the Dukes’ goalie, it bounced off the far post.

The teams entered into overtime and the Dukes were able to take the victory.

The Dragons’ defense played well throughout the contest. Alyssa Kalitz forced three turnovers, while Madeline DiBrino forced one turnover and had two ground balls.

Drexel returned to action April 10 to face the College of William and Mary. The Dragons defeated the Tribe 11-8.

Drexel got on the board first and scored four unanswered goals to start the game. William & Mary scored four goals of their own later in the first half, but the Dragons entered halftime with a 6-4 lead.

The Tribe came out strong in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals, but the Dragons responded with four goals in a row to regain the lead. Drexel’s defense held William & Mary at seven points for almost 20 minutes.

Coach Rudloff described the Dragons’ defensive mentality during the second half of the game.

“We definitely had a mental lapse at the beginning of the second half against William & Mary, and the solution was really just self-awareness and focus,” Rudloff said.

“Part of that lapse was with the draw controls, and we got back on track with those and were able to maintain possession much better,” she finished.

Nadia Pelham-Lacey scored three goals, one of those the winning shot, and had one assist. She now has eight games this season with at least three points each. Lacey Aghazarian and Devin Nihill each also scored three goals, earning Aghazarian her first hat trick of the season and bringing Nihill’s team high goal total to 26 this season. Caroline Thiele and Grace Osterdale each scored one goal.

The Dragons will travel to the University of Delaware and Towson University for their next conference matchups.

“We are going to prepare for Delaware and Towson this weekend by looking at improving our own play.  We absolutely have things we need to learn from our games in Virginia, and we just need to keep getting better every day,” Rudloff commented.

The Dragons will face the Blue Hens April 15.

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Photo courtesy Drexeldragons.com

After dropping their first loss of the season to the Princeton University Tigers, the Drexel University women’s lacrosse team rebounded with a victory over the Colgate Raiders. The teams faced off Feb. 28 at Vidas Field. Drexel won by a count of 11-7.
Sophomore Nadia Pelham-Lacey led the Dragons with a total of six points on the day. She was responsible for four out of the 11 goals and had two assists. Junior Devin Nihill also had an impressive offensive performance with three goals.
Coach Hannah Rudloff commented on the productiveness of the Dragon attack. “Going into Colgate we gave the attack a bit more creative license within our sets. They did a great job of managing the tempo of the game and striking when they had the best opportunities.”
The Dragons got on the board first just 18 seconds into the contest with a score courtesy of Pelham-Lacey. Colgate tied it up minutes later; however, Drexel took the lead with goals from Pelham-Lacey and Nihill, who was assisted by Caroline Thiele.
The Raiders were able to cut the Drexel lead to one. But it wasn’t long until the Dragons regained their two goal advantage. Sophomore Alex Beilman scored her third goal of the season to give Drexel a 4-2 lead.
Colgate was able to slip another score in before the intermission and the score was 4-3 in favor of Drexel going into halftime.
The Dragons came out strong in their attack after the break. Pelham-Lacey registered two quick goals. Seconds later, Senior Emily Duffey put the Dragons up 7-3 with her ninth goal of the season.
Colgate came back from the deficit with three unanswered goals. The all came within about three minutes and one was off a penalty advantage.
The Dragons answered to Colgate’s offensive burst with three unanswered goals of their own. Nihill scored two; while Lacey Aghazarian scored one.
With six minutes remaining in regulation, the Raiders brought Drexel leads to three. It didn’t last long as Aghazarian scored her second of the contest in the final minutes to bring the final score to 11-7.
Junior Carlee Ries made four saves on the day.
The Raiders committed 12 turnovers on the day; while Drexel only had eight. Madeline DiBrino, Alyssa Kaliz, Summer O’Donnell, and Pelham-Lacey had one forced turnover each on the day.
After allowing 21 goals over the past two games, Rudloff discussed the state of the defense and what adjustments need to be made going forward. She said, “We really pride ourselves on being a defense that dictates, and against Princeton we got away from that. Sunday we got back to that foundation, and did a much better job against another attack that had a lot of strong returning weapons. I think the biggest adjustment we can make is just keeping up the focus and intensity all over the field after we’ve scored a few in a row.”
The team faced off again Wednesday March 2. The Dragons defeated the Monmouth University Hawks at home in impressive fashion by a count of 11-5.
The team will return to action March 5 at 4 p.m. when they travel to Villanova.

