Senior point guard Meghan Creighton scored her 1,000th career point and picked up several other milestones during Drexel University women’s basketball’s 76-51 home victory over University of North Carolina at Wilmington Feb. 12 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
Creighton made 10 three-point shots, which set a new Drexel program record, tied a Colonial Athletic Association record and matched a high mark in NCAA Division I women’s basketball this season. She finished the game with a career high 30 points and was named the CAA player of the week for the second time this season.
By reaching 1,000 points, Creighton became just the third player in CAA history to amass 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds. She also became the Dragons’ all time leader in games played, making her 133rd career start.
“I think individual awards are great at the end of the season. This is something I’ll look back on and it’ll be something I achieved forever, but, to be honest, right now I’m not worried about it. I’m happy we got the win, and yeah it looks good on paper and it’ll look good in the record books forever. And it’ll remind my brothers that I’m the best athlete in the family,” Creighton said Feb. 12.
Entering Drexel’s game against the Seahawks, Creighton needed just 13 points to join the heralded 1,000 point club. It was a total she had no problem reaching as she connected on five of eight three-point shot attempts in the first half. Her fifth three, which came at the 2:46 mark in the second quarter, was the shot that put her over 1,000.
On the season, Creighton is shooting 49.0 percent from long range, which is the third highest percentage from distance in the NCAA.
“We talk so much about Meghan’s game and what she can bring to the table, but she’s a great shooter and she’s really bought into a new role this year of taking shots. And obviously knowing when she’s making shots, it opens the game up for us, it opens the floor up,” Drexel head coach Denise Dillon said Feb. 12.
Though it was not mentioned the moment it occurred, the PA announcer informed the crowd at the DAC of Creighton’s accomplishment when the Dragons returned to the court at the beginning of the second half. While receiving a standing ovation, Creighton gave a shy wave to the crowd as her teammates and coaches cheered her on.
“I did know I got 1,000 at that point, but my worst nightmare is that happening. Me getting announced that it happened,” Creighton said.
While Creighton shied away from the attention she received for her accomplishment, she did not shy away from the three-point line. The second half became a heat check for Creighton, who knocked down five more three-pointers on six more attempts.
If it wasn’t already clear that she was in the zone, Creighton proved it in the fourth quarter. She made a triple on three consecutive Drexel possessions in the fourth, with each of them coming from further and further behind the arc.
“I shot the ball like I’d shoot the ball any other day, they just happened to be going in. Did I take more than I would have taken on a day where I wasn’t making them? Yeah, I won’t lie about that. Denise always says when you shoot the ball you have to think it’s going in, so, every shot I take I think is going in,” Creighton said.
Her remarkable shooting throughout the contest allowed the Dragons to put the nail in the Seahawks proverbial coffin long before the sound of the final buzzer.
“I was really pleased with Meghan’s game today against the zone. She found the open spot in the corner and took those shots, and again it forced UNCW [to think] should we play zone, should we play man,” coach Dillon said.
Freshman Bailey Greenberg was also impressive, scoring 11 points on five of six shooting from the floor. For her effort against UNCW, and for the eight points she scored against the College of William & Mary Feb. 10, Greenberg was named the CAA rookie of the week for the third time this season.
Nine of Greenberg’s points came in the first quarter, a period in which the Dragons outscored the Seahawks 26-10. After taking command of the game in the first quarter, the Dragons essentially cruised the rest of the way to a victory. Drexel did, however, have a break down on defense in the third quarter.
“The third quarter was a little slow, but they really picked it up in the fourth, especially on the defensive end. Our goal was 50, give up 50. It was 51, but it was, I heard Kelsi Lidge say, heading into the fourth, she was like, ‘four points’, and I was like, ‘oh my god’. But we only gave up five in the fourth, so that was good. They’re listening to each other and they’re aware,” coach Dillon said.
With their win against the Seahawks, the Dragons improved to 9-4 in the CAA, which has them ranked in third place behind Elon University and James Madison University, who are tied for first at 11-2.
Drexel will go on the road to Maryland Feb. 17 to take on Towson University at 7 p.m. and will then return to the DAC for a home game against the University of Delaware Feb. 19.

Drexel University’s women’s basketball team split its road trip this past weekend with a 54-44 win over the University of Delaware Blue Hens Feb. 5 and a 79-75 loss to the College of Charleston Cougars Feb. 3.

Entering their matchup with Delaware, the Dragons were in fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 6-4 record, while the Blue Hens sat atop them in third with a 7-3 mark.

Senior Sarah Curran, Drexel’s leading scorer this season, had a very productive weekend and scored 20 plus points in both of her outings.

Curran was instrumental in her team’s win over the Blue Hens. In the first half, Curran led the Dragons with 12 points on four of eight shooting from the floor, which included three three-pointers and an and-one on a layup. Alongside Curran, senior Jessica Pellechio was also solid offensively in the game’s first two quarters, scoring 11 points on three of six shooting from the floor.

The game was close at the end of the first period, with Drexel leading 16-12. However, the Dragons turned on the jets in the second quarter and outscored the Blue Hens 23-10 to take a commanding 39-22 lead into halftime.

The Dragons’ offensive performance was encouraging early on as they shot an efficient 48.4 percent from the field in the first half. However, the flame that the Dragons breathed in the first half was iced in the third quarter, where Drexel managed to score just six points on a pedestrian one for 12 shooting from the floor.

Despite their struggles, the Dragons were helped by the fact that the Blue Hens had problems of their own on offense. Delaware scored just nine points in the third quarter, which allowed Drexel to take a 14-point advantage into the fourth quarter.

Early in the fourth, Drexel seemed to be pulling away from Delaware. Freshman Bailey Greenberg connected on a three-point shot at the 6:08 mark to give Drexel an 18-point lead, its largest of the evening.

Following Greenberg’s three, the Dragons went almost three full minutes without scoring a basket, but the distance between them and Delaware was so great, the Blue Hens were unable to mount a comeback. Drexel came away with a 54-44 win.

The victory bumped the Dragons’ record to 16-6 on the season and 7-4 in the conference, which moved them into a tie with Delaware for third place in the CAA. With a win in the head to head matchup, the Dragons currently hold a tiebreaker over Delaware. Drexel needed the win to keep pace with James Madison University, who improved to 9-2 over the weekend.

