College students need to make tough choice regularly. Part of being a college student is having to make the choice on whether to study or go out and have fun. Some will choose to study and some will choose to have fun.

For college athletes the decision becomes even harder. They must study and find time to relax but must also practice their sport.

Dedication to one’s sport is something we always want to see from an athlete. Much like studying for a test, practice allows an athlete to accomplish goals and gain a greater ability in their field.

Dedication forces athletes to practice, to sacrifice relaxation time and even some study time. While these are tough sacrifices, watching an athlete grow and become great at what they do is beautiful. It’s like watching a painting being created from start to finish.

Drexel University junior Chris Crawford has chosen to be great at golf.

He has chosen to dedicate himself and sacrifice in order to bring acclaim, not only to himself, but to Drexel as well. Crawford was recently named the Colonial Athletic Association golfer of the year, becoming the first Dragon to ever obtain this honor.

This is far from the first award Crawford has received during his time at Drexel. In 2013 he won the CAA rookie of the year award, while also receiving league honors. Crawford was named to the All-CAA second team.

Along with winning the CAA player of the year award this year, Crawford was also named to the All-CAA first team for the second year in a row.

Clearly, Crawford has dedicated himself to golf. He has improved on every season, learning from mistakes and correcting these mistakes to make him the best golfer in the CAA.

One of the most impressive parts of Crawford’s game is his will to keep getting better. Crawford explained that winning the award is something he is very proud of. He said that he has continual-ly focused on trying to get better each and every day.

Many athletes may find themselves getting complacent, especially winning awards that honor them as the best in their field. Crawford, however, said he is not going to let this happen.

“Winning an award like this doesn’t change much heading into next fall,” Crawford said. “I’ll simply keep working to improve.”

This season, Crawford finished in the top 10 in every tournament he played in. He was named the conference’s golfer of the week twice, and in the championship tournament he finished in fifth place.

Improving on this season seems a tall task, but with the hard work and dedication Crawford has shown through three years, the sky is the limit for his game.

Head coach Mike Dynda said that coaching Crawford has been a pleasure for the past three years, and believes that “we’ve yet to reach his potential.”

This is a truly frightening thought for Drexel’s competition: The CAA player of the year might get even better.

“There’s too many other guys out there working just as hard as I am, trying to win tournaments,” Crawford explained. “There’s always something to work on, some area of your game that has to be improved.”

Coach Dynda has been close with Crawford for three years now, and Dynda explains that beyond stats, what we don’t see is “[Crawford’s] heart and his mind, which are two of his biggest assets.”

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Junior Chris Crawford takes a swing during the 2014 fall season. Crawford fnished eighth at the Redhawk Invitational in Seattle, Washington. (Photo Courtesy – Drexel Dragons)

The Drexel University golf team finished in sixth place at the Seattle University Redhawk Invite, competing on the West
Coast April 6 and 7.

After a solid start to the season, the Dragons continued their upward trend at Chambers Bay. The course is definitely very difficult, so Drexel’s sixth-place finish out of 18 schools looked all the more impressive.

Drexel also went up against impressive competition, including No. 10 University of Washington, who finished 52 stokes ahead of Drexel and won the tournament.

Junior Christopher Crawford, freshman Adam Mistretta, freshman Avery Schneider, sophomore Brian Fischer and sophomore Yoseph Dance all had sturdy outings, but it was Crawford and Dance who paced the team, finishing eighth and 15th, respectively.

With Chambers Bay being a tough course to play, it is easy to lose composure and play frustrated. Crawford is a master at keeping his emotions in check, which consistently allows him to be the top golfer in any competition. Crawford began round one of competition with four bogeys, which he was able to counter with three composed birdies to finish one-over par through 18 holes.

Crawford seemed to have figured out the course during the second round as he started off with four straight pars. He bogeyed just one hole in the front nine.

The back nine was even more impressive as Crawford played even par, finishing yet another round just one stroke over par. He entered the clubhouse tied for fifth overall with one round left to play.

The third round seemed to give Crawford some trouble. After starting the round with a birdie, he recorded eight bogeys on the next 15 holes before a birdie on the final hole of the tournament put him at six-over for the day. He finished the tournament eight-over,
and tied for eighth.

The Dragons would not have reached the sixth spot if only one golfer had a great performance. Dance had an outstanding tournament, as he was able to claim a top-15 spot.

Dance carded a six-over par in the first round before calming his nerves and recording four bird-ies over the final two rounds to keep him within striking distance of the top of the leaderboard. He shot a three-round total of 13-over par, good to tie for 15th
overall in the tournament.

The Dragons had three more golfers who helped their cause. Mistretta and Schneider were able to secure a pair of spots in the top 50. Mistretta shot a six over par in the first round, seven over par in the second round and 10 over par in the third round. Schneider shot nine over par in the first round, seven over par in the second round and just six over par in the third round. Fischer rounded the team’s standings out with an 82nd-place finish.