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Jen Welter holds an Arizona Cardinals helmet aloft at a press conference. Welter is the first female coach in any capacity in the history of the NFL. (Photo courtesy – Arizona Cardinals)

A doctorate student, a football player, a rugby player and a coach. Most significantly, a woman. These are a few of the characteristics and accomplishments of Jennifer Welter. On July 26, she became the first female coach in the history of the National Football League when the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals selected the former football player as one of the training camp interns for the team. Welter is working with the team as an inside linebackers coach.

“The beauty of this [is], while it wasn’t a dream I could have ever had, now it’s a dream other girls can grow up having,” Welter said after the announcement was made, according to the Cardinals’ website.

She spoke very highly of head coach Bruce Arians, who is essentially responsible for breaking the gender barrier.

“It was the sheer will of a very strong man called Bruce Arians,” Welter told the Los Angeles Times. “No other way. This was all his bravery, and that’s why people will follow him.”

Although this is an amazing accomplishment for Welter, this is not her first time playing ball with the boys. She was the first woman to play running back in a men’s professional football season. Welter was a member of the Indoor Football League’s Texas Revolution.

After playing for the team in 2014, she was signed as their linebackers and special teams coach, making her the first woman to coach in a men’s professional football league.

On top of that, Welter participated in rugby at Boston College. She has played for several semi-professional football teams. In addition, Welter was a member of the gold-medal-winning Team USA at the Women’s World Championships of the International Federation of American Football.

Not only does she bring athletic skill, knowledge of football and experience to her position with the Cardinals, she also has a master’s degree in sport psychology and a doctorate in psychology. The education Welter has in these fields is an advantage when working with football players that are mostly comprised of a young and male demographic.

The looming concern associated with a female NFL coach is the issue of respect and if it will be given by the players and by peers.

Ultimately, a coach cannot coach successfully if the players do not give them the respect they deserve.

Thus far, things seem to be going smoothly for Welter. A video clip from Cardinals’ practice posted by NFL.com showed the new coach meeting her players for the first time and going through basic drills with them. She has been widely accepted by the league and by her players on the Cardinals in the week since her announcement.

Of course, only time will tell if Coach Welter will have lasting, impactful success, and if a league without female coaches is a thing of the past.

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With football season within reach, NFL teams are getting ready to strap on their pads and helmets and get back on the field for training camp in late July and early August. Here’s a preview around the NFC of what to look for.

NFC East

Washington Redskins: The Redskins will begin training camp on July 30 at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. A revamped offensive line will be a key focus in camp for Washington. With improvements made at a number of levels, including first round draft pick Brandon Scherff, the team’s offensive line is expected to perform significantly better than last season. Behind the revamped offensive line, running back Alfred Morris will be evaluated in the hopes of bouncing back from a disappointing season last year. On the other side of the ball, the Redskins have completely transformed their defensive look and strategy by bringing in a new defensive coordinator, secondary coach, and defensive line coach. In addition, the constant debate about quarterback Robert Griffin III will be a continued point of contention.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles start training camp on August 2 at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia. A main focus of camp will be new quarterback Sam Bradford and his performance after years of battling injuries. All eyes will be on Bradford as he comes into Eagles’ camp. Also, Philadelphia amped up their defense by adding top-caliber players in cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso, the team will need to prove that their defense can match the explosive ability of their offense.

