Junior Bailey Greenberg hit a game-winning layup at the buzzer while posting a career-high 26 points as the Drexel University women’s basketball team beat the Northeastern University Huskies Jan. 18, 61-59. The Dragons then defeated the Hofstra University Pride Jan. 20, 61-49. The team has won three straight games and is still undefeated on the road this season, posting a 7-0 mark.

In Boston against the Huskies, the Dragons fell behind fast. Northeastern got out to an early 10-2 lead thanks to three-pointers from senior Jess Genco and junior Shannon Todd. Down 14-6, the Dragons went on a run to tie it up. Greenberg hit a basket down low and freshman Maura Hendrixson hit a pair of threes to tie the game at 14.

Once again, Drexel’s defense, the number one scoring defense in the country, shined in the second quarter. Over the last five games, Drexel has surrendered only an average of 5.8 points in the second quarter. Northeastern only sank one bucket in the quarter, a three from sophomore Stella Clark. The Dragons scored nine points in the period, stretching their lead to 26-19 heading into the break.

The offenses came alive in the third quarter, with each team posting at least 20 points. Greenberg led the scoring effort for Drexel, posting 11 points, while Hendrixson added another pair of threes. The Huskies kept close due to strong post play from senior Gabby Giacone, who posted six points, and seven more points from Clark.

The Dragons took a nine point lead into the final quarter, but saw it quickly evaporate. Clark hit a three to open scoring for the Huskies, but Hendrixson responded with an open corner three for Drexel. However, Northeastern would go on to score nine unanswered points, highlighted by three from Todd, to knot the game at 51.

A step back three from freshman Keishana Washington gave Drexel a 57-53 advantage with 2:15 to go. The Huskies stuck around, with junior Ayanna Dublin sinking two free throws and freshman Alexis Hill hitting a driving layup to tie it up at 57 with 1:19 remaining. Northeastern, once down by 14, would take the 59-57 lead on a pair of free throws by Todd.

On the ensuing possession, Greenberg would tie the game up for Drexel on a driving layup in the middle of the lane. Northeastern got a chance to take the lead with the shot clock unplugged, but Washington was able to swipe the ball from Clark with one second remaining. A Drexel timeout, advanced the ball and gave the Dragons a chance to win it. Junior Aubree Brown inbounded the ball on the low post to Greenberg who drilled the layup as time expired for the win.

Greenberg led the game in scoring with her 26 points while also posting eight rebounds. For her efforts, Greenberg was named an honorable mention for Player of the Week by the Colonial Athletic Association. The rookie Hendrixson had another strong performance for the Dragons, posting 16 points while draining five threes. Clark was the high scorer for Northeastern, posting 15 points along with three steals.

Drexel shot well from the field, going 23-47 from the floor (48.9 percent), and 8-19 from beyond the arc (42.1 percent). The Huskies went 23-54 (42.6 percent) overall on the night, with 6-15 (40.0 percent) shooting from three.

Against the Hofstra Pride, late game heroics weren’t necessary. After a close first quarter resulting in a 11-8 Drexel lead, the Dragons took control of the game thanks to a 13-2 run in the second quarter. The run was sparked by a step back three from sophomore Hannah Nihill, and featured both sophomore Mariah Leonard and Brown scoring four points each. Hofstra would break the run on a steal and score from sophomore E’Lexus Davis, but Drexel would score six more points to make it 30-17 going into halftime.

Drexel stretched its lead due to strong shooting from beyond the arc in the third quarter. Nihill, Greenberg, Hendrixson and Washington all hit threes in the quarter to push the Drexel advantage to 48-30.

In the fourth quarter, another three pointer by Washington and a layup from Leonard pushed the Drexel lead to 21. Hofstra made a comeback attempt, ultimately cutting the lead to 10, but in the end, the lead was insurmountable for the Pride.

Three Dragons, Greenberg, Nihill, and Brown, had at least ten points in the game. For Hofstra, Davis led with 11 points. Both teams shot similarly from the floor. Drexel went 23-54 (42.6 percent), with 7-17 (41.2 percent) from deep. While the Pride went 20-48 (41.7 percent) for the day, including 5-14 (35.7 percent) from three.

Drexel will return home this weekend for a pair of conference matches at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The Dragons will take on the College of Charleston Cougars Jan. 25 at 7 p.m., then face off with the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.