In the earlier matchup last week, the Dragons were vanquished by the College of Charleston Cougars in a 79-75 loss. Considering the Cougars 3-6 CAA record entering the game, and the fact that Drexel defeated them 70-57 early this year, the outcome was not one that many expected. The game was close throughout, with the lead shifting on five separate occasions.

Curran was solid yet again in the first half, leading the Drexel offense by scoring 15 points. With the strength of Curran’s shooting and a strong second quarter, the Dragons took a 34-30 lead into halftime.

Unfortunately for the Dragons, the Cougars exploded on offense in the game’s final two quarters and shot 58.6 percent from the floor in the second half. Breanna Boldan and Tanisha Brown were particularly productive for the Cougars, scoring 13 and 10 points respectively.

While the Cougars managed to pour it on offensively in the second half, the Dragons were able to stay in the game thanks to an outburst by Pellechio. She dropped 18 points on six of 13 shooting from three-point range in the second half. Senior Meghan Creighton was also impressive as she scored eight points and picked up three steals.

Drexel entered the fourth quarter with a 53-50 lead, but that quickly vanished after Darien Huff made a three-pointer on the Cougars’ opening possession of the final period. Creighton responded with a three, but the Cougars’ Nola Henry answered with a triple of her own.

After an empty trip by the Dragons, Tanisha Brown made a layup to give the Cougars a 58-56 lead. The Cougars held the lead the rest of the way. Drexel was able to keep the game close, but the Cougars had an answer to every shot the Dragons made.

Pellechio finished the game with a team high 21 points. Curran finished behind her with 20 and Creighton ended up with 14. It was the first time all season that the Dragons lost a game in which at least three of their players scored in double digits.
Next up for the Dragons is a home game against the College of William & Mary Feb. 10.

After a heartbreaking 54-47 road loss to James Madison University on Jan. 27, the Drexel University women’s basketball team took their frustrations out on Northeastern University in a 74-51 home win Jan. 29.

Against Northeastern, for the first time all season, the Dragons had a different starting lineup. With junior Kelsi Lidge injured, freshman Aubree Brown made her first career start.

Brown was instrumental in the victory, dishing out six assists and finishing with a team-high four steals. Her performance on the defensive end was significant because Lidge has been an anchor on that side of the court this season for the Dragons.

Junior forward Sarah Curran led the Dragons on the offensive end by scoring 24 points, which was her highest scoring total of the season thus far in Colonial Athletic Association games. It was the first time in the calendar year that Curran eclipsed the 20-point mark in a game.

While Curran ended up leading the Dragons in points, it was freshman Bailey Greenberg and senior Jessica Pellechio who sparked Drexel’s offense in the first quarter. Greenberg made Drexel’s first two baskets, the first on a layup and the second on a jumper in the paint. Then, on the following possession, Pellechio hit a three-pointer from the corner to give Drexel an early 7-2 at the 7:19 mark in the first quarter.

Pellechio hit another three at the 5:15 mark in the first, and Greenberg made another layup at the 4:01 clip. By then, Drexel was out to a 16-3 lead over the Huskies. Curran piled onto her team’s lead with a three-pointer towards the end of the quarter.

While the Drexel offense was impressive early on, with contributions from Curran, Greenberg and Pellechio, it was the Dragons’ defense that allowed them to create distance from Northeastern. After allowing Northeastern’s Francesca Sally to make a layup during the game’s opening possession, the Dragons did not give up another field goal until there were 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Sarah Curran exploded on offense in the second quarter, scoring 10 of Drexel’s 18 points in that period. However, Drexel’s defense slowed a little bit and allowed Northeastern to match them with 18 points in the second quarter.

Despite their defensive woes in the second period, the Dragons went into halftime holding on to a comfortable 37-23 lead.

In the second half, Pellechio got things started again on the offensive side for Drexel. Pellechio buried a three-pointer on the opening possession of the third quarter. After an empty trip on offense by Northeastern, senior Meghan Creighton knocked down a triple of her own to give Drexel a 43-23 lead.

Then, after another defensive stop by the Dragons, Brown cashed in on a mid-range jump shot at the 8:37 mark in the third quarter. Moments later, Curran converted on a layup, which gave the Dragons a 47-23 lead on a 10-0 run to begin the second half.

From that point on, it was cruise control for the Dragons, whose lead did not dip below 20 for the remainder of the game.

By game’s end, Curran had 24, Pellechio had 18 and Greenberg had 10, which marked the twelfth time this season that Drexel had at least three double digits scorers. In those twelve games, the Dragons have a perfect 12-0 record.

Creighton finished with nine assists, which was a season-high for her.

The victory improved Drexel’s record to 15-5 for the season and 6-3 in the CAA. It was a much needed victory because it allowed Drexel to remained tied with University of Delaware (6-3) for third place in the conference and kept the Dragons within striking distance of JMU (7-2) and Elon University (8-1).

Despite the win against Northeastern, Drexel was unable to take down JMU on the road Jan. 27 in a game that would have given the Dragons sole possession of second place.

JMU has dominated the matchup over the past few years, especially at home, with the Dragons last win against the Dukes coming March 16, 2013 in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament.

Despite having a depleted roster in comparison to their past three seasons, JMU has been competitive this season in large part because of senior guard Precious Hall. Average 23.9 points per game, Hall not only leads the CAA in scoring, but she is also fourth in the entire nation in that category.

Coach Dillon said her team’s goal on the defensive end was to hold Hall and her teammates to a total of 56 points for the game. She believed that if the Dragons could do that, they’d have a shot at winning the game.

Drexel was on pace to accomplish that in the first half, limiting JMU to 24 points on 37.4 percent shooting from the field. However, struggles on the offensive end were Drexel’s achilles heel in the half. As a team, the Dragons scored just 14 points on a putrid 17.9 percent shooting from the field in the game’s opening two quarters.

Surprisingly, the Dragons appeared to be intimidated in the first half. Curran, Creighton and Pellechio, the team’s senior captains and top scorers, were out of sync. The trio combined to score just five points on two-of-14 shooting and committed a total of five turnovers in the first half.

If the Dragons were going to have any shot of climbing back in the second quarter, they needed their seniors to step up. Step up, they did.