The Dragons will be traveling to Poplar Grove Golf Club in Lynchburg, Virginia, for their next match at Liberty University, April 10-11.

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Freshman Adam Mistretta takes a swing at the Wildcat Invitational. (DrexelDragons.com)

Spring has come upon us, which means the Drexel University men’s golf team is back in action. It’s no secret that this winter has been a cold one, and because of that getting back outside when the weather begins to warm is a great feeling. The Drexel men’s golf team opened up their warm spring season at the White Manor Country Club as a part of the Villanova University Wildcat Invitational. Drexel did a great job after having months off, finishing tied for third in a 16-team competition. The Dragons shot a combined score of 591 — just 10 stokes more than the first place school, Binghamton University.

As the 2014 fall season came to a close, junior Christopher Crawford was ranked number one in the Colonial Athletic Association by GolfStat. Crawford did another great job at the Wildcat In-vitational, shooting a 71 the first day, which was par for the course. Crawford was able to begin the day with par on his opening two holes. Both holes were over 400 yards, but Crawford found the cup within four strokes.

The next six holes were a bit trickier for Crawford to manage, but with his talent this only meant he would bogey, going one over each hole’s par. On holes nine and 10, Crawford found his stoke again going even, but then bogeyed the next six holes. Crawford finished strong shooting for par on holes 17 and 18, and he received par for the course with his final score of 71.

In the second round Crawford started off with even better scores, shooting for par on his first four holes. He then bogeyed on the next five holes, which put him at one over par for the course half way through. Crawford ended the second round with a final tally of 73, two over par. His total for the two rounds was a 144, which is a great score seeing as par for both rounds was 142. Crawford finished seventh, just four strokes off from first place’s Billy Johns from Lehigh University.

Freshman Adam Mistretta shot the next best score for the Dragons, finishing the invitational with a very impressive 145. The first round started very well for Mistretta, as he shot for par on his first hole. He then shot one under par on holes two and three, two under par on the fourth hole and continued to shoot one under par for the next three holes. On the eighth hole, Mistretta seemed to lose his stroke just a bit as he bogeyed hole eight and double bogeyed hole nine. The second half of the course gave Mistretta troubles as his worst score would come on the 10th hole where he shot a double bogey. Even with the struggle on the back end, Mistretta found himself with an overall score of 76, just five over par for the course.

As impressive as Mistretta’s performance was in the first round, his second performance was even better. Mistretta parred his first and ninth holes. Holes two through five he bogeyed, and then double bogeyed holes six and seven. He finished with a bogey on hole eight and shot for par on hole nine. The back end of the course is where Mistretta thrived for the second round. He was able to shoot for par on holes 10 through 13, and on the next three holes Mistretta shot one under par. The 17th hole was Mistretta’s best performance, where he shot three under par, and then two under par on the 18th hole, finishing with a total score of 69. This was a great performance for Mistretta: as a freshman he displayed a great deal of talent and composure. This performance earned Mistretta a top-eight finish.

Drexel would not have been able to finish in the top three as a team if only two golfers had im-pressive outings. Freshman Avery Schneider and Brian Fischer finished in the top 32, and Yoseph Dance finished top 60. Schneider and Fischer both shot nine over par with a total score of 151. Dance finished with just seven more stokes added to his total score, which was 158. With these three performances and the great efforts put forth by Mistretta and Crawford, the Dragons were able to begin their spring season with an impressive third place finish.

Drexel will be playing in Seattle at the Chambers Bay April 6-7. They will look to move forward from the Wildcat Invitational with individual and team confidence. Golf is certainly an individual endeavor, however, there is still a team aspect when in competition, and the Dragons know this. If one golfer has an off day, they can maintain confidence that their teammates will be there for support.

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Matthew Cimato, in the 149-pound division, faces off against an opponent from Nebraska University. The Dragons fell in that matchup and late lost to the University of Pennsylvania in their last match before postseason play. (Photo Courtesy – Drexeldragons.com)

The Drexel University wrestling team ran into some tough opponents this past weekend. They dropped the final three matches of the season, but each meet was against an incredibly tough opponent. The Dragons faced No. 23 Rutgers University, No. 10 University of Nebraska, and neighboring rival the University of Pennsylvania. Even though the season was coming to an end this was the toughest stretch the Dragons faced all year. It was definitely an important stretch, however, as it allowed the team to begin to get into championship form.

The match against Rutgers had some pre-match festivities, as seniors were honored on senior day. Noel Blanco and Bryan Sternlieb were recognized for their achievements on and off the mat, and while this was a small ceremony it still filled all fans and team members with emotion. Unfortunately for the Dragons, the Scarlet Knights ended those ceremonious emotions quickly.