New York Giants: The Giants open camp on July 31 at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On the offensive side of the ball, fans are eager to see how Eli Manning and the offense will perform under the new offensive system that was put in place last year by Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo. In addition, the team is excited to get back Victor Cruz to work alongside rookie wonder Odell Beckham Jr. However, a big question mark on offense is the Giants’ offensive line. The line has pretty much been pieced together because of dealing with injuries, little depth at the position, and young players. On the defensive side of the ball, a huge concern is Jason Pierre-Paul. As of now, he has not signed his franchise tag contract because of his fireworks injury. The team will be looking for young players to step up and contribute to a successful pass rush.

Dallas Cowboys: Camp opens for the Cowboys on July 30 in Oxnard, California. With Dez Bryant’s contract finalized, the Cowboys no longer have to worry about Bryant holding out on camp. However, the big question mark lies in how Dallas will look and respond to losing star running back DeMarco Murray. Murray was the league’s leading rusher last year and was signed by NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles. In addition, the Cowboys will begin this season with a new offensive line coach. The team’s running game will be a big focus of evaluation at camp. On the defensive side of the ball, pro bowl linebacker Sean Lee will be returning after facing some injuries. Also, many eyes will be on Greg Hardy since he needs to prove that he deserves a place on an NFL team after facing domestic violence issues.

***

NFC North

Green Bay Packers: The Packers open camp on July 30 at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. A focus at camp will be the developing chemistry between Aaron Rodgers and his younger receivers. Rodgers already put up huge numbers connecting with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, but the Packers’ offense would likely be even more productive with DaVante Adams and Andrew Quarless in the mix. Defensively, the Packers have a strong front and deep secondary that will be able to handle their talented division opponents. In addition, head coach Mike McCarthy has made the decision to hand over offensive play calling to his offensive coordinator in order to give more attention to defense and special teams.

Chicago Bears: Camp opens for the Bears on July 30 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. All eyes will be on Jay Cutler at Bears’ camp after an extremely disappointing season last year that included issues with the team and bad performance on the field. In addition, with Brandon Marshall gone to the Jets, Cutler will need to find a different number one target. On the defensive side of the ball, Chicago needs some young players to step up to fill the shoes of veteran defensive back and longtime Bear Charles Tillman. However, the addition of pro bowl safety Antrel Rolle will be an asset to the team in the secondary.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings open camp on July 25 at the Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota. The Vikings are expected to have an impressive offense going into this season. The team has confidence in second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and their young developing receivers, Charles Johnson, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Jarius Wright. Also, the team will be welcoming back a healthy Kyle Rudolph at tight end and star running back Adrian Peterson. In addition, the acquisition of Mike Wallace will add a speedy deep threat. Defensively, the Vikings need to establish depth at defensive end and determine which players can solidify a pass rush from the outside.

Detroit Lions: The Lions start training camp on July 28 at the Lions Training Facility in Allen Park, Michigan. After coming off a good season last year, the Lions are looking to continue the trend. Players on the defensive front will need to step up to replace Pro Bowl pass rusher Ndamukong Suh who was signed by the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. In the offensive backfield, running back Joique Bell looks to be ready for the beginning of camp and is expected to be the starter at the position.

***

NFC South

New Orleans Saints: The Saints open camp on July 29 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. After an unsuccessful 2014 season, all eyes will be on the Saints to see if they can return to their once dominating stature. The offense will look a lot different this season without Brees’ number one target, tight end Jimmy Graham. The question for the Saints is who will be the tight end to step up and attempt to fill the shoes of Graham. On the other side of the ball, the New Orleans secondary will be strongly evaluated to see if they can finally make the Saints a defensive threat. The healthy return of Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd and the addition of Brandon Browner are expected to significantly improve the Saints defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs start camp on July 31 at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. All eyes will be on first round draft pick Jameis Winston as he handles the pressure of the being the expected starter at quarterback to lead a Tampa Bay team out of a disappointing last few seasons. The next big focus for Tampa Bay will be creating a successful offensive line to protect their franchise cornerstone. The Bucs have to determine which combination of the several young, unproven players can be the most efficient unit.