Freshman Maura Hendrixson posted a career-high 16 points as the Drexel University women’s basketball team picked up their first Colonial Athletic Association win of the season, defeating the University of Delaware Blue Hens Jan. 13, 57-40. The win was Drexel’s eighth straight against the Blue Hens and improves the team’s record to 9-5 on the season with a 1-2 mark in conference play.

In Newark, Delaware, the Blue Hens got an early advantage thanks to Drexel turnovers. The Dragons turned the ball over three times early in the first quarter, which helped the Blue Hens establish a 6-2 lead.

However a three from junior Aubree Brown sparked a 9-0 run for Drexel. Junior Bailey Greenberg hit a layup to give the Dragons the lead for the first time in the game. The nine unanswered points were capped off by driving bucket from sophomore guard Hannah Nihill and jumper by Maura Hendrixson. Delaware would get two points back on a layup by sophomore Lizzie O’Leary, but Drexel held the 11-8 advantage.

Drexel’s top-ranked defense was a highlight in the second quarter, holding Delaware to only four points. The Dragons held the Blue Hens to just 2-13 shooting in the quarter, and 0-4 from beyond the arc. The Drexel offense wasn’t very potent in the quarter either, shooting 2-14 from the field, but the team was able to get to the free throw line. The Dragons sunk six free throws in the quarter to take a 21-12 lead into halftime.

A Dragons’ offense that had sputtered the past few games came alive in the second half and it was largely due to Hendrixson. Hendrixson was effective due to her success from the three-point line, an area where Drexel has struggled recently. Hendrixson hit four threes and accumulated 14 points in the half.

It was a breakout performance for Hendrixson, who only had three points on the season prior to the game. Hendrixson’s 16 points were a game-high and her career-high five steals were also the most in the contest. For her efforts, Hendrixson was named CAA Rookie of the Week.

The Blue Hens were able to cut the Drexel lead to 10 in the third quarter on a three by junior Bailey Kargo. However, an 11-0 Drexel run would seal the game for the Dragons. On the run, Drexel hit three consecutive threes, two from Hendrixson and a corner three from Nihill.

Brown was also strong for Drexel, posting a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Brown also posted a game-high six assists. Kargo led the Blue Hens in scoring with 12 points, while graduate Makeda Nicholas led the game with 11 rebounds.

Delaware was held to 17-56 (30.4 percent) shooting from the floor, with a 3-15 (20.0 percent) mark from three. Drexel shot 20-58 (34.5 percent) on the night, including 6-21 (28.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Dragons will continue their road trip this weekend, traveling to Boston to take on the Northeastern University Huskies Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Then they’ll square off with the Hofstra University Pride in Hempstead, New York, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m.

After a strong start to the season, the Drexel University women’s basketball team has stumbled to start Colonial Athletic Association conference play, losing two home games — a heartbreaker to the Towson University Tigers Jan. 4, 55-54, and falling to the James Madison University Dukes Jan. 6, 51-35. The pair of losses brings the team’s record to 8-5 on the season with a 0-2 mark in conference play.

In the conference opener at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, the Tigers got off to a fast start. Buckets by junior Nukiya Mayo, redshirt sophomore Kionna Jeter and redshirt junior Qierra Murray put Drexel in a early 6-0 hole, forcing a team timeout.

Out of the stoppage, Drexel went on a 6-0 run with scoring from juniors Bailey Greenberg, Niki Metzel and Aubree Brown that knotted the game up. The teams then traded points and headed into the second quarter tied at 10.

In the second quarter, Drexel’s defense, ranked first in the country in total scoring, surrendered only two points. The Dragons forced seven Towson turnovers and held them to 1-9 in shots from the floor in the quarter. Drexel would score 13 points in the quarter, with freshman Keishana Washington and Greenberg having four points each.

The Dragons headed into the third quarter with a 23-12 lead, but the Tigers would quickly narrow the gap. The Tigers’ offense exploded in the third quarter, posting 21 points, the most Drexel has given up in a quarter this season.

The Towson offense came alive due to their success from the three. Towson was 0-6 from beyond the arc in the first half, but went 5-7 in the third quarter alone. Mayo hit three times from distance, with the last giving the Tigers a 33-32 lead. Metzel would take the lead back for Drexel with a steal and a pass to junior Ana Ferariu who had a bucket in the paint, making it 34-33 heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter featured more high scoring, with both teams trading buckets. Two buckets by Towson started the quarter and gave them a three-point advantage. Drexel then took the 38-37 lead on a pair of free throws by Washington. Washington then added a three to push the Drexel advantage to four.

