Minnesota Wild left wing Mike Rupp fights Philadelphia Flyers left wing Jay Rosehill during the second period at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 2. The Wild shut out the Flyers 2-0, halting the Orange and Black’s two-game winning streak. Rosehill has one goal and 42 penalty minutes so far this season.

Following a brief two-game road trip through Florida in which the Philadelphia Flyers fell in games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Orange and Black were quick to right the ship and have gone 3-1 in their last four games.

Upon returning home from their tour of Florida, the Flyers were faced with the task of playing the Winnipeg Jets Nov. 29. Philadelphia was handed an overtime loss by the Jets just two weeks earlier. Fueled by the home crowd, the Flyers were quick to get on top of the Jets early. Scott Hartnell took advantage of a Winnipeg mistake in their defensive zone to put his team up 1-0 only 48 seconds into the game. Sean Couturier provided all the offense in the second period, as he netted a short-handed goal to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. The Jets tallied one in the third period, but it was not enough for a comeback, as goalie Steve Mason shut the door once again to propel Philadelphia to a 2-1 victory.

“Getting the victory over Winnipeg at the Wells Fargo Center was huge for the Flyers,” third-year mechanical engineering major Jon Bry said. “The win gave the team some momentum heading into a tough six-game road trip.”

Following their victory over Winnipeg, the Flyers did not have much time to celebrate, as they headed to Nashville for a game against the Predators the very next day. Coming off the quick turnaround, the Flyers had a tough task in facing a hungry Predators squad. Philadelphia did catch a break, however, as star defenseman Shea Weber was out of Nashville’s lineup after taking a puck to the face in their previous game.

For the first time all season, head coach Craig Berube made the decision to start Steve Mason in consecutive games, and the move paid off. Nashville came out of the gate throwing pucks at net, consistently outshooting Philadelphia, and Mason stood tall. The Flyers tallied first, as Claude Giroux put home his fourth goal of the season. But the lead was short-lived, as Nashville’s Mike Fisher evened the score only a minute later.

The second period was highlighted by the goaltenders, as both sides put up zeros. Nashville jumped on the Flyers in the beginning of the third period, as Colin Wilson put his team ahead. The Flyers appeared to be slow through the neutral zone and looked to be feeling the effects from playing the night before. With seven minutes left in the final stanza, Couturier provided his team with the necessary offense, snapping home a shot to draw the game even.

The two teams remained tied through the conclusion of the third period and overtime, which left the game down to a shootout, a situation that the Flyers have had little success with over the years. Vincent Lecavalier put home the only goal the Flyers would need, as Mason was 3-3 in saves to secure the win.

In the second game of their road trip, the Flyers headed to Minnesota Dec. 2 for a date with the Wild. After starting back-to-back games, Mason received the night off and Ray Emery took the net.

While the Flyers were finding ways to win in their previous two games, their offense still had its struggles, and it showed against the Wild. Minnesota consistently disrupted Philadelphia in the neutral zone throughout the entire game, and the Flyers were unable to put sufficient pressure on net. Although Emery proved strong on his end, the Wild were still able to get two past him en route to their 2-0 victory.

The Flyers’ effort against Minnesota was a step back for a team still trying to find its way offensively. Philadelphia recorded a mediocre 21 shots on Wild goalie Josh Harding, who proved to be the difference in the game.

Following a disappointing showing in Minnesota, the Flyers had a travel day to head to Detroit for a matchup with the Red Wings Dec. 4 at Joe Louis Arena. Coming into the game, Philadelphia had only one win in the past 24 years in the Red Wings’ home arena, a stat that would change by the end of the night.

Unlike the Flyers’ previous three games, their game against Detroit was largely driven by offense, including a monstrous third period for Philadelphia. The Red Wings got an early jump on the Flyers as they tallied first, but a Steve Downie power-play goal knotted the two teams at the first intermission.

The second period was controlled largely by Detroit, as they tallied twice in the frame to grab a two-goal advantage, but that would be all they would get. Following the Red Wings’ third goal, the Flyers offense took over. Matt Read put home a wrister with just over three minutes left in the second period to bring the Flyers within one and give his team the momentum heading into the final frame.