Atlanta Falcons: Camp opens for the Falcons on July 31 at the Flowery Branch Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia. The Atlanta Falcons are looking to improve in the 2015 season, after a poor performance last year. The team brought in Dan Quinn, former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator, as the new head coach. Quinn is expected to improve the Falcons defensive unit after coaching the league’s number one defense two years in a row. Offensively, the team is looking to Matt Ryan to bring his team back to a successful state with the help of star receiver duo, Julio Jones and Roddy White. However, in order for the offense to be successful, the offensive line must come together and play as a cohesive unit.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers begin camp on July 31 at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Although the Panthers came out atop the NFC South in the 2014 Season, they still finished with a losing record of 7-8-1. Many positions on the team are not solidified and camp will give players a chance to battle for starting positions. At the moment, Thomas Davis and Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly are set as the foundation for the Panthers linebacking corps; while Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei are in place as interior pass rushers. In the defensive secondary, a battle at defensive back will take place with Charles Tillman, long time Bear, in the mix. At defensive end, the team is still looking for someone to step up and replace Greg Hardy. Offensively, Kelvin Benjamin is the only wide receiver that has a definite starting position; the other spots should be open to competition.

***

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks: The reigning NFC champs are set to open camp on July 31 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington. A big focus at camp will be the development of a connection between Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham. It’s no doubt that the new superstar tight end will be a main target for Wilson; the question lies in how quickly their chemistry will develop. On the offensive line, the center position is up for grabs to fill the void of Max Unger, now a member of the New Orleans Saints. Defensively, many key players are returning and are expected to perform at the same championship-winning level they have been for the past couple seasons.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers start training camp on August 1 at the Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Center in Santa Clara, California. All eyes will be on a brand new coaching staff as Jim Tomsula and his team begin the 2015 season. After letting Frank Gore walk in free agency, the 49ers are depending on running back Carlos Hyde to takeover. Hyde had a solid performance in his rookie year, but he has to prove that he can be the number one back for this team. On the defensive side of the ball, San Francisco needs to establish their starters in the secondary and set up their depth chart at the position. In addition, NaVorro Bowman will be returning after missing an entire season due to injury and the team is counting on him to perform at his pre-injury level.

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals open camp on August 1 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Arizona is ready to come back strong after dealing with multiple injuries at the quarterback position last season. Carson Palmer is healthy and the team is going to make sure it remains that way. The team made much needed improvements to their offensive line in the offseason, including the addition of Mike Iupati. Defensively, training camp will be the time to evaluate the defensive unit without former coordinator Todd Bowles. Bowles took the head coaching job with the New York Jets.

St. Louis Rams: Camp opens for the Rams on July 31 at Rams Park in Earth City, Missouri. For many recent years, the Rams have been regarded as a team that has the potential for a breakout season. This year is no different. It will heavily depend on the development and performance of Jeff Fischer’s new offense which includes new quarterback Nick Foles and rookie running back Todd Gurley. On the other side of the ball, the Rams are pretty much set with plenty of depth on the defensive front.

The post NFL training camp previews, Part I: NFC appeared first on The Triangle.

Delran, N.J., native Carli Lloyd was the USWNT’s hero on July 5. (Getty Images)

The United States women’s national soccer team defeated Japan in the Women’s World Cup finals July 5 in dramatic fashion, scoring four goals in 16 minutes and trouncing the Japanese, 5-2, to end a 16-year championship drought.

The match took place in BC Place stadium in Vancouver, Canada. Japan was the reigning World Cup champion but didn’t stand a chance against the US women, who came out guns ablaze in the first half.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd, a Delran Township native, was the hero of the game, recording a hat trick in the first 16 minutes. Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath each recorded one goal for team USA.

Lloyd’s first goal was scored off a strategically-delivered corner kick from Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe sent a low ball into the box to find Lloyd, who sent the ball to the lower right side of the net for her first goal of the night.