The teams continued to trade the lead back and forth, eventually resulting in a 49-49 tie with 2:01 remaining in the game. Murray dished to Jeter for a fastbreak score, but a triple by Greenberg put the Dragons up by one with 36 seconds to go.

Metzel was fouled with eight seconds to go and went one of two from the line to put Drexel up 53-51. However, Jeter received an inbound pass and drove to hit a tough baseline jumper to tie the game with 3.9 seconds left. Jeter fouled sophomore guard Hannah Nihill and sent her to the stripe for two free throws with 3.3 seconds to go.

Nihill missed the first attempt but made the second to give the Dragons the one-point lead. Towson called a timeout and advanced the ball. Mayo received the inbound pass and drove the lane. The defender, Brown, fell on the drive, and Mayo hit the floater as time expired to win the game.

The win by the Tigers snapped a 19-game losing streak versus Drexel. Jeter led the game in scoring with 21, while Greenberg led Drexel with 17 points along with a game-high eight rebounds. Towson shot 40.7 percent from the field, while Drexel shot 31.7 percent on the day. The Dragons struggled mightily from beyond the arc, shooting 3-20 from three-point range, a measly 15.0 percent, while the Tigers went 6-16, good for 37.5 percent.

Coming off the heartbreak, the Dragons looked up to pick up their first conference win of the season against the Dukes.

Drexel took the lead early thanks to a 6-0 run to start the game. Metzel led the Dragons with six points in the quarter, but James Madison was able to keep up. A James Madison three by redshirt junior Jackie Benitez made the score 12-10 going into the second quarter.

The Dukes took the lead in the second quarter on a fastbreak bucket by junior Kamiah Smalls to make it 18-16. Drexel tied the game up on a Greenberg jumper, who then added a three-pointer to give the Dragons the lead. Greenberg was strong in the second quarter, posting eight points to keep the score close. A free throw by Greenberg gave the Dragons a three-point advantage heading into the break.

In the second half, the Dukes started to take control of the game. A three from Metzel kicked off the scoring for the half, pushing the Drexel lead to six. But the Dukes would take the lead back by going on a 15-4 run for the remainder of the quarter. Smalls was instrumental in the quarter, hitting two from beyond the arc to help the Dukes take the 36-31 lead.

The Dragons’ struggles continued in the fourth quarter. Drexel would only muster four points in the quarter while not scoring a single basket. The Dukes kept their run going in the period, scoring seven more unanswered points, highlighted by a three and jumper from junior Lexie Barrier, to push their advantage to 12. James Madison would push the lead to 16 with a layup by junior Devon Merritt, where the advantage would stand.

Greenberg was the high scorer for the game with 17 points. Metzel had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Dragons. The Dukes had three players who posted 12 points: Barrier, Smalls and redshirt junior Kayla Cooper-Williams. James Madison shot 36.8 percent from the field while the Dragons shot 28.6 percent. Drexel struggled from beyond the arc again, going 2-14 from three, good for 14.3 percent, while the Dukes went 5-20 from three for an even 25 percent on the day.

Coming up, the Dragons will go on the road to continue conference play. They will travel to Newark, Delaware, to take on the 5-9 University of Delaware Blue Hens Jan. 13 at 2 p.m.

Junior Bailey Greenberg posted a career-high 22 points as the Drexel University women’s basketball team won the TD Bank Classic title in Burlington, Vermont. The Dragons dispatched the Siena College Saints Nov. 23, 51-39, then defeated the University of Vermont Catamounts Nov. 24, 60-44, to capture the title. Drexel also defeated the La Salle University Explorers Nov. 28, 58-43. The team has now won five straight, bringing their record to 5-1 on the season.

Against the Saints, the Dragons played strong defense to advance to the final. Freshman Keishana Washington and junior Aubree Brown drained triples to give Drexel the early 8-4 lead. Layups by Greenberg and junior Ana Ferariu made it 14-8 going into the second quarter.

Siena cut the lead to one with a three-pointer from freshman Margo Peterson and a fastbreak score by redshirt senior Joella Gibson. The Saints would knot the game up at 20 on another three-pointer by freshman Amari Anthony. Senior Eline Maesschalck would give the Dragons back the lead, and Greenberg would add a free throw to make it 23-20 heading into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Dragons widened their lead but the Saints stuck around. Siena got within one point again when junior Maddie Sims got a bucket to make it 25-24. However, Drexel would go on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a pair of threes from Brown and Greenberg, to make it 33-24.