The third period was all positive for the Flyers and their fans. Philadelphia jumped on Detroit early, as Giroux netted a power-play goal five minutes into the period, starting an onslaught. Couturier gave the Flyers their first lead of the night just three minutes later, tipping a pass from Downie off the post and past Jimmy Howard. Just over a minute later, Hartnell widened the gap with the Flyers’ third power-play goal of the night. Philadelphia cruised from there, as Couturier capped off the win with an empty-net goal to give the Flyers a 6-3 victory.

“I think that is the best offensive display I have seen from the Flyers all season,” fourth-year information technology student John Levin said. “Couturier has really stepped up his game of late and has proved to be a real difference maker for the team.”

In the Flyers’ three most recent wins, their third line proved to be the difference. The combination of Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Steve Downie has paid huge dividends for Philadelphia. The line has accounted for much of the team’s offense in recent games and has consistently created opportunities when on the ice. Couturier, in particular, proved to be a major factor against Detroit, as he tallied the first four-point game of his career.

In injury news, Lecavalier is day-to-day with back spasms. Other than that, the Flyers are mostly healthy, which is something new for a team that has experienced significant injuries in recent seasons.

The Flyers will be back on the ice Dec. 7, when they will travel to the American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Stars.

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Philadelphia Flyers’ Luke Schenn fights Ottawa Senators’ Colin Greening during the second period in Philadelphia on Nov. 19.

After a more than disappointing start to the season, the Philadelphia Flyers finally seem to be turning things around. The Orange and Black have gone 6-2-1 in their last nine games to put themselves back into the playoff picture after the first quarter of the season.

The Flyers have found their scoring touch in their recent hot streak, as the team has scored four or more goals in five of the last eight games. Prior to this stretch of games, Philadelphia had been ranked last in the league in scoring.

The Flyers’ offense has seemed to start and end with captain Claude Giroux. Through the first 15 games of the season, Giroux had been held without a single goal, and the Flyers appeared lifeless on offense. In a game Nov. 9 against the Edmonton Oilers, Giroux beat goalie Devan Dubnyk for his first goal of the season en route to a 4-2 victory. It just so happens that this game marked the start of the Flyers’ hot streak.

Giroux is not the only Flyers player who has stepped up his offensive play lately. Playing alongside linemates Sean Couturier and recently acquired forward Steve Downie, Matt Read has made his presence known, racking up four goals and one assist in his past five games. The Flyers’ young talent has been prominent of late and has caught the attention of the fans.

“Young players like Matt Read have stepped up when the Flyers were down and are continuing to produce now,” Dragan Masic, a third-year Drexel nursing major, said. “With all of the young talent, the Flyers should be an even stronger team in the near future.”

Through their recent stretch of games, the team has had multiple key wins, but perhaps the most important one came Nov. 13 when they were able to claw their way to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Following their game against the Penguins, the Flyers dropped a tough one in Winnipeg as they fell in the shootout. But they were quick to rebound, as the Orange and Black went on to sweep their three-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, all of which were won by a three-goal differential.

Although the Flyers offense has been on display in their hot streak, their goaltending has been consistently strong throughout the season. Steve Mason once again looks like the goalie who won the Calder Trophy in 2009 — if not better — and has been fantastic in the early going. Behind Mason, Ray Emery has also been strong between the pipes in a backup role and seems to be improving as the season progresses. With both the goaltending and offense clicking of late, it appears that the Flyers are poised for success going forward.

“The consistently great goaltending and recent offensive surge have brought the Flyers from the bottom of the Metropolitan back into the playoff race,” Ryan Rue, a third-year Drexel biology major, said.

The Flyers took the ice for their most recent battle on Nov. 25 against the Florida Panthers, looking for their fourth straight victory. Unfortunately, goalie Tim Thomas was in top form and led Florida to a 3-1 win. Thomas has been a consistent wall in net against the Flyers and holds the best goals-against average of any active goalie against Philadelphia.

Despite the loss, the Flyers still looked better than they did earlier in the season, as they consistently created offensive opportunities and threw 36 shots toward Thomas.

Mason was a rock in net as usual and has proven to be the Flyers’ most valuable player through the first quarter of the season. Since joining the Flyers at the trade deadline last season, Mason has yet to allow more than three goals in a game, a streak that continued against the Panthers.

The Flyers were back in action Nov. 27 when they traveled to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning. It was the first time that Vincent Lecavalier faced his old team since joining the Flyers in the offseason. The game also marked the first time that the former Lightning captain had taken the ice at the Tampa Bay Times Forum as a visitor. The Orange and Black fell to Tampa Bay 4-2, but Lecavalier scored his ninth goal of the season late in the third period.