At the 6:38 mark in the third quarter, Creighton connected for a three-pointer that brought the Dragons within seven points of the Dukes. The three was Creighton’s first made field goal of the game. Then, at the 4:43 point in the third, Creighton struck again from deep, knocking in a three-pointer that cut JMU’s lead over Drexel to 31-26.

On Drexel’s following possession, Greenberg, who made a three point basket earlier in the third, got fouled on her way up to the basket, but managed to convert on the layup to set up an old fashioned three point attempt. After Greenberg sank her free throw attempt, the Dragons’ were trailing JMU 31-29. The Dukes ended the period on a 5-2 run and took a 36-31 lead into the game’s final quarter.

The fourth quarter did not begin the way the Dragons had hoped, as JMU’s Logan Reynolds made a three pointer to extend the Dukes’ lead to eight. After Greenberg went one for two from the free throw line on Drexel’s next possession, JMU scored a minute later to extend its lead to nine.

Curran made a mid-range jumper at the 6:24 mark, but Hall responded with a layup to maintain JMU’s nine-point advantage.

At the 5:31 mark, sophomore Tereza Kracikova drove to the basket and finished in traffic to once again bring the Dragons within seven. On the ensuing JMU possession, the Dragons forced Hall to commit a turnover, and Curran capitalized on the offensive end by hitting a jumper in the paint off of an assist by Creighton, making the score 43-38 in favor of the Dukes.

The Dragons held JMU scoreless on its next offensive possession, which was followed by a Greenberg layup at the 4:10 mark to cut the Dukes’ lead to three.

After Kamiah Smalls scored a layup for JMU, Kracikova answered at the 3:36 mark with a basket of her own to keep the Dragons within three.

Then, at the 2:29 mark, Curran dropped in a jumper to make the score 45-44. It looked as if JMU was ready to complete the collapse.

However, just as doubt began to creep in for the Dukes, their superstar responded. After Curran’s jumper, Hall took a contested three-point shot from several feet behind the line and made it, all net, to push JMU’s lead back up to four.

After a couple of empty possessions both both teams, Curran knocked in a three-pointer, with ice in her veins, with just a minute and twelve seconds left in the game. Curran’s three once again got the Dragons within one point of the Dukes.

On the next JMU possession, Drexel forced Hall to turn the ball over again with just 52 seconds left. Coach Dillon immediately called a timeout to draw up a play.

Whatever she drew up worked, as Brown got open for a three-point attempt from the top-right of the arc with 37 seconds to go. Brown hesitated, perhaps in disbelief of how open she was, and then hoisted up a three that would have given the Dragons the lead.

Brown’s shot missed, but it hit the side of the rim and took a weird hop. Kracikova dove on the loose ball before it was wrapped up by a JMU player, which resulted in a jump ball. With the possession arrow in favor of Drexel, coach Dillon called a timeout to set up another shot.

This time, it was Lidge who got a good look at the basket. Lidge drove the lane and tossed up a runner in the the paint, but her shot hit the front rim and bounced away from the basket. Amber Porter of JMU came down with the rebound and was fouled immediately by Lidge. After Porter made both of her free throws, extending JMU’s lead to 50-47, coach Dillon called a timeout to set up a three point play to tie the game.

Creighton ended up taking a deep three-pointer, but she couldn’t get it to go. JMU got the rebound and closed out the game by making free throws. Considering how many chances they had at the end to pull out the victory, it was a tough loss for the Dragons.

Drexel will have a chance to keep pace with JMU this week as the Dragons’ go on the road to play the College of Charleston on Feb. 3.

After suffering a crushing 75-65 road loss to Elon University Jan. 15, the Drexel University women’s basketball team won back-to-back games at home against College of Charleston Jan. 20 and Hofstra University Jan. 22.

With their back-to-back victories, the Dragons improved to 5-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association, which has them tied for second with James Madison University (5-2) and trailing Elon (6-1) by just one game.

Freshman Bailey Greenberg was named CAA rookie of the week, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in her two starts for Drexel.

In their most recent victory, the Dragons cruised past Hofstra with a 65-43 win at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Senior Sarah Curran led the way for Drexel, scoring 17 points off of seven of 12 shooting from the floor, and three of four shooting from deep. She also pulled down seven rebounds in her 36 minutes of play.

Curran got off to a hot start and scored the first seven points of the game for the Dragons, showing her range by making a layup, hitting a jumper in the paint and draining a three-pointer. She hit another three in the closing minute of the first quarter, finishing the frame with 10 points.

After trailing Hofstra 8-7 with 3:17 remaining in the first quarter, Drexel went on a 9-2 run to end the period and take control of the game. Curran hit another big three-pointer at the 6:49 lead in the second quarter to increase Drexel’s lead to 21-13. Greenberg made a layup on the Dragons’ next possession to give them their first double digit lead of the game.

After Hofstra’s Aleana Leon hit a jump shot to make the score 23-15, Greenberg responded with another layup to once again push the Dragons’ lead to double figures. Greenberg scored again on Drexel’s ensuing possession, giving her six points in just over two minutes.

Senior Meghan Creighton hit a three-pointer at the 3:10 mark in the second quarter, giving Drexel a 30-18 lead and its third double digit advantage of the game. From that point on, Drexel dominated Hofstra and didn’t allow the Pride to cut their lead under 12 for the rest of the game.

Drexel took a 35-21 into halftime, with Curran and Greenberg leading the Dragons in points, having scored 13 and eight respectively.

The Dragons continued to dominate Hofstra in the second half as their lead got up to as many as 25 points. Creighton had a strong second half, scoring eight points on three of four shooting from the field and two of three shooting from beyond the arc. She also dished out three assists and picked up two steals in the half.

Junior Kelsi Lidge played showstopping defense, particularly in the second half where she  recorded five steals in 13 minutes. She finished the game with six total steals.

Junior Sara Woods and sophomore Tereza Kracikova were also impressive in the second half where both scored seven points.

With several role players contributing at a high level, Drexel outscored Hofstra 30-22 in the second half and cruised to a 65-43 victory. For the game, the Dragons held the Pride to just 28.3 percent shooting from the field and forced them to commit 23 turnovers.

As it has been through head coach Denise Dillon’s tenure, Drexel’s defense has arguably been the biggest reason for the team’s success this season. Currently, the Dragons have the best scoring defense in the CAA, giving up an average of just 54.1 points per game.

