[media-credit name=”The Triangle File Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams begin the 2013 fall season Sept. 28 at the Rumson Boat Race. Last season, the top eights took home the governor’s Cup, while the women’s second varsity eight secured the Mayor’s Cup.

After a few months away from collegiate competition, the Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams are set for their first race of the 2013-14 season. The Dragons will travel to the Navesink River in Rumson, N.J., Sept. 28 for the fourth annual Rumson Boat Race. The race will also feature crew teams from the United States Military Academy, Villanova University and Rutgers University.

The Drexel crew teams come into the new season with high expectations, coming off a season to remember. The Dragons ended their 2012-13 season in top form with strong finishes in the Dad Vail Regatta, IRA Championships and Colonial Athletic Association Championships.

For both the men’s and women’s teams, the offseason has brought back strong veteran leaders, all of whom will be in the spotlight at Rumson. The women will have 29 returning rowers from last season, including Alyssa Leahy, Tori King and Colleen Delaney, who all received Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team honors following last season.

The men will have 35 rowers returning from last season, including Ian Luetzow, who competed for the U.S. men’s eight at the World University Games in Russia over the summer.

The new season will begin in a familiar place for the Dragons, as they have opened their fall campaign on the Navesink River for the past three years. Drexel has enjoyed great success the past two years at the regatta, taking first place in six out of eight total events.

Last year, the Dragons placed first in three out of four events at Rumson. Both the men’s and women’s top eights took home the Governor’s Cup, while the women’s second varsity eight secured the Mayor’s Cup. Drexel will go into the race looking to begin another successful campaign.

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[media-credit name=”The Triangle File Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The Drexel women’s crew team returns 29 athletes and welcomes 11 freshman rowers to an already strong and smart roster. Last season, Colleen Delaney, Tori King and Alyssa Leahy were all named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team.

Coming off a historic 2012-13 season, the Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams have high hopes heading into their new campaigns.

As a whole, the Drexel crew team finished out last season in great form. At the 2013 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, the Dragons took home the overall team title, the men’s point trophy and their highest-ever medal total at the event.

The success continued at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships and the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, as both Drexel squads finished strongly.

At the IRA Championships, the men ended their season on a high note with top finishes from three of their boats. The men’s freshman eight finished 12th overall, while the men’s varsity eight placed 20th overall and the men’s varsity four placed 22nd overall.

At the CAA Championships, the women also ended strong in the water. Their varsity four had their best performance, taking home a silver medal, while rowers Alexa Antonioli and Mollie Cusack were named to the All-CAA Team.

Following the season, three rowers on women’s crew received special honors. Alyssa Leahy, Tori King and Colleen Delaney all received Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team honors for women’s rowing.

For the men, the offseason included having one of their best rowers compete in the World University Games in Russia. Rising junior Ian Luetzow was one of nine student-athletes chosen by USRowing to make up the U.S. men’s eight. Luetzow and the rest of his boat finished sixth overall in the grand final.

Following their offseason, the Drexel crew teams have their sights on the fast-approaching season ahead.

The men are coming into their 2013 fall campaign with high hopes and confidence that they can have another memorable season. Director of Rowing and head coach Paul Savell is excited about where his men’s squad is and the level of talent they bring to the table.

“We have great depth and potential to have a very successful year again,” he said. “The [intra-squad] level of competition is incredibly high, and the guys know exactly what they want to accomplish. We are looking for new leadership to emerge as the fall season gets started, and spirits are at an all-time high.”

The women’s fall season will include 29 returning rowers and 11 freshmen on the squad. With a strong returning class and some talented new faces, Savell believes he has a formidable team heading into the new campaign.

“We have two eights that have very strong and competitive rowers returning from a successful campaign last year,” he said. “We also have a talented class of freshmen that will add to the depth of the team and should make for a competitive atmosphere at practice each day.”

Drexel Crew will kick off its season Sept. 28 with the Rumson Boat Race on the Navesink River.

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[media-credit name=”Triangle File Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] After rowing in the Knecht Cup April 13-14 in Cherry Hill, N.J., the Drexel men’s and women’s crew teams will host three consecutive competitions on the Schuylkill River.