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Forward John Quigley tallied an assist in Drexel’s 5-2 victory over Lebanon Valley College Nov. 16 at The Class of 1923 Arena. The senior has two goals and seven assists for the Dragons in 15 games this season.

The Drexel club ice hockey team took to the ice for the second game of a home-and-home series against Lebanon Valley College. Coming off a 4-3 road win the night before, the Dragons were back on the ice Nov. 16 for a 7:45 puck drop at the Class of 1923 Arena. Although they were outshot 30-23 in the game, the Dragons played an opportunistic 60 minutes and were able to pull out a 5-2 victory over the Dutchmen.

“We had seen Lebanon Valley College the day before, and we knew their strengths and their weaknesses and used that to our advantage,” team president Alec Artosky said about how the team performed. “Our goaltender, Zach Kantner, held his own, and in combination with our solid offense, we played a really solid game.”

Drexel came out in the first period looking determined to get ahead early. While the Dutchmen were getting more pucks at the net, the Dragons put the first goal on the board courtesy of forward Eric Brawley.

The first period wasn’t all pretty for the Dragons, as some critical saves were needed from Zach Kantner. With four minutes remaining in the period, Kantner was at his best. He sprawled out to make back-to-back impressive saves to keep Drexel on top 1-0.

The second period started in the Dragons’ favor, as they got an early power-play opportunity. However, following the offensive zone faceoff, the puck squeaked by the Drexel defense, leading to a 2-on-1 for Lebanon Valley. Forward Joey LaBonte took a pass from forward Justin Boyd on the break and tied the game for the Dutchmen just 33 seconds into the period.

Drexel didn’t seem rattled after giving up the early short-handed goal, and the Dragons jumped right back on top just over one minute later. Forward Nick Lombardi stick handled into the offensive zone before taking a shot from just above the right circle, which found the five-hole of Lebanon Valley goalie Mitchell Doughty for the goal.

After taking the lead back, the Dragons were on their heels as the Dutchmen were continuously creating offensive chances. After a high-sticking penalty was called on defenseman Tyler Hill, Lebanon Valley made the most of the power-play opportunity. LaBonte found a loose puck behind the net and wrapped it around the cage for his second goal of the game.

Once again, the Dragons didn’t let the score stay even for long. Drexel found itself on the power play just over a minute after giving up the tying goal. Forward Marco Gagliardi knifed through the Lebanon Valley defense and took a wrist shot into the top-right corner to give Drexel back the lead.

With less than three minutes left in the second period, it was Kantner who came up huge for the Dragons again. Dutchmen forward Andy Thurby took a one-timer from just a few feet in front of the net, but Kantner stoned him to keep Drexel on top 3-2 going into the third period.

The third period was a back-and-forth affair between the two teams, with the next goal vital for both teams. Drexel, however, found the net first. With 11:49 remaining in the game, forward Tyler Woyshner gave the Dragons a two-goal lead with a rocket from the right circle.

It was Drexel’s first two-goal lead in the game, and it allowed the team to have some breathing room down the stretch.

“When games are close going into the third period, people tend to hold their sticks a little tighter and start to overthink the game,” Artosky said. “Separating ourselves and giving us some breathing room was huge. It allowed us to play relaxed and play our game.”

The Dragons held onto their lead from there. With 43 seconds left, Woyshner put the game away with an empty-net goal, giving Drexel a 5-2 victory in the team’s final home game of the season.

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The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams finished the fall season strong with seven total wins at the Frostbite Regatta on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.

The Drexel crew teams finished off their fall season in top form Nov. 9 at the Frostbite Regatta on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. The Dragons made the most of their opportunities, as they combined to take first place in seven of eight events on the day.

The men’s side won three of its four events at the regatta. The men’s varsity eight crossed the finish line with a top time of 6:01.61. The Dragons were followed by Temple University and the University of Delaware’s lightweight. The Lois Krall shell featured coxswain Marc Smith, stroke Sebastian Ryan, Ivo Krakic, Marco Durica, Nicholas Capaldi, Michael DiLucca, Dave Hanrahan, Mikulas Sum and bow Vanja Busic.