Drexel increased its lead to 10 in the fourth quarter on a jumper from freshman Kate Connolly. The Saints would get the deficit back down to seven on a three from junior Sabrina Piper, but five straight points by Greenberg put the Dragons up for good.

Greenberg led the game with 19 points while shooting 7-14 from the field. Brown posted 12 points and eight assists for the Dragons. Gibson led Siena with 12 points on 5-9 shooting.

In the championship game, Drexel used a 25-0 run to capture the title. During the first half, Greenberg gave the Dragons the early advantage. Her 10 first-quarter points gave the team a 16-14 lead going into the second quarter. Vermont stuck around thanks to strong play by sophomore Josie Larkins. Her six points in the second cut the Dragons’ lead to two, with 3:31 to play in the half.

From there on Drexel dominated, going on an 11-0 run to close out the half. Washington was instrumental to the run, posting four points, two assists and a steal. Drexel carried over the momentum into the second half as they kept the run alive. Junior Niki Metzel hit a jumper to open scoring for the half, followed by a layup and three from Greenberg. Metzel added another four points, then sophomore Mariah Leonard added three points to give Drexel the 49-22 lead.

The Catamounts were held scoreless for over 11 minutes as the Dragons scored 25 unanswered points. Drexel currently ranks first in the National Collegiate Athletics Association in scoring defense, surrendering an average of only 43.0 points a game.

The Vermont comeback attempt was lead by junior Hannah Crymble, but would ultimately fall short. Crymble posted 12 points in the second half, cutting the Drexel lead to 13, but two buckets by Leonard, both assisted by Washington, would put the game on ice.

Turnovers were a key for the Dragons. Drexel forced 19 Vermont turnovers, with 14 coming in the first half alone while giving the ball up only nine times overall. Drexel’s defense was also great again, especially from the three-point line. Vermont made just one three-pointer all day, shooting a miserable 1 of 14 from three.

Crymble led the game with 23 points for the Catamounts. Greenberg posted 22 points for the Dragons along with eight rebounds and two steals. For her strong efforts in both games, she was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week. Brown was also named to the All-Tournament Team after her strong performance over the weekend.

Getting back into action against the winless Explorers, the Dragons kept up the quality play, leading the game from start to finish. Drexel took the early lead due to a 7-0 run to start the game. Greenberg kicked off the scoring with a layup and jumper, followed by a jumper from Metzel then a free throw by Ferariu. Sophomore Hannah Nihill drained a triple, then Brown scored five straight points to end the quarter with Drexel leading 18-9.

A three by Washington, assisted by Nihill, put the Dragons ahead 26-15 in the second quarter. La Salle responded with a run to cut the lead to five, but two buckets by Metzel gave Drexel the 30-23 lead going into halftime.

Neither team could generate much offensively coming out of the break. In the third quarter, La Salle and Drexel combined for just 13 total points, with Drexel taking a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter. Brown and Greenberg played strongly in the final period to seal the win for Drexel. The duo combined for 16 of Drexel’s 20 points in the quarter, with Greenberg having 10 herself.

Drexel shot well from the field scoring 40.7 percent of shots. La Salle on the other hand made 34.6 percent. The Dragons also took advantage on free throws, going 8-9 from the stripe.

Greenberg led the Dragons in scoring again with 19 points and nine rebounds. Washington followed with a career-high 14 points on 6-11 from the field, while Metzel led the game with a career-high 10 rebounds. For the Explorers, senior Jeryn Reese led with seven points.

The Dragons will participate in another tourney next week, the Manhattan College Holiday Tournament in Riverdale, New York. Drexel will take on the Manhattan College Jaspers Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., then the Wright State University Raiders Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

The Drexel University women’s basketball team tipped off their regular season last week with two home games. The Dragons fell in a tight season opener to the Quinnipiac University Bobcats 56-52 Nov. 9, and picked up their first win of the season against the Saint Joseph’s University Hawks 51-34 Nov. 11.

The Bobcats came into the Daskalakis Athletic Center as the top ranked mid-major program in the country and put up a strong fight. Early in the match it was a close, physical affair.

The Dragons got on the board first on a pull up jumper by junior Bailey Greenberg to make it 2-0. A Euro step layup by junior Aubree Brown gave the Dragons a 11-9 lead. The Bobcats took the lead back on a layup by redshirt junior Jen Fey to make it 13-11. Then with 2:02 minutes remaining in the opening quarter, senior Eline Maesschalck drained a triple to give the Dragons a 14-13 lead going into the break.