The Drexel University men’s and women’s crew teams both had strong performances at the 2013 Knecht Cup April 13 and 14 in Cherry Hill, N.J. A total of 11 boats reached the final day of competition for the Dragons. The men performed at a high level as the varsity eight, second varsity eight and novice eight each took gold in the grand finals. The women were also impressive in their competition, as their varsity eight earned a second-place finish in the third final and the second varsity eight took home bronze in the grand final.

The men’s varsity eight took home the gold in the grand final with a 5:56.77 finish. The first-place Lois Krall shell featured coxswain Mark Smith along with stroke Kurt Linton, Vanja Busic, Aleksandar Radovic, Lorenzo Albala, Sebastian Ryan, John Pieper, Michael Faust and bow Casimir Czworkowski. The Dragons outlasted Hobart University and the University of Delaware, who finished second and third, respectively.

The men’s second varsity eight followed with a first-place performance of their own with a time of 6:07.10. Victoria Kenion coxswained the winning Joseph Greipp boat, which also featured stroke Marko Durica, Milos Rujevic, James Byrne, Ryan Mallgrave, Ian Luetzow, Christian Ladd, Grigorios Papadourakis and bow Brian McCabe. Temple University came in right behind Drexel, while Trinity University took third place.

The men’s novice eight continued the Dragons’ success by earning a first-place finish in their grand final, stopping the clock at 5:59.48. Coxswain Christopher Henderson, stroke Daniel Dollin, Mikulas Sum, Nicholas Capaldi, Michael DiLucca, Dave Hanrahan, Daniel Palombo, Daniel Pyle and bow Lawrence Lindawan took the Vince Vidas boat to victory.

Medals continued to come for the Dragons as the varsity four “A” shell took bronze in the grand final, finishing with a time of 6:51.53. George Mason University took first place at 6:46.16, while Rollins University came in second with a time of 6:50.52. The LeBow College of Business boat was coxswained by Diana Fox and also featured stroke Mahmoud Shurbaji, Jake Murphy, Ryan McSpedon and bow Matt Gehret.

The varsity pair took home bronze for the Dragons in the final, posting a time of 7:24.85. Villanova University took home first place with a time of 7:14.94, and Philadelphia University finished second at 7:23.49. Timothy Drake and bow Cameron Staines were featured in the Julia Grace boat. Head coach Paul Savell was pleased with the men’s team but still wants his rowers focused on preparation for future competition.

“We are happy with what has been accomplished so far this season, but not complacent,” he said about their performance so far. “Having the men sweep the eights was a great accomplishment. We enjoyed it for a day and then got back to work and focused on Dad Vails.”

On the women’s side, the second varsity eight earned a bronze medal in the grand final, finishing at 6:51.65. First place went to Northeastern University at 6:47.20, while The University of Kansas earned second with a time of 6:48.02. Catherine Hamilton coxswained the Maria Papadakis shell, which also included stroke Elizabeth Campanella, Emily Gartland, Olivia Babiec, Sierra Baca, Kayla Wroblesky, Alyssa Leahy, Tori King and bow Elise Levito.

In the third final, the varsity eight came in second place right behind Old Dominion University at 6:57.83, while the Monarchs won with a time of 6:52.18. Coxswain Kerry Walsh, stroke Julia Jackson, Elizabeth Daugherty, Jayme Batcher, Mollie Cusack, Amanda O’Malley, Bridget Pfeifer, Amanda Kleuser and bow Colleen Delaney were featured in the Marlene Buckley II boat for the Dragons.

The novice eight just missed a medal, finishing fourth in the grand final with a time of 7:07.78. The fastest time was posted by the University of Wisconsin at 6:58.10. Boston College, at 7:00.97, took silver, with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rounding out the top three. The Marlene Buckley shell was coxswained by Rachel Bowen and included stroke Rose Ehrlich, Julie McGlynn, Caitlin Bubel, Rebecca McCool, Jordan Marinchak, Elisabeth Wagner, Taylor Brady and bow Kate Wilchek.

Savell was pleased with the way the women applied their training and earned some hard-fought success. “We have really been focusing on our top eight this week, and they are hitting a good stride,” he said.

The varsity four rounded out the competition for the Dragons, placing first in the petite final with a time of 7:59.21.

Drexel Crew will return home April 20 for the Kerr Cup Regatta, when the boats will take to the Schuylkill River for the first time since April 6.