The men’s varsity eight “B” boat earned first place with a time of 6:03.65, outlasting Delaware, Washington College and Loyola University Maryland. Christopher Henderson guided the Vince Vidas boat, which also featured stroke Dean Hill, Xavier Stanish, Daniel Palombo, Ryan Mallgrave, Mahmoud Shurbaji, John Pieper, Grigorios Papadourakis and bow Brian McCabe.

The men’s freshman eight boat also had an impressive performance, taking first place with a time of 6:47.41.The Peggy Greenawalt shell featured coxswain Jackson Beach, stroke Tom Foulds, Nico Arechabala, Louis Masi, Aengus Walker, Keegan Shannon, Joe Masgai, Peter Raux and bow Nick Herceg.

The second varsity “A” boat finished close behind Temple for second place in its event. The Dragons finished with a time of 7:17.06, while the Owls finished at 6:16.05. Victoria Kenion coxed the Joseph Greipp boat, which featured stroke Christian Ladd, Daniel Dollin, Ryan McSpedon, Cameron Staines, James Byrne, Brian Kissam, Matt Gehret and bow Casimir Czworkowski.

Director of Rowing and head coach Paul Savell was more than satisfied with the way the men finished out their season. He was especially pleased with how his freshman rowers performed in the spotlight.

“We were very pleased with the entire team’s performance at the Frostbite Regatta,” Savell said. “The freshmen handled themselves well. They are a talented and excitable group. I’m looking forward to working with them over the winter as we prepare for spring racing.”

Meanwhile, the women finished their fall season in dominant fashion, sweeping their four events of the day.

The women’s varsity “A” shell stopped the clock with a top time of 7:05.58, outlasting Philadelphia University and Lafayette University, who placed second and third, respectively. Catherine Hamilton guided the Marlene Buckley II shell, which featured stroke Olivia Babiec, Bridget Pfeifer, Kayla Wroblesky, Samantha Cowan, Marina Forster, Elizabeth Daugherty, Amanda Kleuser and bow Colleen Delaney.

The women’s varsity eight “B” shell had another strong performance for Drexel, taking first place with a time of 7:14.00. The Maria Papadakis boat featured coxswain Sarah Messenger, stroke Victoria King, Kendall Wenzke, Taylor Brady, Elise Levito, Amanda O’Malley, Alyssa Leahy, Stephanie Thomas and bow Julie McGlynn. The Dragons finished ahead of George Mason University, La Salle University, The College of New Jersey and Haverford College.

The women’s varsity eight “C” shell did not disappoint in its event, finishing with a first-place time of 7:33.90, defeating George Mason and La Salle. Coxswain Abigail Colasacco guided the Marlene Buckley shell along with stroke Barbara McKenna, Lauren Sand, Sierra Baca, Mercedes Barr, Chelsea Cohen, Christina Alleva, Crystal Xu and bow Julia Iannucci.

The women’s novice four finished the day on a high note for the Dragons, as they posted a winning time of 8:47.17. The Dawn Byers shell featured coxswain Nupur Parikh, stroke Hannah Devlin, Molly Dudrear, Jenna O’Toole and bow Eugenia Chalbaud Santeliz.

“The race really put an exclamation point on the fall season for the women,” Savell said of the women’s novice four performance. “We really raced with confidence and determination.”

The Dragons head into the winter break coming off an excellent fall campaign in which they posted their best-ever finish at the Head of the Charles Regatta and showed they are a formidable program.

“It gives us extra energy knowing how successful we can be,” Savell said of his teams. “When you know you are that close to obtaining your goals, it makes you work just a little harder and a little longer.”

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The Drexel crew team will compete in its final event of the fall season Nov. 9 at the Frostbite Regatta on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. Last year, the women’s boats won all four of their events and the men won two gold medals of their own.

The Drexel crew teams will finish out the fall season Nov. 9 on the Cooper River in Camden County, N.J., at the Frostbite Regatta.

In the 2012 Frostbite Regatta, Drexel had a stellar performance, earning six gold medals. However, with a new year comes new challenges, and the teams will need to be at the top of their games to match their success from last year.

The Dragons go into this competition at the end of an outstanding autumn campaign, which included the program’s best-ever finish at the Head of the Charles Regatta and fourth straight overall points title at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta.

Director of Rowing and head coach Paul Savell said he believes that the upcoming races will give a clear indication of his team’s improvement since the beginning of the season.