The first match was in 133-pound division. Kevin Devoy Jr. was able to continue his dominant season, as the No. 15 Devoy defeated his No. 17 ranked opponent by a 4-2 decision. While Devoy was able to give Drexel an early lead, Rutgers quickly turned around and took the lead right back. In the 141 and 149 weight class, Andrew Mauriello and Matthew Cimato had to go up against the No. 9 and No. 18 ranked wrestlers in their respective weigh classes. Mauriello lost by fall at the 2:52 mark, and Cimato lost a majority decision, 9-1.

Blanco was not given an easy match, as he was matched up against the No. 13 ranked wrestler in the 157-pound weight class. Blanco lost by way a technical fall, which brought the Rutgers lead to 15-3. Nick Elmer wrestled with toughness to beat his opponent in the 165-pound division to quell the Rutgers streak. In the 174-pound division, Stephen Loiseau wrestled hard, bringing his match into sudden victory where he would unfortunately drop the match by a 2-0 decision.

Alex DeCiantis wrestled an exciting match in the 184-pound class, which went to two overtimes. DeCiantis was able to defeat his opponents in the closing seconds of the second overtime, winning a 4-2 decision.

The Dragons dropped the next three matches unfortunately and lost the match to the Scarlet Knights, 28-9. Rutgers is one of the tougher opponents Drexel has faced this season. The next match against No. 10 Nebraska, however, proved to be an even tougher task.

The Cornhuskers have eight wrestlers on the squad that are ranked, but as Coach Matt Azevedo constantly explains upsets and tough, hard-nosed wrestling are how matches are won. The Dragons definitely were going to need a few upsets to defeat the vaunted Nebraska lineup.

Drexel, unfortunately could not manage an upset, in fact Nebraska found a way to upset the Dragons in the 133-pound match. After Tanner Shoap was defeated by No. 11 Tim Lambert, No. 15 Devoy faced an unranked opponent. Devoy has become a staple of consistency for the Dragons, even if a match is going poorly it is usually Devoy who finds a way to be spark plug, winning his matches with tough wrestling. Nebraska’s Eric Montoya found a way, however, to upset Devoy, beating him with a 3-1 decision.

Mauriello lost in the 141-pound division to his No. 8 ranked opponent. Mauriello wrestled with heart but lost by fall at the 2:20 mark. Cimato found a way to give the Dragons their one and only win, upsetting his No. 20 ranked opponent, Justin Arthur, in the 149-pound division. Cimato was able to control the match and win the decision, 6-4.

Cimato’s win was the only win for the Dragons in this match. Each wrestler wrestled with toughness and with their hearts but the Cornhuskers were able to find ways to win. Loiseau had a notable match in which he wrestled his No. 1 ranked opponent in the 174-pound weight class, Robert Kokesh, to the four-minute mark. Loiseau lost the match by a fall, but for a freshman to take on a No. 1-ranked opponent and wrestle him for four minutes shows heart and determination.

Heart and determination is exactly what the Dragons needed as they took on their neighboring rival Penn. The winner of this match would not only come away with bragging rights, but also the Abner’s cheesesteak trophy.

The match began with the 125-pound division, where Zack Fuentes took on Jeremy Schwartz. Fuentes was able to defeat Schwartz by a 4-0 decision. In the 133-pound division, No.15 Devoy saw his winning ways come back to him after winning his match over No. 18 Caleb Richardson by a 7-3 decision.

Drexel dropped the 141 pound match, as David Pearce was unable to out dual his man, loosing a 5-2 decision. In the 149-pound division, redshirt freshman Geoffrey Verallis was tasked with taking on No. 8 C.J. Cobb. Verallis lost the match and the lead for Drexel with a 20-7 majority decision. Verallis wrestled hard and showed some great heart, but could not over come the experience of his opponent.

In the 157-pound division, Blanco was able to give the Dragons another win regain the lead by defeating his opponent tough fought 15-10 decision. The Dragons, however, could not hold on to that lead as they would drop the next four matches in the 165, 174, 184 and 197 weight classes.

Losses in the four previous matches would cost Drexel the overall match, but heavyweight Joey Goodhart would not let that affect his individual performance. Goodhart’s match took more than eight minutes to conclude, however, it would conclude at the 8:17 mark as he was able to win by fall.

The final overall team score was 21-15, as Drexel dropped their final match of the weekend and finished the season with an 8-14 record. In the grand scheme of things, the record is not an important part of wresting, what is instead important is that each wrestler comes away ready to participate in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships.

Coach Azevedo has explained that wrestling is an individualistic sport, “there are no teammates that you can pass a ball to.” The regular season is important for wrestlers to become better individually so that they can compete with the best of the best in the championships.

There is no doubt that the EIWA conference gives each Dragon the opportunity to improve on their skills and wrestle against top tier opponents. It also allows the Dragons to get a feel for who they may be wrestling against on March 6 and 7 when they head to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to participate in the EIWA championship matches.

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The Drexel University wrestling team was back in action when they took on Rider University and Franklin & Marshall College Jan. 6 and 7.