“We are very excited to be back on our home course hosting the Kerr Cup, which is named after Drexel’s first rowing coach,” Savell said. “We are expecting to perform well as we prepare for Dad Vails.”

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[media-credit name=”Triangle File Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] Drexel crew hosted Bucknell University and Mercyhurst University on the Schuylkill River April 6 and won five of the six events on the day. The women’s team claimed both of the top two spots in the second varsity eight event over the Bison and the Lakers.

Both the Drexel University men’s and women’s crew teams had strong showings in their last three competitions. Drexel advanced six boats to the finals March 30 at the 2013 Murphy Cup Regatta in Cherry Hill, N.J. The teams had a week between competitions before they took to the Schuylkill River April 6 for races against Bucknell University and Mercyhurst University. The Dragons took a combined five of six events on the day. They took the water only a day later when they traveled to Fairfax, Va., for the 2013 Occoquan Sprints, in which they advanced all six boats to the grand finals and finished in the top three in five of six events.

The men’s varsity eight boat began the day for the Dragons at the Murphy Cup Regatta and put in a strong performance on the Cooper River. The men’s top boat earned a silver medal in the finals, finishing with a time of 5:56.06, while the University of Virginia took first place with a time of 5:49.75. Coxswain Marc Smith, stroke Sebastian Ryan, Lorenzo Albala, Aleksandar Radovic, John Pieper, Kurt Linton, Ryan Mallgrave, Michael Faust and bow Casimir Czworkowski rowed the Annette Pennoni boat.

The men’s day on the water was highlighted by the performance of their novice eight, who earned the gold medal with a top time of 5:57:44. Coxswain Christopher Henderson, stroke Daniel Dollin, Mikulas Sum, Nicholas Capaldi, Michael DiLucca, Dave Hanrahan, Daniel Palombo, Daniel Pyle and bow Lawrence Lindawan rowed the Peggy Greenawalt boat to victory. The win featured the Dragons outlasting Virginia, the United States Military Academy, the University of Delaware and Williams University.

On the women’s side, the varsity eight boat earned the best result of the day, finishing with a time of 6:55.22 and earning a win in the petite finals. Coxswain Kerry Walsh, stroke Elizabeth Campanella, Alexa Antonioli, Amanda O’Malley, Colleen Delaney, Julia Jackson, Mollie Cusack, Olivia Babiec and bow Bridget Pfeifer made up the Marlene Buckley boat.

The women’s second varsity eight gave the Dragons another good showing, finishing third in the finals with a time of 7:03.65. The United States Naval Academy took home the victory, stopping the clock at 6:58.20, while the University at Buffalo finished in second place with a time of 7:03.92. Coxswain Sarah Messenger, stroke Amanda Kleuser, Elizabeth Daugherty, Jayme Batcher, Emily Gartland, Kayla Wroblesky, Alyssa Leahy, Tori King and bow Elise Levito proved to be the best boat in the event.

The Dragons had a week to prepare for their home races April 6 on the Schuylkill River against Bucknell and Mercyhurst. They showed they were well prepared to face their opponents, as they took five of the six events.

The men’s freshman eight took first place in their event, stopping the clock at 6:06.9. They were followed by Bucknell at 6:19.3 and Mercyhurst finishing in third with a time of 6:53.3.

Drexel then followed by taking the top two finishes in the second varsity eight event, stopping the clock at 6:05.9. The Dragons’ third varsity eight followed at 6:11.0. The winning Joseph Greipp boat was coxswained by Victoria Kenion with stroke Marko Durica, Milos Rujevic, James Byrne, Paul Wisniowski, Ian Luetzow, Christian Ladd, Grigorios Papadourakis and bow Brian McCabe. The Vince Vidas boat, which came in second, was guided by coxswain Diana Fox and also featured stroke Mahmoud Shurbaji, Dean Hill, Ryan McSpedon, Matt Gehret, Timothy Drake, Cameron Staines, Adam Cordi and bow Jake Murphy.

The fastest time of the day was posted by the men’s varsity eight at 5:53.6. Mercyhurst earned second place at 6:09.9. Coxswain Marc Smith, stroke Sebastian Ryan, Vanja Busic, Aleksandar Radovic, Lorenzo Albala, Kurt Linton, Ryan Mallgrave, Michael Faust and bow Casimir Czworkowski were featured in the winning Lois Krall boat for the Dragons.