“With this last race of the season, the team switches gears from the longer time-trial races to 2,000 meter sprint racing,” he said. “This is our first shot at six-lane racing this year, and [it] should give a gauge as to how we stack up to the competition.”

Drexel’s freshman rowers will also be in the spotlight at the Frostbite Regatta, as they will be competing in their first 2,000-meter sprint of the season.

“It will be good to see how the freshmen approach the races this Saturday,” Savell said. “I have not seen them in this race format yet, and we will be watching to see how they handle the pressure.”

Finishing out a successful fall campaign with a strong performance is the main priority for Savell and his teams as they head into the Frostbite Regatta.

“We want to have a strong showing at this race to help propel us into our winter training segment through the next few weeks of training without a race in sight until March,” Savell said.

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[media-credit name=”Ajon Brodie” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The men’s varsity eight, men’s second varsity eight, women’s second varsity eight and the women’s freshman four shells all won gold medals at the Schuylkill Regatta Oct. 26. Drexel won the overall points title at the event for the fourth consecutive year.

Following their impressive performance at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the Drexel crew teams returned to action Oct. 26 for the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. The Dragons did not disappoint on their home river, as they won five medals in six events en route to winning their fourth straight overall points title.

Director of Rowing and head coach Paul Savell said the team really enjoys competing in this event, which is not surprising considering their success.

“The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta is the final race of the three-mile ‘head races,’” he said. “We love that this segment of our race training culminates with a huge home regatta on our course. It was great to see so many of our boats handle the challenging conditions of 20 mile-per-hour winds and perform at a high level.”

The men’s varsity eight secured first place out of 15 crews in the men’s college and open heavy championship eights final with a time of 13:51.09. Marc Smith guided the Lois Krall shell, which also featured stroke Mikulas Sum, Ivo Krakic, Sebastian Ryan, Nicholas Capaldi, Ian Luetzow, John Pieper, Daniel Palombo and bow Dave Hanrahan.

The Dragons dominated the men’s college and open club eights final, as they took the top two spots out of 25 crews. The men’s top second varsity eight in the Antoinette Pennoni boat earned the gold medal, stopping the clock at 13:38.86. The Vince Vidas shell came in second place with a time of 14:06.32.

In a race that featured 23 crew teams, Drexel’s men’s freshman eight “A” boat earned a fifth-place finish in the Peggy Greenawalt boat. In the same race, the men’s freshman eight “B” boat took 10th place in the Class of ‘72 shell with a time of 15:16.28.

The women’s varsity eight secured a bronze medal in the women’s college and open heavy championship eights final, as the Marlene Buckley II boat stopped the clock at 16:01.98.

The women’s second varsity eight shell captured the gold medal in the women’s college and open club eights final, crossing the finish line at 16:18.60. The Maria Papadakis boat featured coxswain Catherine Hamilton with stroke Tori King, Kendall Wenzke, Barbara McKenna, Colleen Delaney, Amanda O’Malley, Alyssa Leahy, Stephanie Thomas and bow Julie McGlynn.

The women’s freshman four won Drexel’s fourth gold medal of the competition, crossing the finish line with a time of 18:13.90. The Sandra Lee Sheller boat featured coxswain Nupur Parikh with stroke Hannah Devlin, Molly Dudrear, Emma Cardwell and bow Jenna O’Toole.

Savell was happy with how his teams performed and believes that his teams took full advantage of their home course.

“Knowing exactly where you are on the river with landmarks is certainly an advantage,” he said. “Our coxswains have mastered the turns on this river and the best lines to take, and the rowers know when to step on the gas.”

Drexel alumni also competed on the Schuylkill River. The women alumni came in first place out of 13 crews, finishing at 16:53.18. Meanwhile, the men’s alumni eight took 16th overall with a time of 16:22.49.

The Dragons will look to finish out their fall campaign strong Nov. 9, when they will travel to the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J., for the Frostbite Regatta. Savell said he believes the regatta is a great opportunity for his freshmen to show off their progress.

“The Frostbite Regatta has the team shift gears to a sprint format that we will face in the spring,” he said. “It is perfect way to get the freshmen to face some side-by-side competition before we hibernate for the winter indoor training months.”

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[media-credit name=”Photo Courtesy Drexel Dragons” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The Drexel men’s crew varsity eight, featuring coxswain Marc Smith, stroke Mikulas Sum and bow Dave Hanrahan, won the gold medal at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston Oct. 20.