As the Dragons draw closer to championship play, head coach Matt Azevedo made the choice to rest some starters this past weekend. With a few key wrestlers out, the Dragons managed to defeat Franklin & Marshall, but lost to a very good Rider team. Resting starters is key, especially for a sport like wrestling, where performances are strictly individual. It allows guys to relax their bodies and regroup themselves. Even with some major starters, like Kevin Devoy Jr., out for both of these matches, the Dragons had replacements that were very effective, wrestling with great intensity.

The Dragons began the weekend wrestling against Rider. As a whole, Rider is a great team, who has suffered a few setbacks here and there, but their talent level is extremely high. Alex DeCiantis started off the match in the 184-pound weight class, he was able to give Drexel a quick lead after earning a technical fall against his opponent. In the 197-pound division, Brandon Litten, a redshirt freshman, wrestled well, taking his man all the way to overtime. Unfortunately, Litten lost a tough match in a 3-1 decision.

The team score after two matches was close, 5-3. Joey Goodhart expanded the Dragons lead to 8-3 by winning 4-3 decision, in another overtime match. Zack Fuentes, in the 125-pound division lost the next match in a tough fought 6-0 decision, and Franco Ferraina also lost his match in the 133-pound division by a 13-5 decision. The team score was now in Rider’s favor at 10-8, but in the 141-pound division, David Pearce was able to win a 7-5 decision in overtime. Pearce fought as well as he has all season, proving to be a great wrestler no matter the opponent.

Matthew Cimato wrestled a tough match, but lost in the 149-pound division by a major decision of 14-4. Drexel and Rider both traded wins from here on. Noel Blanco beat his opponent in the 159-pound division, but Michael Paccione lost his match in the 165-pound division, ultimately sealing the deal for Rider. Stephen Loiseau did not go down without a fight even though the team was lost; in the last match of the night he won by way of a 4-3 decision.

The final score was 20-17, with Rider coming out on top. In a close meet like this it is hard to imagine the Dragons would have lost had they been at full strength, with every starter wrestling. Coach Azevedo, however, saw this weekend as an opportunity to rest his guys, and also get other guys ready for competition. He explained that, “We’ve got a couple of guys that can be [competition ready] but maybe not quite there yet, but we are hoping over the next several weeks we can get them where they need to be.” Regular season matches are best used for wrestlers to get the ready for these competitions, which is why rest for some and action for others is important.

In the final meet of the weekend, Drexel took on Franklin & Marshall. The Dragons were able to dominate Franklin & Marshall, winning 30-6. Nick Elmer started off the meet winning in the 165-pound division, by a 10-6 decision. In the 174- and 184-pound matches, Loiseau and DeCiantis both beat their opponents, by way of a 5-3 decision and 19-7 major decision, in their respective matches.

Litten wrestled valiantly in the 197-pound division, bringing his match into overtime, but ultimately lost a 6-5 decision. From here on the Dragons went on a five-match win streak. In the 285-pound division, Goodhart won his match by a close 3-2 decision. Fuentes, in the 125-pound division, was able to record a major decision, winning his match with relative ease. Ferraina, a reserve, wrestled with great heart in the 133-pound division and won his match by a fall against his opponent.

Pearce at 141 pounds and Cimato at 149 pounds both put forth great performances winning their respective matches, 6-0 and 10-1. In the final match of the night, the redshirt freshman Ryan O’Connor lost his match in the 157-pound division. He wrestled hard but ultimately lost a 6-1 decision.

A win from this match brought Drexel’s team record to 7-10, but more importantly, many regular starters were able to rest this weekend and others were able to get in the action to work on their wrestling technique. As Coach Azevedo has pointed out, the ultimate goal is to get wresters ready for championship matches.

The Dragons will host Hofstra University Feb. 13 for a much anticipated spirit night in the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The atmosphere for the match will be great and the wrestlers will definitely be feeding off it. On Sunday, Feb. 15 the Dragons will head to Ithaca, New York, to take on Cornell University.

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Drexel University wrestling faces off against Lock Haven University Jan. 16 in the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The Dragons fell just short of a comeback, losing 18-15 in the contest. (Ajon Brodie – The Triangle)

The Drexel University Wrestling team was back in action Jan. 16. They finally found themselves wrestling in familiar territory, as it was their first match back in the Daskalakis Athletic Center since Dec. 13. Unfortunately the Dragons were unable to come away with a home victory, losing to their opponent, Lock Haven University, 18-15. The Dragons wrestled hard but could not win the one match they needed to pull out the victory.

The 125-pound match tends to be vital for the team, and when Tanner Shoap is able to get a victory in that first match more times than not, the tone for the entire match is set and a Drexel victory is imminent. In this match Shoap was unable to give the Dragons that tone-setting start. He did wrestle hard, but lost in a 9-2 decision. This gave Lock Haven a 3-0 lead, but that lead was in jeopardy because Drexel sent Kevin Devoy Jr. to the mat for the 133-pound match.