Balanced scoring has also been a factor. With Curran getting 17, Greenberg finishing with 12 and Creighton reaching 11, their game against Hofstra was the 11th for the Dragons this season in which at least three scorers reached 10 points, and in those contests Drexel has a perfect 11-0 record.

Another interesting stat to note is Meghan Creighton’s three-point field goal percentage this season. Creighton finished the game against Hofstra by shooting three of six from downtown, which, percentage wise, was barely above her shot efficiency for the season.

Through 18 games, Creighton is shooting an astronomical 49 percent from three, which not only leads the CAA by a wide margin, but also has her ranked as the fifth most efficient long distance shooter in all of Division I women’s basketball. Kamile Nacickaite set the Drexel single season record in 2010-2011 for three-point percent, making 47.8 percent of her looks from long range. The way she’s shooting right now, Creighton has a chance to rewrite the Drexel record book.

Creighton was also effective from three point range in Drexel’s 70-57 win over College of Charleston Jan. 20. In that contest, Creighton made three of five triples to score a team second high of nine points.

However, Drexel’s win against the Cougars was anything but a one person show on offense. It was actually the exact opposite as eight different Dragons, including Curran, Creighton, Greenberg, senior Jessica Pellechio, Lidge, Woods, Kracikova and freshman Aubree Brown finished the game with at least seven points.

The Cougars hung in with the Dragons during the first two frames, with the score at halftime 31-26 in favor of Drexel. However, Drexel took control of the game in the third quarter when it was able to increase its lead to as many as 12 points.

In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Cougars were able to cut Drexel’s lead to eight, but Creighton responded with a three at the 8:22 mark to push the Dragons’ lead back to 11. From that point on, the Cougars were unable to come within single digits of the Dragons and Drexel pulled away for a 70-57 win.

The Dragons will look to capitalize on the momentum of their back-to-back wins as they travel to Virginia to take on James Madison University Jan. 27. Drexel has not beaten JMU since the CAA semifinals game March 16, 2013. Now, more than ever, the Dragons would like to break that streak, as a victory against the Dukes would give Drexel sole possession of second place in the CAA.

Having already been defeated by them at home Jan. 6, the Drexel University women’s basketball team lost 75-65 on the road against Elon University Jan. 15, giving the Phoenix a regular season sweep of the Dragons.

With three-time defending Colonial Athletic Association champion James Madison University having a far weaker roster than we are accustomed to seeing, it looked as if this would finally be the year that Denise Dillon’s squad took home the CAA Championship and got to the NCAA Tournament.

Their early season upset of tenth-ranked Syracuse University and their subsequent seven-game winning streak had them ranked by ESPN as the number one mid-major team in the nation. However, that couldn’t seem more distant after the Dragons’ second loss to Elon in just nine days.

The Jan. 6 meeting between these two teams was a defensive battle, with Drexel shooting 29.4 percent from the floor and Elon shooting 39 percent from the floor. In that meeting, Elon pulled out the 48-45 victory. Compared to the first game they played, the rematch between the Dragons and the Phoenix was a shootout, particularly in the second half.

Senior guard Jessica Pellechio led the offense with 24 points and continued on her three-point shooting hot streak, connecting on six of 12 triples. After being held scoreless in the first quarter, Pellechio came alive in the second and dropped 13 of Drexel’s 14 points that period.

Despite Pellechio’s offensive outburst, the Dragons were unable to take control of the game in the first half because Shay Burnett and Lauren Brown both got off to strong starts for Elon. Burnett and Brown each had 8 points through the opening two frames for the Phoenix, which helped to give Elon a 36-31 lead at the break.

It did not help the Dragons that juniors Kelsi Lidge and Sara Woods, two of their key defensive players, both had three personal fouls before halftime. Lidge, the team’s only junior captain, picked up her fourth foul just after the halfway point of the third quarter, forcing her to sit out for the rest of the period. Her absence on the defensive end was felt immediately as Elon scored 15 points off of a near perfect six of seven shooting from the floor in the four minutes and 13 seconds that Lidge sat on the bench in the third quarter.

Regardless of their defensive struggles in the third quarter, Pellechio’s shooting kept Drexel in the game. She made three more three-pointers in the second half, including a clutch shot that tied the game 47-47 at the 3:48 mark in the third quarter.

After Pellechio netted a mid-range jumper at the 3:07 mark in the third, this time tying the game at 49-49, it appeared as if Drexel was going to take control of the game. However, Elon closed out the quarter on a furious 11-2 run to regain control of momentum and take a 60-51 lead into the closing period.

The Phoenix scored after an offensive rebound on their first possession in the fourth, and from that point on, they didn’t look back.

Senior Sarah Curran ended up scoring seven points in the fourth, but it was too little too late for the Dragons. Drexel couldn’t stop Lauren Brown, who ended the game with 19 points on three of six shooting from deep.

It was a disappointing loss for a Drexel team that had a chance reclaim control over its own destiny in the CAA standings. Now sitting at 3-2 in conference games, with both losses coming against 5-0 Elon, the Dragons will need help from their CAA counterparts if they want to capture the top-seed for the postseasons tournament.

The weekend wasn’t a total wash for Drexel, who annihilated the University of North Carolina at Wilmington 71-38 in a road game Jan. 13.

In the victory, Drexel featured a balanced scoring attack with three players finishing in double digits for points.

Curran led the way for Drexel by scoring 17 points on eight of 14 shooting from the floor. Senior Meghan Creighton had the next highest mark with 12, and freshman Ana Ferariu was the final Dragon to hit double figures, pouring in 10 points on five of seven shooting from the field. Freshman Bailey Greenberg also had a solid outing, posting nine points while shooting a perfect four of four on field goal attempts.

Balanced scoring has been a huge part of Drexel’s success this season, and with the win against UNCW, the Dragons improved to 10-0 in games that they have at least three players score in the double figures. However, in games where two or less players hit 10 points, like the Jan. 15 loss to Elon, Drexel has a 2-4 record.

Drexel currently sits at 12-4 on the season and 3-2 in the season. The Dragons are in fourth place in the conference, trailing 5-0 Elon, 4-1 JMU and 3-1 College of William & Mary. With 13 games remaining in conference play, Drexel has plenty of time to try to move up in the standings. The next game for the Dragons will be a home contest against College of Charleston Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

After having its seven game winning streak snapped in a 48-45 home loss to Elon University Jan. 6, the Drexel University women’s basketball team responded with a 63-33 blowout on the road against Northeastern University Jan. 8.