The Drexel crew team followed up its impressive performance at the Navy Day Regatta with an exciting effort Oct. 20 at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. The Dragons ended with three historic finishes, all of which were the best in school history.

The men’s varsity eight took first place and earned Drexel’s first-ever gold medal at the Head of the Charles. The women’s second varsity eight earned a sixth-place finish, which was their best-ever finish at the event.

The men’s varsity eight posted a time of 15:22.279 to top the other 39 crews that competed in the event. The gold medal-winning Lois Krall shell was coxed by Marc Smith and featured stroke Mikulus Sum, Ivo Krakic, Sebastian Ryan, Nicholas Capaldi, Ian Luetzow, John Pieper, Daniel Palombo and bow Dave Hanrahan. The University of Michigan finished in second place, followed by the University of Virginia in third.

Director of Rowing and head men’s and women’s coach Paul Savell said he was extremely proud of how the men’s varsity eight competed and believes the win is something they will always treasure.

“There are very few rowers that have a gold medal from the Head of the Charles,” he said. “It is an extremely prestigious race with teams from around the world coming to Boston to race. I’m sure these guys will cherish this victory.”

The women’s second varsity had the Dragons’ second-best finish, stopping the clock at 17:30.567 for sixth place out of 29 competing crews. The Maria Papadakis boat featured coxswain Sarah Messenger; strokes Tori King, Emily Gartland, Barbara McKenna, Colleen Delaney, Amanda O’Malley, Alyssa Leahy and Stephanie Thomas; and bow Julie McGlynn.

The women’s varsity eight also finished strong despite missing out on finishing in the top half of their field. The Marlene Buckley II shell crossed the finish line in 18:02.131, placing 24th out of 39 crews. The team was guided by Kerry Walsh and featured stroke Olivia Babiec, Bridget Pfeifer, Kayla Wroblesky, Elizabeth Daugherty, Marina Forster, Samantha Cowan, Amanda Kleuser and bow Elise Levito.

“This was a great performance from all three boats in Boston,” Savell said of his team’s performance at the Head of the Charles. “The women’s second varsity eight’s sixth-place performance was the best in school history and guaranteed a spot for next year. The women’s varsity eight also finished higher than we have ever placed before. The top three places in their race were from Great Britain and USA’s national team. It is extremely tough competition.”

Former members of the Drexel crew team also competed in an alumni eight event, finishing in 37th place. Assistant coach David Florio guided the boat, which featured stroke Doug Allcorn, Liam O’Neill, Michael Golden, Brian Timlin, Mike Gartland, Anthony Fittipaldi, Gregg Francis and bow Michael Niles.

The Dragons will be back in action Oct. 26, when they will compete in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. Savell believes his teams have performed at a very high level this year, and the Dragons will look to continue their success moving forward.

“We were very happy with their races at this point in the year and are now looking to keep the momentum into this weekend at the Head of the Schuylkill,” he said.

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The Drexel crew teams continued their impressive start to the fall season Oct. 12 in the Navy Day Regatta on the Schuylkill River. The men’s and women’s teams showed their speed once again as they placed in the top five in five out of six events in the afternoon.

The men’s varsity boats had the strongest outings for the Dragons, as the second varsity eight and top varsity eight finished second and third overall, respectively. Meanwhile, the men’s top freshman eight boat took 11th overall.

The men’s second varsity eight B shell secured the highest finish of the day for the Dragons, taking second place in a group that featured 11 crews. The Annette Pennoni shell finished with a time of 12:10.53, which trailed only the United States Naval Academy’s time of 12:10.12.

The men’s second varsity eight A Vince Vidas boat competed in the same race, stopping the clock just behind their fellow Drexel shell for fourth place with a time of 12:17.05.

The men’s varsity eight A also had an impressive showing for Drexel. The Lois Krall boat earned third place overall out of 32 entries, posting a time of 11:52.14. The University of Pennsylvania took first overall in the event, followed by Navy.

The men’s varsity eight B Joseph Greipp shell also competed alongside the first varsity eight and finished with a time of 13:10.88 to secure 25th place overall.

Director of Rowing and head coach Paul Savell said he was pleased with how his top varsity boats performed on the day and believes the event was a good stepping stone for things to come.

“We are always looking for the win, but we kept the race close and stayed on pace with the leaders,” he said. “Overall, it was a strong showing and something to build on.”