Devoy, now ranked No. 16 in his weight class, went down 2-0 but found his ground and pulled off a reversal to tie the score. Lock Haven opponent, Ronnie Perry, pulled off an escape, which gave him a 3-2 lead. During the last leg of the match Devoy scored a take down with 30 seconds remaining to gain two points, giving him a 4-3 lead. The match ended with Devoy taking the victory and tying the overall team score at 3-3.

David Pearce wrestled next in the 141-pound division, and he was tough in the match, especially during the final portion, but he was unable to beat his opponent, falling in a 6-3 decision. In the 149-pound division, Matthew Cimato was in the lead for most of his match, however, his opponent was able to score four unanswered points by way of an escape and takedown. Cimato lost this match in a 4-1 decision, which gave Lock Haven a 9-3 lead.

Moving up the weight classes, Noel Blanco wrestled next in the 157-pound division. Blanco and his opponent, Elias Biddle, both wrestled evenly, scoring zero points each heading into the final period of the match. Biddle scored two points in the final period, but Blanco responded with a takedown to even the score at two. Both wrestlers fought hard in the match, however, Biddle came out on top after scoring a take down and Blanco only able to respond with one more point. He lost this match 4-3, and the Lock Haven team lead increased again to 15-3. 

In the 165-pound match Nick Elmer dropped his match in a 5-1 decision, and the Dragons were now in a hole they would need to win each of their next match in order to tie Lock Haven’s overall score.

The attempt at tying the score started off well as the Dragons went on to win in the 174- and 184-weight divisions. Stephen Loiseau and Jason Fugiel each wrestled hard and both recorded clutch wins, which gave Drexel a fighting chance to tie the overall team scores. 

Brandon Litten unfortunately was unable to win his match in the 197-pound division. A win here would have tied the match, but Litten lost his match by just one point in a 3-2 decision. The 285-pound division ended the match, and Joey Goodhart won in a 3-1 decision to make the final overall team score 18-15, Lock Haven.

Although it was a tough match to lose, the Dragons showed resilience as they attempted to come back from a large deficit of 15-3. Close matches are extremely tough to loose, however, the Dragons should be proud of the way they fought. Even when it looked like Lock Haven had easily won, the Dragons stormed right back to close the gap. Next time, the Dragons will no doubt finish the job.

Drexel now holds a record of 4-6, however, the big matches are around the corner. The Dragons will face divisional foe Binghamton University Jan. 23 in Binghamton, New York. Then on Sunday, Jan. 25, the Dragons will face another divisional foe in Army, which will be in West Point, New York. After this New York trip, the Dragons will again be traveling around the east coast, and they won’t wrestle in the Daskalakis Athletic Center until Feb. 13. The Dragons will also need to be prepared for five of their next eight opponents being divisional rivals. 

“Although it is more comfortable to wrestle at home, we [have to] focus more on scouting our opponent,” Matt Azevedo, head coach, said about the upcoming stretch of away games.

It will definitely be important for the coaching staff and wrestlers to scout the opponents. The best way to get an advantage is to watch for your opponent’s disadvantages, and there is no doubt the Dragons will be looking to exploit every weakness they find.

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The Drexel University wrestling team posted an even 3-3 record over the holiday season, leaving their overall record at 3-4 on the season. They travel to Pittsburgh to compete in the Pitt duals January 11. (Ajon Brodie – The Triangle)

Holiday season can mean many things for Drexel University students. With winter break comes an increase in family time, home cooked meals, joy and outstretched stomachs. Holiday season may also mean the end of classes for the calendar year, but it doesn’t mean the Drexel wrestling team took a break from their season.

During the winter break the mat men went west to Illinois for the Windy City Duals. Then they came back home to the Daskalakis Athletic Center where they took on the U.S. Naval Academy. The Dragons ended wrestling in December, in The Grapple of the Garden, which was held in New York.

Over this stretch the Dragons were able to post a record of 3-3; their overall record is still under .500 at 3-4.

The mat men began December in a big way, with a shut-out win against Davidson College in the first match of the Windy City Classic by a score of 39-0. Tanner Shoap led the Dragons in the first match between the 125-pound division. His opponent forfeited, giving the Dragons a 6-0 lead. Kevin Devoy Jr. followed Shoap and won with a 9-2 decision, giving the Dragons three more points.

Franco Ferraina and Mathew Cimato both won their matches in the 141 and 149 weight classes, respectively. Noel Blanco made a 14-4 major decision to win the 157-pound weight class. Following these strong performances came strong executions by first year starters Nick Elmer and Stephen Loiseau, who both put forth efforts to win their matches.

Alex DeCiantis also had a masterful performance, pinning his man within a minute. Following DeCiantis, freshman Joshua Murphy and Joey Goodhart both ended the match with wins in the 197 and 285 pound divisions to give the Dragons an overall score of 39 for the match. Davidson, unable to win a match, ended with their score at zero.