Two minutes later, Lloyd scored her second goal of the match. The goal came off another US set piece. Lloyd received the ball from the back post after it bounced off a few bodies. She then sent a side-footed shot past Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead.

Shortly after, Holiday gave the US a 3-0 lead with a rocket shot from just inside the box. She capitalized on a failed clear by a Japanese defender and sent the ball flying past Kaihori.

One minute later, Lloyd scored her third of the night.

Collecting the ball at midfield, Lloyd noticed Kaihori out of position near the Japanese goal and seized the opportunity.

Lloyd launched a long distance strike from more than 50 yards out, and the ball struck Kaihori’s out-stretched hand before finding the back of the net to put the U.S. up, 4-0. The four goals were the four fastest consecutive goals scored in Women’s World Cup history.

Japan cut the deficit to 4-1 with a goal from forward Yuki Ogimi. Ogimi sent a curling shot past U.S. goalie Hope Solo.

The U.S. fan crowd was further quieted when USA’s lead dropped to two goals early in the second half. Defender Julie Johnston could not successfully clear the ball, as it bounced off the top of her head and past Solo for a disappointing own goal.

However, the U.S. bounced back with another goal off a corner kick. Rapinoe delivered another ball that the Japanese could not defend, and the kick found Heath, who sank a shot into the net to give the U.S. a 5-2 lead. The fifth goal made it the highest-scoring final in Women’s World Cup history.

After the decisive win, Lloyd was awarded the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament, and Solo won her second Gold Glove Award as the goalkeeper of the tournament.

The victory gave the U.S. women’s national team its third World Cup title and its first since the iconic 1999 win in Los Angeles.

Following the game, Lloyd said that she was speechless.

“Honestly, I’m so proud of this team,” Lloyd said. “This doesn’t feel real. It hasn’t sunk in. So unbelievably proud of every single person on this team. We just made history.”

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An intense battle is on in the Eastern and Western Conference finals to decide which teams will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The two series have produced some of the most competitive, dramatic postseason hockey in recent memory.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers are preparing for a game seven as the series is tied at 3-3 after six games. The series has featured a lot of scoring and offensive play.

In game three of the series, the Rangers proved that they could still compete with the Lightning after suffering a 6-2 loss in game two, yet the final score of game three was 6-5 in overtime in favor of the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov scored the winning goal for the Lightning in overtime.

Tampa Bay had a total of 40 shots on net, while the Rangers had 28. Both teams were able to capitalize offensively on the power play, scoring on half of their respective power play opportunities. In the end, Tampa Bay simply had more firepower.

The Rangers tied the series up at 2-2 in game four, completely dominating the Lightning by a score of 5-1.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist rebounded from allowing six goals in game three and had a stellar performance, only allowing one goal out of 39 shots. Rangers’ left winger Rick Nash scored two goals on the night and finally began to carry over the success he experienced in the regular season to this playoff series.

In game five, Tampa Bay bounced back and secured a shutout over the Rangers, winning 2-0. Lightning goal tender Ben Bishop recorded 26 saves to hold off New York.

Tampa Bay forward Steven Stamkos led his team past the Rangers with a goal and an assist during the game. The Lightning secured the decision with tight defense, especially during the penalty kill, when they killed off all four of the Rangers’ power plays.

With their season on the line, the Rangers retaliated once again in game six to force a decisive game seven.

The Rangers silenced the crowd in Tampa Bay in game six by scoring a staggering seven goals and allowing three. Rangers’ forward Derick Brassard registered a hat trick.

During the third period, the Lightning made a bold move and benched Bishop. He was replaced by backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was pulled with over five minutes remaining in an attempt for the Lightning to tie the game up at six. Brassard scored an empty net goal to complete his hat trick, and Vasilevskiy was put back between the pipes.

The final game of the series will be played in Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers have never lost a game seven before. But, of course, with the Stanley Cup Finals on the line, it’s anybody’s game.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks continue to fight it out in the West. The two teams are very evenly matched with most games being decided by one goal.