The women also had their fair share of success in their events. The women’s varsity eight rowed their way to a second-place finish, crossing the finish line at 6:51.38. Bucknell finished just ahead of the Dragons, stopping the clock at 6:44.74. Kerry Walsh guided the Marlene Buckley II boat, which also featured stroke Elizabeth Campanella, Colleen Delaney, Kayla Wroblesky, Sierra Baca, Julia Jackson, Mollie Cusack, Olivia Babiec and bow Bridget Pfeifer.

The women’s second varsity event was dominated by the Dragons, as they took the top two finishes. The second varsity eight finished first with a time of 6:47.5 and were followed by the freshman eight, who stopped the clock at 6:59.0. The winning Maria Papadakis boat was coxed by Catherine Hamilton and also featured stroke Amanda Kleuser, Emily Gartland, Jayme Batcher, Elizabeth Daugherty, Tori King, Alyssa Leahy, Amanda Dargay and bow Elise Levito. Coxswain Rachel Bowen, stroke Rose Ehrlich, Julie McGlynn, Caitlin Bubel, Rebecca McCool, Jordan Marinchak, Elisabeth Wagner, Taylor Brady and bow Kate Wilchek made up the second-place Marlene Buckley boat.

The women finished the day by taking their last event. The varsity four “A” boat came through the finish line at a time of 7:51.1. The victorious Sandra Lee Sheller boat was guided by coxswain Sarah Messenger and also included stroke Amanda O’Malley, Elise Panacek, Kathie Cheng and bow Barbara McKenna. The varsity four “B” boat finished fourth for the Dragons at 8:16.4. Coxswain Ariana Kaufmann, stroke Alicia Hoy, Brogan Piecara, Olivia Carignan and bow Ashley Lidwell rowed the Dawn Byers boat.

The teams had a quick turnaround as they headed to Fairfax, Va., for the 2013 Occoquan Sprints April 7. The Dragons showed their talent as they advanced all six boats to the grand finals.

In the second heat, the men’s novice eight finished with the fastest time at 5:32.00. The men’s varsity eight clinched a spot in the grand final after finishing first in their opening heat with a time of 5:27.50. The Dragons finished second in the final right behind the University of Michigan in a close finish that saw Drexel stop the clock at 5:18.24 and the Wolverines at 5:15.80.

For the women, the freshman eight shell rowed its way to the grand final with the second-fastest time at 6:35.20 in the third heat. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill edged out Drexel for first with a time of 6:29.68. The Dragons outlasted Navy and Bucknell in the final but couldn’t find their way past Grand Valley State University or North Carolina, as they finished in third place.

In the second heat, the women’s second varsity eight earned the fastest time at 6:08.0 to put themselves into the grand final. The Dragons took second place in the final with a time of 5:51.17, as Navy earned first place with a time of 5:48.80.

The women’s varsity eight put in a time of 6:15.03 to earn the second-best time in the second heat to reach the grand final. Grand Valley State University crossed the finish line first at 6:14.00. The Dragons rowed their way to third place in the final as the Marlene Buckley II shell clocked in at 6:02.01. Navy, Bucknell and Temple University finished ahead of the Dragons in the top three spots.

Drexel Crew will have a short break before returning to the water Saturday, April 13, when they will travel to Cherry Hill, N.J., for the Knecht Cup Regatta on the Cooper River. The events will span two days and end on Sunday.

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Junior Zeynep Mafa gathers herself for a serve in Drexel’s team
match March 2 against George Washington University.

The Drexel University men’s and women’s tennis teams enjoyed mixed success in their most recent matches. The two teams traveled to Fairfax, Va., March 28 and earned a split against George Mason University. While the men struggled to a 5-1 loss in their match, the women were able to take down the Patriots in decisive fashion 4-0. The men, however, bounced back strong at home by shutting out Saint Peter’s University 7-0. Both teams also competed April 4 at home against Saint Joseph’s University.

Due to weather issues, both the men’s and women’s teams made the decision to include a 10-point tiebreaker rather than going through an entire third set in the event a match was split. The men fought a tough battle against George Mason but couldn’t pull off the upset in an eventual defeat. The Patriots outmatched the Dragons in the No. 1 through No. 4 singles positions. Xabier Saavedra earned the Dragons’ only win in the match, defeating Mason’s Aaron Capitel in a hard-fought 6-7, 6-3, 10-7 match. The win gave the Dragons their only point of the match.