Senior guard Jessica Pellechio led the charge for the Dragons and picked up the 1,000th point of her career in a 20 point scoring outburst against the Huskies. Pellechio shot a near perfect six of seven from three point range and seven of eight from the field.

Senior guard Meghan Creighton also had a solid outing from deep, scoring 16 points on four of seven
shooting behind the three point arc. Creighton’s three point shot has been virtually automatic
this season. Through 14 games, she’s shooting a jaw dropping 51.4 percent on three point shot attempts, which, if it holds, would be a program record.

Senior forward Sarah Curran was Drexel’s third leading scorer against Northeastern as she dropped 11 points and dished out a team high six assists.

On what was her 21st birthday, Junior forward Sara Woods pulled down a career high 10 rebounds, which led the Dragons for the day.

With Pellechio, Creighton and Curran each reaching double digits, it was the ninth time in 14 games this season that at least three Dragons scored 10 points. In those nine games, Drexel has a perfect 9-0 record. The Dragons’ balanced scoring this season has been a testament to their extraordinary depth, which is the biggest reason they are a threat to win the Colonial Athletic Conference.

Drexel’s contest with Northeastern started off as a back and forth struggle. Pellechio got off to a hot start, connecting on deep three-point shot attempts during Drexel’s second and third positions. Creighton also got off to a strong start in the first quarter, making two jump shots, one of which was a three.

Despite Drexel’s strong start on offense in the first quarter, the Huskies had an answer for nearly every shot that the Dragons made. After the first ten minutes of the contest, Drexel held a narrow 16-14 lead.

However, the Dragons put the clamps on the Huskies offense in the second quarter and held Northeastern to just two points in the period. Drexel forced the Huskies to commit six turnovers and shoot one for twelve from the field in the second quarter.

At the 44 second mark in the second quarter, Pellechio drained a triple, giving her 1,001 points for her career. Her sharpshooting helped Drexel take a 32-16 lead into halftime.

The Dragons dominance continued into the second half, where they outscored the Huskies 31-17. Pellechio missed her only field goal attempt early on in the third quarter, but ended up making three more threes to pad Drexel’s lead.

On the strength of their defense and three point shooting, the Dragons cruised to a 63-33 victory. The win moved their record to 11-3 on the season and 2-1 in the CAA.

Earlier in the week, the Dragons dropped a tough 48-45 contest at home against the Elon Phoenix Jan. 6. It was the first game the Dragons played after ESPN ranked them the number one mid-major team in the nation.

With arguably the two best defensive teams in the CAA facing off, the game was a
defensive showcase. The Phoenix were able to apply a lot of pressure on the Dragons beyond the arc, especially in the first half where they forced Drexel to commit nine turnovers and held the Dragons to one of ten shooting from the three point one.

Despite their struggles on offense, the Dragons were able to remain in control because of their own solid defensive performance. In the first half, Drexel forced Elon to commit 10 turnovers and held them to 7 of 21 shooting from the field.

Heading into halftime, Drexel was clinging to a slim 21-18 lead. The Phoenix took control of the game in the third quarter, where they outscored the Dragons 17-10 and took a 35-31 lead into the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter, it looked as if the Dragons’ offense was coming alive. Drexel went on a 8-0 run in the opening three minutes of the fourth to take a four point lead. The Dragons would hold that lead all the way up until the 32 second mark in the fourth quarter, when Elon’s junior Shay Burnett netted a jumper in the paint to give her team a 46-45 lead.

Drexel had a chance to win the game on the ensuing possession, but the Elon defense gave the Dragons no open looks. Pellechio was forced to pull up for a contested jump shot on the baseline with five
seconds remaining, but airballed. Shortly after Pellechio’s miss, the shot clock expired, and Elon gained possession with just 2.6 seconds remaining.

Elon called a timeout to advance the ball to halfcourt, and Burnett was fouled after the inbounds pass with 1.5 seconds remaining. With Drexel over the limit, Burnett went to the line and nailed both of her free throws to give the Phoenix a 48-45 lead.

Drexel called a timeout to advance the ball to halfcourt and set up a three point play to force overtime. Curran received the inbounds pass and threw up a desperation three point shot from several feet behind the arc. Her shot fell short of the rim, and Elon came away with the 48-45 victory.

Elon’s success in the second half could be attributed to the fact that they were able to limit their turnovers. After halftime, the Phoenix turned the ball over just three times in comparison to eight times by Drexel.

Not only was it the first home loss of the season for the Dragons, but it was also their lowest scoring effort of the season.

Next up on the schedule for the Dragons is a road game against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Jan. 13.

The Drexel University women’s basketball team upset No. 11-ranked Syracuse University 62-61 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center Nov. 21, but lost 78-66 on the road against Bucknell University Nov. 27.

In a matchup on the road with the Syracuse Orange last season, the Dragons lost 83-62 in the Carrier Dome Dec. 29, 2015.

As a team, the Dragons had 25 turnovers against the Orange last season and struggled to beat Syracuse’s suffocating full-court press. Turning the ball over 20-plus times against a team that went to the 2016 NCAA tournament finals, and had four returning senior starters, would be a recipe for disaster for the Dragons.

Heading into their matchup with the Orange Nov. 21, the Dragons focused a big portion of their practice time on effectively beating the full-court press. The work the team put in certainly paid off come game time.

Size-wise, Drexel was completely outmatched. Five-foot-11-inch’ freshman Bailey Greenberg started at center and Syracuse’s 6-foot-4-inch senior center Briana Day towered over her. Day scored 26 points in Syracuse’s win over the Dragons Dec. 29, 2015, as Drexel could not find a way to counter her size and athleticism.

However, in this year’s matchup, the Dragons implemented a 2-3 zone with a focus on preventing Day from getting easy looks. Greenberg and junior Kelsi Lidge did a great job of denying Day the ball on the low block. In the first half, Day managed just four shot attempts and was held to just six points.

While their 2-3 zone defense helped to offset their size disadvantage, the Dragons kept pace with the Orange because of their discipline against the full-court press. Despite constant pressure throughout, Drexel managed just six turnovers in the first half Nov. 21, a drastic improvement from the 14 that the team had against Syracuse in 2015.