The men’s freshman eight Peggy Greenawalt A shell made a strong push in their race, as they secured 11th overall out of 23 boats with a time of 13:05.22. Penn and Army took first and second, respectively.

The freshman eight “B” also competed in the event and stopped the clock at 14:09.56 to secure 17th place overall with the Class of ‘72 boat.

On the women’s side, expectations were high as usual. The Dragons came into the regatta having recorded first-place finishes in all of their events in the early season. Drexel continued its strong start against the toughest competition of the season so far.

The women’s varsity eight took fourth place out of 21 crews, as the Marlene Buckley II shell stopped the clock at 13:41.64. Navy, Penn and Saint Joseph’s University secured the top three spots in the race.

The women’s varsity four in the Dawn Byers boat secured fourth place in an event that featured seven other crews, stopping the clock at 16:35.73.

The women’s second varsity eight A shell finished fifth in a field of 10 teams, posting a time of 14:23.14 in the Marlene Buckley boat.

The second varsity eight B shell finished close behind their fellow Drexel boat, as they took seventh overall with a time of 14:34.80.

Savell was more than content with both the men’s and women’s performances for the day.

“These results were some of our strongest historically at this race,” he said. “The team had a very solid performance against strong competition.”

Drexel crew will be back in action Oct. 20 in Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta. Savell believes the teams’ performances at the Navy Day Regatta showed some encouraging signs as they try to find the best lineup combinations going forward.

“We are still testing out different lineups to see who’s working well with each other,” he explained. “We are definitely making progress and finding some fast combinations as we look forward to the Head of the Charles this week.”

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The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams continued their early-season success in Lewisburg, Pa., Oct. 5 as the Dragons dominated their races against Bucknell University and Lehigh University.

The Drexel crew teams proved to be faster and stronger than their opponents, taking all five events on the Susquehanna River.

The women continued their perfect start to the fall season by sweeping their events for the second straight week. The women’s first varsity eight cruised to a first-place finish in 20:46, which was 50 seconds ahead of second-place Bucknell. The winning Maria Papadakis boat consisted of coxswain Kerry Walsh, stroke Olivia Babiec, Elizabeth Daugherty, Marina Forster, Samantha Cowan, Kayla Wroblesky, Amanda Kleuser and bow Elise Levito.

The women’s second varsity eight finished their race 10 seconds ahead of Lehigh to secure the victory. The Marlene Buckley boat finished with a time of 21:16 and was made up of coxswain Catherine Hamilton, stroke Tori King, Colleen Delaney, Emily Gartland, Kendall Wenzke, Barbara McKenna, Alyssa Leahy, Stephanie Thomas and bow Julie McGlynn.

The women’s third varsity eight continued Drexel’s dominance, as they also stopped the clock at 21:16 to secure the win. Bucknell’s freshman eight finished second with a time of 21:21. The John Daskalakis shell was coxswained by Sarah Messenger and featured stroke Amanda O’Malley, Sierra Baca, Taylor Brady, Lauren Sand, Gabby Salcedo, Christina Alleva, Crystal Xu and bow Julia Iannucci.

Assistant coach Denise Julian believes the format of the event gave Drexel a competitive edge, and they took full advantage.

“The format was good for this group of women because it kept them competitive the whole time,” she said. “The staggered start kept it competitive because there was always a boat to come up on and race.”

On the men’s side, it was much of the same for the Dragons. The men’s top varsity eight stopped the clock 20 seconds ahead of Bucknell to earn first place. Coxswain Victoria Kenion, stroke Sebastian Ryan, Ivo Krakic, Mikulas Sum, Vanja Busic, Ian Luetzow, Nicholas Capaldi, Daniel Palombo and bow Michael DiLucca made up the Joseph Greipp shell, which finished with a time of 21:16.

In the men’s second race of the day, it was once again all Dragons. The men’s second and third varsity eight finished the race first and second, respectively, with only 10 seconds separating the two shells.

The second varsity eight boat finished with a time of 19:07 and consisted of coxswain Marc Smith, stroke Ryan McSpedon, John Pieper, Marko Durica, Cameron Staines, James Byrne, Dave Hanrahan, Matt Gehret and cox Casimir Czworkowski.