On the women’s side there was a much different result, as the women proved superior to the Patriots by dominating them at each position. The women swept positions No. 1 through No. 4, as Zeynep Mafa took down her opponent 6-1, 6-0, and Nicole Pivonka outplayed Mason’s No. 2 6-3, 6-0. Marcela Rosales also added a win for the Dragons with a 5-7, 6-2, 10-5 decision. Emma Brook played a strong match, taking down the Patriots’ Ashley Delaney 3-6, 6-0, 10-6. Alex Bell and Aysenil Orhon did not complete their matches, but Orhon held a 6-1, 5-3 lead when the match was halted. With the victory, the women improved their record on the season to 9-4.

The Drexel men’s team traveled home and was back on the court April 1 to take on the Saint Peter’s University Peacocks. The Dragons dominated the Peacocks on the day, winning all three doubles matches along with six singles matches on their way to the sweep. Badr Ouabdelmoumen and Skyler Davis took the court in doubles in the No. 1 position and took down their opponent 8-6. Dan Koehler and Saavedra followed in the No. 2 position with an 8-4 victory. Jeganathan Srinivasan and teammate Daniel Hansen completed doubles with a well-played 8-5 win.

The Dragons were very impressive in the singles matches, as each player battled to victory. Ouabdelmoumen proved superior in his match against St. Peter’s Charley Carnera, finishing his opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Srinivasan took the court at No. 2 for the Dragons and played his way to a 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 victory over Marko Knezevic. Davis took down his opponent 6-1, 6-2 as the Dragons took the No. 3. Koehler followed with a two-set win of his own, going 6-3, 6-3 on the day. At No. 5, Saavedra fought his way to a 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 victory over Oliver Bellomi. Alex Fioravante finished off the singles matches for the Dragons by defeating his opponent 6-0, 6-1 to complete the sweep.

The men and women both took to the courts April 4 at home to take on St. Joe’s. The two teams did not fare as well as in their previous matches, falling 4-2 and 5-2, respectively, to the Hawks.

The teams will return to the courts April 6 to take on the University of Delaware. The men will began their matches at noon, and the women will have a 2 p.m. start.

The Drexel University wrestling team had a good showing at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. Both redshirt junior Brandon Palik and senior Frank Cimato earned their place in the NCAA Championships. Palik took first place at the CAA Championships, while Cimato took second place in his division.

The Dragons headed to Boston to compete in the CAA Championships March 9 at Boston University. At 197, Palik had the most impressive performance of the tournament for the Dragons. In his first bout he earned an 11-0 major decision over Old Dominion University’s Jacob Henderson. He followed that with possibly his biggest victory of the year, defeating the fourth-ranked wrestler in the country in Nathan Schiedel of Binghamton University to take the CAA title.

At 141, team captain Cimato is another Dragon who stood out at the championships. Cimato earned two victories at the tournament, including a 3-2 win over George Mason University’s Sahid Kargbo and an 11-10 decision against Hofstra University’s Luke Vaith. In his match against Vaith, Cimato came from behind and took down the Hofstra wrestler with only five seconds left to secure the victory and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In his final match, Cimato was bested by Old Dominion’s Chris Mecate but still took second place.

Although Palik and Cimato were the only Dragons to earn spots in the NCAA Championships, two other Drexel wrestlers still had some success. Both Kevin Matyas and Bryan Sternlieb won decisions at the tournament but fell short of earning an NCAA bid. Despite falling in his first bout, Matyas won in wrestle-backs against George Mason’s Seth Robertson at 174 to progress to the consolidation semifinals before falling 3-2 to Boston University’s Kyle Czarnecki.

Bryan Sternlieb won his first match with a major decision over George Mason’s Ryan Hembury. Sternlieb progressed to the semifinals at 184 before falling in a 5-4 decision to Rider University’s Ryan Wolfe.

Other Drexel wrestlers who competed in the CAA Tournament included Jacob Goodwin, Jordan Hart, Joshua Yurasits, Austin Sommer, Connor Moran and Jon Max Wright. While these Dragons were unable to register any victories in the tournament, there were many hard-fought and close matches.

Both Palik and Cimato will return to the mats March 21 when they will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete for an NCAA title. The tournament will last until March 23.