Senior guard Meghan Creighton also contributed with arguably the best game of her career. Creighton got rolling early for the Dragons by picking up two steals and connecting on two three-point field goal attempts in the first quarter. She hit her third three-pointer just minutes into the second quarter.

When Creighton wasn’t draining shots from deep, senior Sarah Curran was getting buckets in and around the paint. Curran, the team’s leading scorer for the past three seasons, was held scoreless in the first quarter, but she erupted for ten points in the second quarter.

With just 58 seconds remaining in the first half, Curran made a three-pointer to give the Dragons a 31-28 lead. The Orange would respond on the next possession with a made three-pointer from freshman Gabby Cooper. The two teams went into halftime with the score knotted at 31-31, and the Dragons were in prime position to pull off the upset.

Despite their performance in the first half, the Dragons were well aware of what a team as talented as Syracuse could do if they let up even just a little bit in the second half. Last year, with the score tied 34-34 at halftime, Drexel was outscored 49-28 by Syracuse in the second half. However, Drexel was poised to prevent that from happening for a second straight meeting.

Coming out of halftime, the Dragons struggled offensively on their first couple of possessions, but a three-point field goal from senior Jessica Pellechio at the 7:52 mark in the third quarter ended their scoreless stretch.

The third quarter was a bloodbath, with the lead shifting back and forth five times. Creighton continued her hot shooting and made two more three-pointers in the third quarter to help the Dragons keep pace with the Orange. With 1:23 remaining in the third, Creighton nailed a three-pointer to give the Dragons a 44-41.

Syracuse would go on a 5-0 run to end the third quarter, which included a layup by senior Alexis Peterson as the clock expired.

Despite trailing the eleventh-ranked team in the nation by just two points, the Dragons were unable to capitalize on a few big opportunities. In the third quarter alone, they missed five layups, including three on fast break opportunities. Missed chances aside, the Dragons had played well enough to earn an upset.

After a couple of scoreless possessions by both teams, Creighton made the first field goal of the fourth quarter when she hit a three-pointer at the 8:22 mark and gave the Dragons a 47-46 lead.

Bria Day responded immediately for the Orange. On the ensuing possession, Day scored a layup while being fouled. She knocked down her free throw attempt to make the score 49-47 in favor of Syracuse. Cooper then made a layup at the 6:30 mark to extend Syracuse’s lead to 51-47.

Moments later, Lidge made a clutch jump shot for the Dragons to cut Syracuse’s lead in half. After a Brittney Sykes layup for the Orange, junior Sarah Woods responded with a two-point jump shot for the Dragons.

Sykes caught fire for the Orange down the stretch. She made two more baskets in the closing minutes and extended Syracuse’s lead to 57-51 with just 2:23 remaining.

Following Sykes’ layup, Curran missed a three-pointer for the Dragons, and it appeared as if Syracuse was going to close out the game. However, Lidge stole the ball from Sykes on Syracuse’s ensuing possession, and Sykes subsequently fouled Lidge.

After the play was over, a technical foul was called on Sykes, which sent Creighton to the free throw line. Creighton connected on both technical free throws to cut Syracuse’s lead to four.

Despite getting possession of the ball after Creighton’s free throws, the Dragon’s committed a turnover and Gabby Cooper got to the free throw line after being fouled on a fastbreak layup. Cooper missed one of her two free throws, which made the Syracuse lead 58-53 with 1:48 remaining in the contest.

Curran was fouled by Day when the Dragons inbounded the ball, so Curran went to the line and made both of her free throws to cut the lead back down to three. Briana Day was then fouled on Syracuse’s next possession, and she made both of her free throws to make the score 60-55 Syracuse.

In a high pressure situation, Greenberg made a layup for the Dragons and cut Syracuse’s lead to 60-57 with 1:07 left. Syracuse the committed a turnover, and Curran made layup for the Dragons with 20 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, cutting Syracuse’s lead to 60-59.

The Dragons fouled Alexis Peterson when Syracuse inbounded the ball, and she went to the line with a chance to seal the game for the Orange. Peterson missed her first shot, but made her second to give the Orange a 61-59 lead with 18 seconds left on the clock.

Drexel broke Syracuse’s press on their final possession, and Kelsi Lidge got an open lane to basket. When Lidge began to Drive, the Syracuse defense collapsed on her, so Lidge kicked the ball out to a wide open Meghan Creighton. Just as she had been doing all game long, Creighton buried a jump shot from behind the three-point line to give Drexel a 62-61 lead with just eight seconds remaining in the game.

“The game is a fast paced game so you don’t have much time to think, but I saw Kelsi Lidge coming down the floor and I just figured she’s going to drive to the basket and hopefully my girl helps and I’m just going to spot up, so that’s what I did,” Creighton said after the game.

Following Creighton’s buckets, Alexis Peterson took the inbound pass and dribbled to Drexel’s free throw line. She pulled up for a mid-range jumper, but her shot hit the back iron and bounced away. The clock hit zero, the red lights went off, and the fans in attendance rushed the court as the Dragons pulled off the upset over the Orange with a thrilling 62-61 victory.

Creightons game winning three-pointer was significant in multiple ways. Not only did it give the Dragons the victory, but it also gave Creighton a team and career high in scoring.

“I had the hot hand today so I caught it, I was open and at the end of the game you gotta take the shot. So I took the shot and picked a good day to get my career high,” Creighton said.

It was also her seventh three-pointer of the game, which marked a personal best and was just one shy of the Drexel single game record of eight, a feat that teammate Jessica Pellechio accomplished in the season opener Nov. 11.

“Meg had the hot hand and pulled the trigger. Didn’t hesitate for that final three and it was exciting, ” Drexel head coach Denise Dillon said after the game Nov. 21.

Creighton was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week for her efforts against the Orange.

Coach Dillon was excited with the win and was pleased with how her team was able to execute its game plan.

“I was happy we didn’t go for the tie, I didn’t want to see another five minutes on the clock. So, I think that’s why everyone was standing around the three-point line,” Dillon said.

Curran was the second leading scorer for the Dragons and finished with 14 points.

Greenberg had a solid outing with ten points and five rebounds.

Pellechio led the team with six rebounds.

Lidge contributed in multiple facets of the game, pulling down four rebounds, coming up with four steals, and dishing out a team high-six assists.