In game three, the Ducks defeated the Hawks by a score of 2-1 to lead in the series. Anaheim’s goalie Frederik Andersen played very well, recording 27 saves. The Ducks stepped up defensively in the game as well, playing staunch defense throughout the entire 60 minutes and killing off all five Blackhawks power plays.

But, as has been the custom in this postseason, Chicago came back in game four, fighting through double overtime for a 5-4 victory.
During the second period, the Ducks made history, but in the end could not secure the victory. Anaheim scored the second-fastest three goals in Stanley Cup Playoff history, a staggering trio of goals in the third period. Ryan Kesler, Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry all scored for Anaheim in a span of just 37 seconds.

But the Ducks would still come up one short. Blackhawks’ goaltender Corey Crawford faced a total of 40 shots. Forward Antoine Vermette scored the winning goal for Chicago in the second overtime of the game. This was Chicago’s second multiple-overtime win in this series.

The Ducks regained a series lead in game five in yet another overtime game. The final score was 5-4. Total shots were equal at 28 and both teams were scoreless on the power play. Anaheim winger Matt Beleskey scored the winning goal only 45 seconds into the overtime period.

In game six, the inevitable became reality – the Blackhawks forced a seventh and final game in the series by coming back from yet another overtime loss.

Chicago scored five goals on the Ducks and limited Anaheim to just two markers in what could prove to be the final meaningful hockey game in Chicago until October, depending on the outcome of game seven. The Ducks and Blackhawks will face off one last time May 30 at 8 pm.

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Only four teams remain in the NHL postseason. The conference finals have begun, as the battle for the Stanley Cup nears its climax.

In the Eastern Conference final, the New York Rangers are facing the Tampa Bay Lightning.

During the regular season, the Lightning went undefeated against the Rangers.

Currently, the Tampa Bay Lightning hold a 2-1 series lead after their win in game three May 20.

The Rangers took the first game at home in a close, tightly defended contest, winning 2-1.

Derek Stepan, responsible for the winning goal in game seven against the Washington Capitals in the previous round, and Dominic Moore scored for the Rangers.

Ondrej Palat recorded the lone goal for the Lightning.

In game two, the teams looked completely different.

Tampa Bay came alive and dominated New York, punishing the Rangers in their own zone while New York looked sloppy and undisciplined. The final score was 6-2. The Lightning’s Tyler Johnson recorded a hat trick in the victory, continuing a blisteringly productive postseason.
The game remained close through the second period, but Tampa Bay ran away with it in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals to
bury the Rangers.

When the series moved to Tampa Bay for the third game, the Lightning looked to keep their momentum and offensive domination, while the Rangers needed to return to the play that got them to the Eastern Conference final.

In the third contest, the Lightning continued their steamrolling offensive performance, but this time the Rangers fought back.

After Tampa Bay jumped out to a 4-2 lead, the Rangers responded and evened the ledger with two goals of their own. The teams traded goals in the third period, and in overtime, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov ended the back-and-forth contest with the team’s sixth goal of the evening.

Game four takes place on May 22 at 8 p.m. in Tampa Bay, with the Lightning holding a 2-1 advantage.

The other two teams fighting it out over on the Western Conference side of the bracket, to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks. Through two contests, the series is tied 1-1, and a lot of great hockey has been played.

Game one went to the Ducks when Anaheim shocked the Hawks, scoring four goals to Chicago’s one. Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen was a brick wall for Anaheim, recording 33 saves in the victory and keeping the explosiveness of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in check.

The second game of the series was an extremely close contest, going into three overtime periods May 19.

Eventually, Chicago’s Marcus Kruger scored to give the Hawks the victory. The final score, after more than 116 minutes of play, was 3-2. Chicago netminder Corey Crawford recorded 60 saves in the victory.

The rest of the series is going to be tough and challenging for both teams. With both teams playing at such a high level, the series could either way.