The Drexel University softball team had a week filled with mixed results. The Dragons went 3-4 (and now sit at 5-10 overall) March 1-5.

The Dragons traveled to Conway, S.C., March 1 to compete in the Coastal Carolina Invitational. The team’s offensive woes were the biggest story of the weekend. They went 1-4, including three shutout losses. In the final game of the tournament, however, the Dragons’ offense did show signs of life.

The Dragons began the invitational with a matchup March 1 against Wichita State University. Karli Boyer had a two-hit game, but Drexel could not push a run across the plate and was shut out, falling 4-0 to the Shockers. Although the offense was able to get five hits off of Wichita State’s Sloan Anderson, they were held hitless in key scoring situations. Freshman Tara Konopka gave the Dragons a strong pitching performance, allowing only two earned runs over five innings, but got minimal support from the offense in the loss.

Following the loss, the Dragons had a quick turnaround to face Coastal Carolina University. Once again, the offense was the story for the Dragons, as they could not crack the Chanticleers’ pitching and were held off the scoreboard for the second straight game. The Drexel offense mustered only three hits in the game. The Dragons’ Shelby Taylor held Coastal Carolina in check through the first four innings but got into trouble in the fifth and loaded the bases. The Chanticleers’ Morgan Noad took advantage of the situation, taking Taylor’s delivery over the right-field fence for a grand slam. Coastal Carolina would go on to take the win 8-0.

Drexel returned to the field Saturday to take on Western Carolina University. The Dragons scored their first run of the tournament and took an early lead in the game. Jess O’Hara beat out an infield single to the hole between shortstop and third base. Ellen Scott followed with an RBI double to the gap in left-center field that rolled to the wall. Western Carolina made a comeback in the fourth inning as Taylor lost her command. She walked three batters in the inning, including the tying run. The Catamounts took the lead in the fifth with two runs to give them a 3-1 lead. The Dragons were able to get within one run in the seventh inning off an RBI single by Comfort Ahonkhai but could not make the comeback, eventually falling 3-2.

In the second game of the day, Drexel’s offense was almost nonexistent against The University at Albany, State University of New York. The Dragons once again could not plate a run, managing only three singles and a walk. No Dragon runner could make it past first base in the game, and seven were struck out. The Great Danes’ offense had no problem scoring runs, as they plated five in the second, one in the fourth and three unearned in the sixth to put away the game.

The Dragons returned to the diamond March 3 to play their final game of the Coastal Carolina Invitational against Western Carolina. Drexel’s bats woke up for the first time on the weekend, as they finished the tournament with a 6-5 victory. In the win, Konopka earned her first collegiate victory in relief. The Dragon offense took advantage of its chances during the game, capitalizing on Catamount miscues to score five unearned runs. Outfielder Maggie Fermo scored twice, and Ahonkhai scored the game-winner to break a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning. Hanna Parrish added two hits and a run for the Dragons.

The Dragons’ performance at the Coastal Carolina Invitational featured an offense that could not make the correct adjustments when it counted. The team did not seem to click until the final game of the tournament.

“I think the team’s offensive struggles have come due to a lack of adjustments early in the game,” head coach Miranda Ervin said about her team’s performance. “We definitely can do a better job of making adjustments. When they are made, we hit the ball. I think this team has a lot of opportunities for offensive greatness, but it takes adjusting pitch to pitch and at bat to at bat.”

Following their stint in South Carolina, the team headed back to Philadelphia. The Dragons were set to play their first home games of the season March 5 in a doubleheader against Rider University. The team carried momentum from its previous win and was able to sweep the doubleheader in impressive fashion, winning both games by a final score of 8-0.

The first game of the day was all Dragons, with Taylor pitching a complete-game shutout and the offense manufacturing eight runs. Taylor allowed only one hit in her performance, a bunt single in the third inning. Parrish, Sylvia Llamas, Ahonkhai and Taylor each added two hits for the Dragons in the game. O’Hara had the biggest hit of the game, roping a double to left-center field that plated three runs.

The second game of the doubleheader had the same result for the Dragons. Once again the Drexel starting pitcher threw a complete-game shutout. Konopka allowed only four hits and struck out two in her six innings of work. The offense backed Konopka nicely, scoring eight runs for the second straight game. Parrish had her second two-hit game of the day and added two RBIs. O’Hara, Scott and Jill Popek each added two-hit days for the Dragons as well.