Drexel followed up its dramatic win against Syracuse with a disappointing loss on the road against Bucknell Nov. 27.

The Dragons got off to a slow start and trailed Bucknell 21-12 by the end of the first quarter.

Behind sharp shooting from the three-point line, Drexel fought back to tie the game 31-31 at the 2:57 mark in the second quarter. Creighton, Pellechio and Greenberg each made two three-pointers during the Dragons second quarter surge.

Despite Drexel’s explosion from behind the arc, Bucknell finished the first half on a 8-1 run and went into halftime with a 39-32 lead.

Coming out of halftime, it appeared as if the Dragons were going to take control of the game. Curran made a three-point shot in the opening seconds that cut Bucknell’s lead to four. It was the first of three consecutive three-point shots that Curran would hit in the opening minutes of the half.

Curran scored the first 11 points of the second half for the Dragons, who managed to stay competitive for Bucknell halfway through the third quarter. However, Bucknell began to pull away and went on a 12-4 run to end the third.

Trailing 61-49 at the beginning of the final quarter, the Dragons began to struggle offensively. After freshman Aubree Brown made a layup at the 9:17 mark, the Dragons proceeded to miss their next seven field goal attempts. Bucknell capitalized on Drexel’s struggles and extended its lead to as much as 18.

The deficit proved to be too much for the Dragons to overcome, and they fell to Bucknell 78-66.

Next up on the schedule for the Dragons is a road game against Cornell University Dec. 3.

The Drexel University women’s basketball team won its first two games of the season at home against Penn State University on Nov. 11 and Delaware State University on Nov.13, but lost on the road against Vanderbilt University on Nov. 16.

The Dragons kicked their season off with an 83-60 victory in their home opener against Penn State University on Nov. 11.

Despite scoring first in the contest as a result of junior Kelsi Lidge scoring a fastbreak layup off of a steal, Drexel struggled to get its offense going throughout and trailed the Nittany Lions 15-11 by the end of the first quarter. With just under seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, Penn State increased its lead to six points, but that was the biggest lead it would manage during the game.

Trailing 21-15, the Dragons began to turn the game around thanks in part to freshman Bailey Greenberg’s first career basket, which came off a jump shot in the paint. Greenberg made another jumper, 30 seconds later off an assist from freshman Aubree Brown, to cut Penn State’s lead to two.

On the Dragons next possession, Brown drained a three-pointer, her second of the game, which put Drexel ahead for the first time since the game’s opening seconds.

The two teams traded the lead six times in the final five minutes of the second quarter, but senior Jessica Pellechio connected from three-point range on back to back possessions to give the Dragons a three-point advantage with a minute left in the half.

In the closing seconds of the first half, junior Sara Woods made a layup in traffic, drew a foul call and converted on a free throw attempt to complete a momentum-altering and-one. Following Woods’ trip to the line, the two teams went back to their respective locker rooms with the Dragons leading the Nittany Lions 36-32.

Having struggled a little bit with her shot in the first half, Jessica Pellechio set the tone for the Dragons coming out of halftime. On Drexel’s opening possession in the third quarter, Pellechio buried a three, off an assist from Greenberg, to push her team’s lead to seven. Later on in the quarter, with Penn State threatening to cut Drexel’s lead to a single possession, Pellechio nailed another three to keep the Dragons ahead by eight points.

Drexel took several 10-point leads throughout the third quarter, but Penn State managed to stay within striking distance. Entering the fourth quarter, the Dragons had a 59-53 lead.

In the first few minutes of the quarter, Penn State was able to cut Drexel’s lead to four. The final seven minutes of the game quickly became the Jessica Pellechio show.

At the six and a half minute mark, Pellechio made a three to extend Drexel’s lead to 64-57. Then, on the following Dragons’ possession, Pellechio sank her sixth three of the game to push Drexel’s lead back to ten.

After an empty Penn State possession, Greenberg got fouled and made two free throws to give Drexel a 12 point lead, their largest of the game up to that point, with just five minutes to go.

Following Greenberg’s free throws, Pellechio put an exclamation point on her performance by hitting three-pointers on back to back possessions, which capped a 14-0 run by the Dragons. Drexel’s lead proved to be insurmountable as they defeated Penn State 83-60.

Pellechio finished the game with a career high of 30 points,  tying a Drexel record with eight made three-point field goals. What was most impressive about her scoring outburst was the fact that 28 of her points came in the second half. She shot 8-15 from behind the arc and dished out three assists as the teams’ top statistical performer.

“Jess has great ability to shoot the ball, and when she does miss, I think it’s such a minor adjustment she has to make, so she’s learning that, she’s aware and she’s really listening and honing in on knocking down a big shot,” Drexel head coach Denise Dillon said on Nov. 15.

Greenberg was impressive in her first career game, scoring 11 points and pulling down three rebounds for the Dragons.

“I just feel [Greenberg’s] ability to do some things on the floor that other players can’t naturally do. The rebounding area, we struggle, we get out-rebounded so often, and I think she brings that [rebounding] with each and every possession, on both ends of the floor,” coach Dillon said

Junior Sarah Curran quietly had a productive evening for the Dragon’s. She scored 14 points and had 3 assists in the winning effort.

Lidge and senior Meghan Creighton provided a spark for Drexel’s defense as they tied for a team high with three steals. Creighton also led the Dragons in assists.

Following their win against Penn State, the Dragon’s carried their momentum into their game with Delaware State University on Nov. 13.

In the first half, despite their eventual 33-17 lead, the Dragons appeared to be a bit disconnected.

“I wasn’t pleased with our overall effort to start the Delaware State game. I thought we came out a little flat, I didn’t feel like we had the energy that we need every game,” coach Dillon said.

Following her performance against Penn State, Pellechio struggled from three-point range early, going 0-5 from deep in the first half. Despite her offensive struggles, she was able to crash the boards for a team-high six rebounds in the first two quarters.

Turnovers were also an issue for the Dragons in the first half, as they gave possessions away to Delaware State nine times. However, led by Lidge’s three steals, the Dragons were able to force Delaware State to commit 10 first-half giveaways.

Towards the end of the second quarter, Sarah Curran began to pour it offensively in an effort to take charge of the game for Drexel. After the Dragon’s went on a five-minute run in which they managed just two points, Curran scored seven points in the final 77 seconds of the second quarter, which gave the Dragons a 17 point halftime lead.