Unfortunately for the Dragons the next two matches in the Windy City Classic would not go as smoothly. Drexel would lose to Northwestern University 28-15, and lose to Eastern Michigan University 22-19. Kevin Devoy Jr. won all of his matches, which put him at 3-0 in the Windy City Classic and 8-0 on the season.

Coming back home, the Dragons would face and defeat Navy Dec. 13. Tanner Shoap began the match in the 125-pound weight class, winning 16-0, by way of technical fall. Kevin Devoy Jr. was also able to win by fall, downing his man quickly, just 57 seconds into the match. Devoy Jr. would increase his personal record to 9-0 on the season.

The Dragons were on top of Navy, 11-0, with two quick match wins. The 140-pound division would not let down the Dragons either, as both David Pearce (141) and Mathew Cimato (149) won their matches, extending the lead for Drexel to 18-0. Noel Blanco would follow these strong matches with a strong match of his own, finding a way to win a 4-1 decision and increasing the score to 21-0.

As the second half went under way, Navy began making a pushback. Nick Elmer wrestling in the 165-pound weight class would lose his match 7-1, against a tough ranked opponent in Peyton Walsh. Following Elmer, Stephen Loiseau lost his match in a major decision of 12-3. Alex DeCiantis attempted to stop the losing skid with a hard fought match. DeCiantis was tied with his opponent 3-3, but lost by way of a fall.

The score for Navy was quickly climbing, what was once a 21-0 lead, now became a 21-13 lead. Joshua Murphy was up next, he had a chance to stop Navy from a comeback. However, he lost 4-3 despite a valiant comeback after falling down 3-1. The last match was in the 285-pound weight class, Joey Goodhart needed to avoid a pin, or a technical fall in order to secure a Dragon win. Goodhart was able to score an escape and a take down, winning his match 4-3 and securing a 24-16 victory for the Dragons.

This was a big win for the Dragons because it brought their record to 2-3, but more importantly it started the Dragons off 1-0 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. To close out 2014, the Dragons went to New York where they faced University of Northern Iowa and George Mason University.

The Dragons would lose their first match against Northern Iowa 24-14, but secured a 25-11 victory over George Mason. Kevin Devoy Jr. would remain perfect on the season going for two more victories, bringing him to 11-0 on the season, and ending his 2014 perfectly.

To open up 2015, the Dragons traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee where they wrestled in the Southern Scuffle. Kevin Devoy Jr. and Mathew Cimato were both able to advance to the championship round, held the next day, Jan. 2. Tanner Shoap, David Pearce and Noel Blanco would be continuing in the consolation bracket. On the second day of competition, Kevin Devoy Jr. placed fifth in the 133-pound division. He would lose his first match of the season in the quarter finals and fight from in consolation bracket to take fifth place.

The Dragons showed toughness in Chattanooga, and they will need to continue to be tough as they travel up to Pittsburgh for a match Jan. 11, against Bloomsburg University and Pittsburgh University in the Pitt Duals.

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Wrestling fell to South Dakota State University, 31-6. (Ajon Brodie – The Triangle)

To say it was a tough start would be an understatement.

The Drexel wrestling team struggled in their opening match against South Dakota State University Nov. 22. The match was held in the Daskalakis Athletic Center, but home field advantage didn’t really apply. The Dragons were unable to feed off their home crowd, like they would have hoped they could. The toughest part of this match was the injury that occurred during the very first match between the Dragons’ 125-pound wrestler and the South Dakota State wrestler.

The match between the two 125-wrestlers started off like any regular match. Drexel’s own Zack Fuentes came out of the gate ready to wrestle. He took on his man head on with a great deal of toughness. Fuentes, a redshirt freshman, did exactly what you would have wanted to see from a freshman: he was tough and wrestled cleanly, giving himself a chance to win his first ever match. Unfortunately for Fuentes he would have to forfeit the match after suffering an apparent elbow injury.

The injury definitely hurt the team not only because they watched one of their own being taken off the mat with an injury that could end his season, but also because of the time it took to get the match back on track.

Once Fuentes was taken from the match, head coach Matt Azevedo gathered his wrestlers and tried to get their heads back into the match. The next match was the 133-pound division, featuring Drexel’s Kevin Devoy Jr.

Devoy wrestled his opponent hard and would come away with a much needed victory for the Dragons, winning 7-2. Franco Ferraina, would wrestle next in the 141-pound division, where he would defeat his opponent in overtime by a margin of 6-1. Ferraina, wrestled extremely well in his match and during this point in the match his victory was important because it would give the Dragons an overall lead over the Jackrabbits. Unfortunately, however, the rest of the match would go South Dakota State’s way.

During the 149-pound match, Mathew Cimato lost a tough match by a score of 9-1. Cimato wrestled well but it was obviously not his day, as his opponent wrestled with extreme toughness. Noel Blanco would wrestle next in the 157-pound match. Unfortunately for Blanco, he would be facing an opponent who was nationally ranked, losing by way of a fall.