The men’s third varsity boat, which finished at 19:17, was made up of coxswain Christopher Henderson, stroke Dean Hill, Xavier Stanish, Christian Ladd, Ryan Mallgrave, Mahmoud Shurbaji, Leif Malm, Grigorios Papadourakis and bow Brian McCabe.

The Drexel crew teams will be back on the water Oct. 12, when they will take to the Schuylkill River for the Navy Day Regatta. The race will be the Dragons’ toughest test of the season, as they will face off against a wide array of talented teams.

“We need to focus on staying with our game plan and race strategy,” Julian said about the team’s upcoming races. “I think this weekend is our first shot at seeing where we are in a broader spectrum of other colleges.”

Drexel’s strong start will surely be put to the test Saturday.

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[media-credit name=”The Triangle File Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The women’s varsity crew team had a successful weekend at the Rumson Boat Race, winning both the Mayor’s Cup and the Governor’s Cup. The men’s varsity-eight took home the Mayor’s Cup, while narrowly missing victory on the Governor’s Cup.

The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams opened their fall season in top form once again. For the third consecutive year, the Dragons took three out of four events at the Rumson Boat Race. This year marked the fourth annual regatta, which was held Sept. 28 on the Navesink River in Rumson, N.J. The regatta also featured crew teams from the United States Military Academy, Villanova University and Rutgers University.

The Dragons have had very similar results in the Rumson Boat Race over the past three years. Both women’s varsity eight boats were victorious for the third consecutive year, as they captured the Governor’s Cup and the Mayor’s Cup yet again. Meanwhile, the men’s varsity eight just missed out on recapturing the Governor’s Cup, but the men’s second varsity eight were able to improve upon their second-place finish a year ago and bring home the Mayor’s Cup.

The women’s varsity eight finished their race five seconds ahead of Army to secure the Governor’s Cup. The team consisted of coxswain Kerry Walsh, Kayla Wroblesky, Colleen Delaney, Marina Forster, Elizabeth Daugherty, Olivia Babiec, Sierra Baca, Stephanie Thomas and bow Elise Levito, which finished with a time of 10:19.

The women’s second varsity eight were dominant over their opponents, as they stopped the clock 43 seconds ahead of second-place Army to capture the Mayor’s Cup. The Marlene Buckley boat was made up of coxswain Sarah Messenger, stroke Amanda Kleuser, Bridget Pfeifer, Taylor Brady, Samantha Cowan, Emily Gartland, Alyssa Leahy, Elisabeth Wagner and bow Julie McGlynn, which finished with a time of 11:07.

Women’s assistant coach Denise Julian has been impressed with the women’s consistent early-season success and believes that the intrasquad competition and team depth are what allows them to be so successful.

“There is so much depth, and they are always pushing each other all the time,” she said. “We have only been on the water for three weeks at this point, but they come in off a hard two weeks of preseason and they are ready to race. They are excited about the season and they are race-ready.

On the men’s side, the races were decided by narrow margins, with teams fighting hard for every inch. In the men’s Mayor’s Cup, the second varsity eight finished ahead of Rutgers by seven seconds with a winning time of 9:27. The victorious Annette Pennoni boat featured Christopher Henderson, stroke Ryan McSpedon, Cameron Staines, James Byrne, Mahmoud Shurbaji, Brian Kissam, Ryan Mallgrave, Matt Gehret and bow Andrew Weinstein.

Director of Rowing and head men’s and women’s coach Paul Savell was pleased with his squad’s performance and the way they competed on the water.

“We don’t take competition for granted, so they were very excited about crossing the line first, especially in that atmosphere up there,” he said about the men’s Mayor’s Cup victory. “It was a really great atmosphere and a great day.”

The men’s varsity eight came in second place in the Governor’s Cup race, with Rutgers stopping the clock just six seconds ahead of the Dragons. The Joseph Greipp boat was coxswained by Victoria Kenion and also featured stroke Dean Hill, Casimir Czworkowski, Sebastian Ryan, Nicholas Capaldi, Marko Durica, John Pieper, Christian Ladd and bow Brian McCabe, which finished with a time of 8:59.

The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams will be back on the water Oct. 5, when they will travel to Lewisburg, Pa., to face off with Bucknell University and Lehigh University on the Susquehanna River.

“We are still working through lineups and trying to find fast combinations of rowers in the boat,” Savell said of his team early in the season. “We are very excited about going out there because these teams that we are going to face this week are fast. We definitely need to be ready to go on race day.”

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