As the Stanley Cup Championships nears, discussion and predictions have begun for the winner of the Conn
Smythe Trophy.

The trophy is awarded to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs. It is presented at the conclusion of the final game of the championship in mid-June.

Possible winners include the Ducks’ center forward Ryan Kesler and right winger Corey Perry; the Hawks’ defenseman Duncan Keith, center forward Toews and right winger Kane; the Lightning’s center forward Johnson; and the Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The post Lightning light Rangers up in NHL semis appeared first on The Triangle.

Sophomore midfielder Emily Duffey (center) makes a run versus George Washington University February 16, 2014. (Ken Chaney – The Triangle)

The Drexel University women’s lacrosse team was bested by the Towson University Tigers and the University of Delaware Blue Hens April 10-12.

The Dragons fell to the Tigers, 15-6, April 10. Towson got on the board first and scored four unanswered goals in the first 14 minutes of the game.

Drexel’s first goal came from Nadia Pelham-Lacey with just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half. The Tigers responded with three more goals of their own, making the score a gaudy 7-1 at halftime.

In the first 13 minutes of the second half, Towson went on a 6-1 tear and the Tigers’ lead ballooned to 13-2. Drexel’s Lacey Aghazarian was responsible for the Dragons’ second goal of the afternoon.

The Dragons out-scored Towson, 4-2, in the final 18 minutes of the contest, but the damage was already done. Caroline Thiele scored one of the goals for the Dragons. It would be her first goal of the season.

Head coach Hannah Rudloff acknowledged that her team has had solid runs at the end of games this season, which is something they can build on going forward.

“We tend to have runs like that at the end of the game when we put hesitations and lack of confidence aside and just decide to go for it,” Rudloff explained. “We have young players on attack and do have moments of hesitations. We got some nice looks that we really haven’t gotten before.”

The team played its final home game of the season April 12, senior day, against Delaware. The Dragons put up a better fight in the second game of the weekend, but the Blue Hens still came away with the 9-6 victory.

Drexel scored first with goals from Pelham-Lacey and Devin Nihill to put the team in the lead early in the game, 2-0. The Dragons’ defense dominated throughout the first 20 minutes of play, holding Delaware scoreless.

But the Blue Hens found a crack in the defense and scored a quick pair of goals to knot the game at two and then scored another with less than two minutes to go to take a 3-2 lead at halftime.

Delaware started the second half with three more goals of its own, extending the halftime-spanning run to six unanswered goals before the Dragons responded and cut Delaware’s lead to 6-4. Pelham-Lacey and Nihill both scored their second goals of the contest, respectively.

But the Dragons had a difficult time maintaining possession in the final minutes of the game, after struggling to win draw controls throughout the entire game. They were only able to win six of 17 draws on the afternoon, something Rudloff needs her team to improve in the final games of the season.

“The big thing is the draw,” Rudloff said. “We had different people taking it this weekend than what we are used to. I think we battled, but we didn’t do a great job at controlling where the ball was actually going.”

Drexel scored two more times in the final eight minutes, with goals from Alissa Watts and Emily Kellett, but the effort came up short. The Dragons are now 0-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play.

The Dragons will return to action April 19 when they travel to face Elon University.
Rudloff mentioned that Elon has displayed good effort in conference matchups. She said that the Elon is a young program with very good coaching, something her squad will have to be aware of against the Phoenix.

“We have to bring our A-game,” Rudloff said. “What I think was great against Delaware was that both ends of the ball had good games; it was the piece in between that we have to work on. We have to put a full 60 minutes together.”

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Junior midfielder Milan White approaches the Columbia University defense. (DrexelDragons.com)

The Drexel University women’s lacrosse team defeated the La Salle University Explorers, 12-10, at Vidas Field March 25. The Dragons’ 12 goals were the most they have scored all season long, and the offensive explosion improved their record to 3-7.

The Dragons scored the first goal of the contest when Devin Nihill took a close shot off a pass from Emily Kellett. Nihill now has seven goals on the season. La Salle quickly took the lead, scoring the next two goals.