Nick Elmer, a redshirt freshman weighing in at 165 pounds, wrestled well and kept his match close, but he unfortunately would not be able to pull out the victor, losing a 4-3 decision. Stephen Loiseau (174), Alex DeCiantis (184) and Joshua Murphy (197) would all have close matches, but would be unable to come up with victories.

The last match of the night was well-wrestled by Joey Goodhart, who displayed a lot of heart against his opponent. Anyone wrestling in the 285 weight class needs to be tough and if this match is any indication of what Goodhart can bring, then he should be winning a majority of his matches this season. Unfortunately, Goodhart’s opponent beat him in overtime, but that is not to understate the toughness and hard wrestling that he displayed.

After the match Azevedo was upset with his team; he wanted more from his guys. He said that, overall, he was disappointed with the lack of toughness and heart his wrestlers had wrestled with.

It was important for his wrestlers to raise their level of toughness quickly, as the Dragons would travel to The Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania for the Keystone Classic Nov. 23.

The Dragons made Drexel proud in the Keystone Classic. Devoy was able to wrestle his way into the top spot of the 133-pound division. This was a great achievement for a wrestler, who is making it easy for the rest of us to think of him as a lock against any one opponent.

In addition to Devoy’s top-place finish, both Mathew Cimato (149), and Noel Blanco (157) earned fifth place finishes, which were very impressive. Both Dragon wrestlers displayed great amounts of toughness and heart while they wrestled, and although they didn’t finish in the top spot, in a match like the Keystone Classic where there are many high-quality wrestlers, fifth place finishes are extremely impressive.

The match against South Dakota State was an unfortunate match because of the loss of Zack Fuentes, and also because of the overall team effort. However, the turn around that the Drexel wrestlers were able to have in the Keystone Classic was impressive and bodes well for the rest of the season.

The Dragons will return to the mat Saturday, Dec. 6, when they travel to Evanston, Illinois. Drexel will be wrestling against Davidson College, Northwestern University and Eastern Michigan University. It will be a tough road trip and the Dragons will definitely need to show how tough they can be during these matches.

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Sophomore Tanner Shoap, in the 125 pound weight class, competes at the East Stroudsburg Open Sunday, Nov. 16. In the competition, 6 Dragons finished in the top-five of their class, including Shoap who finished tied for third. (Photo Courtesy – DrexelDragons.com)

Many of us have friends at other schools who look forward to the shorter, colder and more colorful days of fall. They look forward to these days not because they enjoy the fall, in fact many probably hate the cold, but because football and basketball season come upon them.

Here at Drexel University there is no doubt basketball grabs the attention of most, if not all, students. There is no football season, so all we have is basketball right? That is completely and utterly incorrect.

Drexel students should be getting excited for a lot more than just their basketball team, because the wrestling team is going to make many turn their heads. There is a lot to be excited for with the team, as they are a great group of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and a few seniors that are looking to put together a great season.

The mat men are going to have to go through the season dealing with the loss of some of their top talents of last year in Brandon Palik and Austin Sommer. Both of these wrestlers not only were tough opponents, but also were leaders they had a winning attitude and knew what they needed to do in order to win their matches. Last year both seniors had great season, and not having them for this season will be tough to overcome. 

With sports, however, comes loss and teams, particularly college teams, lose top talent every season so they know how to deal with it. Thankfully for the Dragons, overcoming the losses of such talented wrestlers will not be so tough, especially with young guys like Kevin Devoy Jr. and Tanner Shoap, who have already wrestled in some important matches and faired very well.

Last season Palik lead the team with 20 wins, but right behind him was Devoy with 19. Devoy showed he would be able to replace Palik’s roll, as not only dominant wrestler, but leader and role model. Devoy came off a huge season, and as a young sophomore there is no telling how good he can get. He has already started the year off with a bang, winning Nov. 1 at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. 

Another guy to look out for this year is Noel Blanco, who accumulated 14 wins last season as a junior. He will be an important player this season, not only because of his skill, but because as a senior he will be a leader and respected figure in the locker room, who can wrestle and do all the little things as an example of how to be a good teammate and wrestler.

If these player rundowns can’t get you excited for the season, then maybe standings from the East Stroudsburg University Open Wrestling Tournament will. During this competition six Dragons found themselves in the top five in their weight classes. Devoy finished in second place in the 133-pound weight class. He made it to the finals but would lose to Rutgers University’s Anthony Giraldo 2-1. 

Red shirt sophomores, David Pearce (141 pounds) and Matthew Cimato (149 pounds), also came in second place in their respective divisions. Third place was shared in the 125-pound division by Drexel teammates, Zack Fuentes and Shoap. Lastly, freshman Joshua Murphy took fifth place in the 197-pound division. 