The Dragons’ first home games of the season came with the success they have been searching for all along. The offense finally seemed to wake up from its slump and scored 16 runs on the day. While the bats were impressive, it was the starting pitchers that shined brightest for Drexel with back-to-back complete-game shutouts.

“I think it was a huge confidence booster for both the team and the pitchers,” Ervin said about her starting pitchers’ performances against Rider. “The pitchers did a great job getting out of jams and finding a way to make pitches work. I think the team rallied behind the pitchers, and it gave everyone confidence going into this weekend.”

The Dragons will return to the field March 8 when they travel to Buies Creek, N.C., for the Hampton Inn Camel Stampede Tournament. Drexel will have matchups against Morehead State University, Norfolk State University, Northern Kentucky University and Campbell University over the weekend. The Dragons will look to find success on the road as they did at home.

“I think the key to success is making adjustments and playing hard every game,” Ervin said. “If we do that, then we will compete with all teams and give ourselves a chance to be successful.”

[media-credit name=”Bobbie McKenna” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] In their most recent action, the Drexel University wrestling team defeated Franklin & Marshall 27-9, and lost to Rider University 26-12. The Dragons will take on
Rutgers University Feb. 15 at the John a. Daskalakis athletic Center. Rutgers is currently 15-3 on the season.

The weekend road trips for Drexel University wrestling ended with mixed results. The Dragons had a strong performance Feb. 8 against Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., besting the Diplomats 27-9. The next dual, however, did not go as well for the team. The Dragons stumbled Feb. 10 in their conference match against Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., falling to the Broncs 26-12.

The Dragons headed into Lancaster looking to build on their impressive conference win against Boston University a week earlier. The night began with Jacob Goodwin winning a 5-4 decision to put the Dragons on the board first. The Diplomats answered by taking the next three matches, including a hard-fought match in which Frank Cimato fell just short. Austin Sommer got the Dragons going back in the right direction with a victory at 157, which was followed by a win by Connor Moran at 165 to tie the score at 9-9. Kevin Matyas gave the Dragons the lead with a vital performance in which he pinned Franklin & Marshall’s Colin Gironda.

After recapturing the lead, Drexel never looked back. The Dragons dominated their remaining matches. Bryan Sternlieb earned an 11-3 major decision at 184 while Brandon Palik added a tech fall at 197. Jon Max Wright put the final mark on the night with a 2-1 decision to solidify the Drexel victory.

“It was a good dual meet,” head coach Matt Azevedo said. “Both teams wrestled well, but we have the stronger team up and down the lineup.”

Following their impressive victory over Franklin & Marshall, the Dragons headed to Lawrenceville to take on conference opponent Rider. Drexel did not have the same success against the Broncs, as they struggled to get any momentum in the dual.

Jacob Goodwin started out the day in the right direction with a 9-7 decision to put the Dragons up 3-0. The lead did not last long, as the Broncs quickly tied up the score with a win at 133. Cimato followed the loss with a strong bounce-back performance. After falling in a hard-fought match two days before, Cimato took care of Rider’s Rob Cigna with a 17-2 tech fall to give Drexel an 8-3 lead. The team captain knew that it takes a strong mental focus to bounce back from a tough loss.

“I try not to let things bother me and just keep doing what I’ve been doing, knowing that I have the right skills and technique to win matches,” Cimato said.

Following Cimato’s win, things began to go south for the Dragons. Rider recaptured the lead with a pin from Curt Delia at 149 and took control of the match from then on. The Broncs took the next four matches at 157, 165, 174 and 184 before Palik earned an 11-2 major decision over Don McNeil at 197, which put the score at 23-12 in favor of Rider. Despite a strong performance by Wright, he was unable to put the Dragons any closer, as he fell in overtime at 285 to finish the dual.

“Their strongest wrestlers are probably where we are weakest, so they were able to run the score up on us and get bonus points, which make the difference in a close dual meet,” Azevedo said about Rider and the Drexel loss. “I think in a tournament we can beat Rider. In a pure individual contest we can beat them.”

The Drexel wrestlers will return home to the Daskalakis Athletic Center  Feb. 15 for a Senior Night matchup against Rutgers University. The matches will begin at 7 p.m.