With just over 10 minutes left in the first half, senior midfielder Ashley Bupp recorded her first career goal for Drexel. Bupp received an assist from Joelle Hartke as she drilled the ball into the net with an overhand shot.

“It felt great,” Bupp said of her first career marker. “We work really hard in practice each and every day shooting and scoring tons of goals as a team. Knowing our attack can trust everyone with putting the ball in the back of the net and doing their part is what I think gives each one of us the confidence we need to succeed out there. It’s great to feel like I could do my part as well.”

Alissa Watts scored next for the Dragons, followed by scores from Kellett, Milan White and Hartke. The onslaught from the Dragons put them in a comfortable spot as they entered halftime with a commanding 7-3 lead.

After the break, the Explorers began to gain momentum, winning nine of 12 draw controls. La Salle scored four third-quarter goals, while Drexel responded with three of its own, making the score 10-7 with one quarter remaining.

Lacey Aghazarian scored for the Dragons, extending the lead to four goals. Drexel then displayed an impressive defensive showing, holding off the Explorers for the majority of the final quarter. Teresha Bradley had eight saves in total.

Head coach Hannah Rudloff said after the game that she was extremely pleased with the way her team competed and performed on the defensive end against La Salle.

“Overall, we’ve had some really amazing defensive performances against ranked teams,” Rudloff said. “We held [the Pennsylvania State University] and Princeton [University] to their lowest scores so far this year…[and] the offense is starting to click and find [its] pace and tempo.”

With less than two minutes remaining in the contest, La Salle notched a pair of goals to cut Drexel’s lead in half. However, Hartke responded for the Dragons with an empty net goal to secure the 12-10 victory.

The Dragons will return to action April 3 at Vidas Field when they face off against The College of William & Mary. The Tribe are currently 4-6 on the season.
Going into conference play, Rudloff noted that a few things could be improved upon to set the team up for success.

“I think we can always improve upon putting a full game together mentally,” she said. “You’re going to have lapses and the other team is going to score, but I think we can do a better job of stopping runs and chipping away with strong and focused possessions and defensive sets of our own.”

The team will look to capitalize on the strengths they have discovered through the first 10 matches as they head into conference play.

“We’re going into [Colonial Athletic Association play] confident in what Drexel lacrosse is —we can defend against strong teams and we know offensively what’s clicking for us,” Rudloff said. “Our leadership at both ends of the field has really come into [its] own and that’s such an important piece that all championship teams have.”

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Elisa Money competes at the Kurtz Cup. The women’s squash team would split results in the competition, losing to no. 10 Stanford University but edging out Franklin and Marshall University, 8-1. (Photo Courtesy – Drexeldragons.com)

The Drexel University women’s squash team took to the courts at the Kurtz Cup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Feb. 13-14. The women split their matches against the Stanford University Cardinals and the Franklin and Marshall College Diplomats, 1-1.

The Dragons were defeated by No. 10 ranked Stanford, 7-2 in the first round of the Cup.

The two wins for Drexel came from Elisa Money and Laura Rahauser. Money swept her opponent Alex Huchro in the fourth spot. Rahauser battled it out in five games beating Cardinal Sarah Haig in the fifth spot.

Kaitlyn Money also put in a good effort against Tatyanna Dadabbo, ultimately losing in five games.

Against Franklin and Marshall, wins came in spots one through eight for the Dragons. Hayley Hughes, Mary Fung-A-Fat, Elisa Money, Kiran Vasudevan and Rahauser all defeated their opponents in three-game sweeps. Ryan Morgan and Abigail Kaplan recorded wins in four games, while Kaitlyn Money secured a victory in a five-game effort.

The Drexel women finished out their 2014-2015 season with a 9-1 win over the No. 14 ranked Diplomats. The Dragons final record stands at 9-11 with a No. 15 rank.

The women return to action in Princeton, New Jersey, Feb. 28 through March 1 for the Individual Championships.

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