“Going into halftime, I thought Sarah Curran did a nice job… We weren’t playing together the way we needed to, and Sarah really stepped up, which she should. You know, your best player needs to take that responsibility and she really stretched the lead for us,” coach Dillon said.

Curran continued her offensive hot streak in the third quarter. From the minute mark in the second quarter to just after the six-minute mark in the third quarter, Curran was the only player from either team to score. She scored seven unanswered points for the Dragons to open up the third quarter, which helped extend their lead to 39-16.

Halfway through the third quarter, the game was well out of reach for Delaware State. Drexel cruised to a 69-44 victory.

Curran finished the game with a Dragons’ high in both points scored with 18, and assists with seven. She also pulled down four rebounds and managed two steals.

Pellechio reached double digits for scoring again with 10 points and she led the Dragons with eight rebounds.

Greenberg was impressive yet again. She scored 10 points, all of which came in the first half, grabbed seven rebounds, and shot 2-3 from the three-point line.

“You look at Bailey Greenberg in that second game, she has the range to shoot the three, so I think that’ll make her even more lethal out on the court, around the basket, having extended her range to the three,” coach Dillon said.

Creighton had another solid game as point guard as she distributed six assists while committing just one turnover.

Lidge finished with a team-high of four steals, and it was the second consecutive game in which she recorded at least three steals.

Aubree Brown turned in a solid defensive performance with three steals of her own.

Freshmen Niki Metzel and Ana Ferariu played the first minutes of their Dragon careers. Metzel ended up with six points on 2-2 shooting from the field and 2-3 shooting from the free throw line. Ferariu got her first career points on a three-point basket in the fourth quarter.

Three days later, the Dragons were on the road against Vanderbilt University on Nov. 16. The Dragons got off to a hot start and had a 27-19 lead halfway through the second quarter. However, the Dragons were ice cold from behind the arc the rest of the quarter, and Vanderbilt went on a 15-5 run to take a 34-32 lead into halftime.

The lead shifted back and forth for the rest of the way. With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Meghan Creighton made a huge three-point basket to tie the game at 60-60. However, Vanderbilt went on a 13-3 run in the final three minutes and ended up with a 72-62 victory.

Curran was Drexel’s lead point scorer with 19. She also had four assists.

Pellechio scored 18 points, which was good for the second highest individual total by a Dragon.

Creighton scored six points and dished out a team and season high with eight assists.

Next up for the Dragon’s is a home game against Syracuse University at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.

The Drexel University men’s soccer season came to an end with a pair of 1-0 losses last week to William & Mary University Oct. 29 and College of Charleston Nov. 1.

With the two losses, the Dragons extended their double-digit losing streak to 12 consecutive games. During that 12 game stretch, the Dragons managed to score just two goals.

The Tribe dominated the game Oct. 29 from the first blow of the whistle. In the first 12 minutes, the Tribe outshot the Dragons six to one. Fortunately for the Dragons, none of those six shots by the Tribe were on goal.

Finally in the 20th minute, the Tribe got a shot on goal, but it was met by the hands of Afflerbach, who picked up what would be the first of many saves on the afternoon. Afflerbach saved two more shots before the first half came to a close.

In the closing seconds of the half, the Dragons had a chance to take the lead when sophomore Robert Smith put a shot on goal halfway through the 45th minute. However, Smith’s shot attempt was saved by the Tribe’s goalkeeper Phil Breno and the two teams entered halftime scoreless.

The Dragons were outshot 12 to 3 in the first half, and that differential would only get worse in the second half. Smith’s shot at the end of the first would be the final one attempted by a Dragon.

In the second half, the Tribe got off 16 shot attempts, but they struggled to find the back of the net.

Part of their struggles could be attributed to Tyler Afflerbach’s all-time career effort. Afflerbach saved seven shots in the second half, which gave him ten saves for entire game, a new career high. With his save against William Eskay’s shot in the 67th minute, Afflerbach moved into a tie with Mike Habermann for sixth place on the Drexel career saves list. Less than two minutes later, Afflerbach picked up another saves to move into sole possession of sixth place.

Entering the final minutes of play, it appeared as if Afflerbach’s historic effort would be enough to force the game into overtime. However, in the 89th minute, Antonio Bustamante broke the scoreless tie and the Dragons’ hearts with a goal off of an assist from Eskay. The Dragons had no time to counter, so the game ended as a 1-0 win for the Tribe.

Unfortunately for Afflerbach, it was more of the same story in the Dragons 1-0 loss to the  the College of Charleston Nov. 1.

In the season finale, both the Dragons and the College of Charleston Cougars struggled offensively. As a team, the Dragons managed just one shot attempt in the first half, which came when junior Colin McGlynn headed the ball towards the Cougars goal, but it was blocked by a defender.

The Cougars managed to get a few shots on goal, but Drexel’s senior keeper Tyler Afflerbach was a brick wall in his final game as a Dragon. Afflerbach made three saves within a 12 minute stretch during the first half.

With the score tied at halftime, the Dragons were still in position to put an end to their losing streak.

Following an Afflerbach save in the 46th minute, the Dragons went on the attack and junior Erik Alexandersson was able to place a shot on goal in the 49th minute only to be sent away by the Cougar’s goalkeeper Brian Kilgallon.

Kilgallon’s save swung the momentum in the favor of the Cougars, who attacked down the field and broke the scoreless tie when Vebjorn Krovel assisted Paul Burdick on a goal in the 52nd minute.

Following Burdick’s goal, there was a lull in offensive action until the 70th minute when Drexel freshman Daniel Klemm headed shot wide of the goal post on an attempt to equalize the score.

A few moments later in the 75 minute, the Cougars put pressure on the Dragons defense, but Afflerbach again stood tall and saved three shots in a span of four minutes.

With 31 seconds remaining in the game, the Dragons got one final shot to draw even with the Cougars when junior Connor Ryan fired a shot towards the Cougars goal. Ryan’s shot was blocked by the Cougar defense. Shortly after, the clock ran out and the game ended 1-0 in favor of the Cougars.

In a losing effort, Afflerbach had a tremendous game for the Dragons. He finished the day with seven saves against the Cougars.

The losses brought the Dragons’ record to 1-14-2 on the season and 0-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association. In the seventeen games they played, the Dragons managed to score just seven goals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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