There is undoubtedly a lot to be excited about. If you are a Drexel Dragon fanatic then the wrestling team is the team to follow. They wrestle with heart and toughness. It is going to be an exciting season, which opens up with South Dakota State University at the Daskalakis Athletic Center Saturday, Nov. 22.

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The Drexel University field hockey team celebrates a goal during their Oct. 10 game against Hofstra University at Buckley Field. They went on to lose that game 1-2, but recovered this week against Richmond University with an overtime victory. (Ken Chaney – The Triangle)

Not one, not two, not three, not even four.

The Drexel Dragons field hockey team needed four periods and a shoot out Oct. 19 to beat the University of Richmond. The Dragons came into the game following a tough week, so it was important that they kept fighting to get the win in this match. Coming into this game Drexel posted a 7-6 record, while Richmond posted a 9-6 record. Although this was not a conference game, a loss in this game could have been detrimental, crushing the team’s spirit. The Dragons again showed their toughness overcoming back-to-back conference losses to win a long and tough game and bring up the confidence levels.

Drexel came to the field looking to score right away. Jessica McCarthy attempted a shot just two minutes into the game, but unfortunately it went wide left. Mary Lynam, just 50 seconds later took another shot, however, again it went wide. This was a theme in the first half, and really for the entire game. The Dragons had their opportunities to score, but unfortunately their shots could not find the back of the net. McCarthy took two more shots between the 11 and the 12:30 minute mark, but again each would miss the target.

Richmond began their own assault on Drexel’s defense late in the half, but they would also find it difficult to score. The Dragons played great defense, getting in the way of shots and forcing shots wide of the goal. When Richmond did shoot accurately on goal, the brick wall was there in the form of goalkeeper Jantien Gunter, blocking shots and keeping the Spiders off the board.

In the second half the Spiders continued their offensive push, trying to weave their way in and out of the Drexel defense. They found the back of the net just seven minutes into the second half as Samantha Ostoich scored the first goal of the game, giving Richmond a 1-0 lead. The Spiders continued to try to score again to put the game out of reach, but Gunter would make two key saves to keep the score at a reachable 1-0.

Needing to score quickly, the Dragons set up their offense and attacked the Spiders. McCarthy and Allyson Fuller both took shots attempting to tie the game, but Richmond’s goalkeeper, Kelley Wentling, made saves on both shots and kept score at 1-0. With just 10 minutes left, the Dragons needed a score in order to at least push the game into overtime. Drexel stayed composed and finally scored in the 63rd minute, evening up the score at 1-1. Idrienne Walker recorded her third goal of the season, but perhaps more importantly she tied up the game and gave the Dragons an opportunity to win. Drexel attempted a last-second shot right at the end of the second half to win the game, but Wentling made a clutch save. The game would have to be settled in overtime.

Overtime would be much of the same for the Dragons. In the entire third period, Drexel attempted three shots, all of which went wide right or wide left. Seeing as this had been a theme for the day, the Dragons were frustrated; they needed their shots to straighten out and find the back of the goal. The other theme for the night that was in the Dragon’s favor was the play of Gunter, who made a big save against the Spiders to prevent them from winning in the third period. The defenses of both teams would stop each other and would force another overtime period.

The fourth period continued to be fruitless. The Dragons and the Spiders both played tough defense and did not allow each other to gain an edge. Both goalies also made saves to keep the game going and to further frustrate both offenses. After 100 minutes of playing time had passed, it was time for a shootout to decide the winner.

The shootout went in the Dragons’ direction, where they scored on three of four opportunities. Christina Conrad, McCarthy and Rachel Sumfest converted on their opportunities while Gunter made stops on all but one shot from the Spiders.

The win against Richmond is huge because it gives Drexel momentum heading into four must-win conference games. The team displayed its toughness and character through grinding out 115 overall minutes of action to win. It also shows how determined this squad is, which is key in the upcoming matches.

A team can only win by playing as a team, but if we are going to single out one player, that player should be goalkeeper Gunter. She was awarded co-Colonial Athletic Association player of the week honors after her great performance against Richmond, where she recorded six saves.

Head coach Denise Zelenak commented on her goalies abilities, “Jan is an amazing athlete with exceptional goalkeeping skills. She is fast, dynamic and has her own style in goal. Jan is confident in her abilities, which creates trust in the defensive unit. A true competitor who embraces the challenge of game day.”

Coach Zelenak also noted that although Gunter is an exceptional talent, she also has exceptional teammates who step up on defense helping her to be as good as she is.

What it always comes down to is teamwork. If the Dragons can continue to play unselfish field hockey they will win each game left on the calendar. The Dragons are at their best when they play as coherent group and help one another.

They will be looking to test their teamwork on Oct.24 in a conference game against James Madison University. This will be a very emotional day because it is senior day, a day in which each senior will be recognized for their contributions to the team. There is no doubt the Dragons will be playing hard for each other, especially for the senior members of the team.