Freshman Keishana Washington got the scoring started in the second quarter with a steal and score. The Drexel lead was increased to seven on a three from freshman Kate Connolly, but Quinnipiac went on a 7-0 run of their own to tie it up at 26. Brown was able to drive and net another layup to give the Dragons a 28-26 lead going into halftime.

Drexel was able to capture the early advantage thanks to strong shooting. In the first half, the Dragons shot 12 of 21 from the floor, good for 57.1 percent, while the Bobcats struggled on just 32.4 percent shooting. However, Quinnipiac was able to stay within striking distance due to Drexel mistakes. The Dragons allowed 10 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 15 times in the half.

In the second half, Quinnipiac was able to capitalize on those mistakes. After a layup by Greenberg knotted things up at 32, the Bobcats went on another 7-0 to take a strong lead. Fay lead the run with a layup and a three pointer, prompting a Drexel timeout.

The weak defense made head coach Denise Dillon heated in the huddle, but the Dragons didn’t have much of a response. Quinnipiac would take the 43-37 lead into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, Drexel came close, but was unable to mount the comeback. Quinnipiac increased its lead to 10 with 8:07 left in the quarter on a score by sophomore guard Taylor Herd.

Sophomore point guard Hannah Nihill gave the Dragons the spark they were looking for in the quarter. Nihill quickstarted a 11-3 Drexel run that cut the Bobcat lead to two. Nihill hit a jumper, two free throws and a three from the top of the key to get the Dragons back in the game. Seven of Nihill’s 11 points came during the fourth quarter.

A layup by Greenberg, assisted by junior Ana Ferariu, made the score 50-48 Quinnipiac with 3:25 to go in the game. The Bobcats responded on a basket in the paint by junior Paula Strautmane to put the lead back to four. Quinnipiac missed a pair of free throws then Greenberg hit one of two at the line to cut the lead to three again. Fay drove into the paint, hit the layup and was fouled. Fay was unable to complete the three-point play, but it increased the Bobcats lead to five with 1:12.

Brown missed a pair of crucial free throws with a minute remaining. Quinnipiac got the lead up to six on a free throw by Strautmane. With 7.6 seconds left on the clock, Maesschalck hit a deep three from the top of the key to cut the lead to three, but it was too little too late, making the final score 56-52 Quinnipiac.

Greenberg had the fourth double-double of her career. She led the game with 17 points and posted 10 rebounds. Fay wasn’t far behind with her team-leading 15 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats.

Quinnipiac won the game in the paint. They scored 40 of their 56 points from inside the paint, while Drexel only scored 20 points inside. Drexel’s 22 turnovers didn’t help the cause either, compared to only 14 for Quinnipiac. Lastly, the Dragons’ strong shooting from the first half didn’t carry over to the second. The Dragons shot 8 of 26 from the floor in the second half, good for 30.7 percent.

Drexel had a better day at the DAC against, Saint Joe’s. The Dragons put on a commanding performance against the Hawks, dominating from the opening tip off.

The Dragons got off to the best start possible, going on a 16-0 run. Brown kicked off the run with a second chance bucket. Brown then hit a jumper which was followed up by a Nihill layup. Junior Niki Metzel got in on the party with a putback off an offensive rebound that forced a timeout by the Hawks.

Drexel kept up the onslaught after the break. Ferariu came up with a steal and passed up to Greenberg who drilled a three. Ferariu then hit a jumper of her own to make it 13-0. The run was capped off by another three by Greenberg from the top of the key assisted by Nihill.

Saint Joe’s was unable to accomplish anything offensively in the quarter. They shot a dreadful 0-9 from the field, including 0-6 from beyond the arc. The Hawks were also turnover prone in the quarter, giving up the ball six times. As for Drexel, 12 of the 16 points in the quarter came by way of turnovers. The scoreless defensive quarter was the first in over 30 years in Drexel women’s basketball.

The Hawks scored their first points of the game 10 seconds into the second quarter on a bucket by graduate student Rachel Gartner. The score ignited a 6-0 run for the Hawks, but was ended by a three from Brown. The Hawks would get another two buckets by senior Michala Clay, but Drexel took a 21-11 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Hawks were able to narrow the gap, but the Dragons maintained the lead. Saint Joe’s ended the quarter on a 7-0 run started by a jumper from senior Alyssa Monaghan. However, in the fourth quarter the Dragons outscored the Hawks 18-8 in order to seal the 51-34 victory.

Greenberg led the game with 17 points and added eight rebounds. For her efforts over the weekend she was named a Drexel School of Education Athlete of the Week for the week ending Nov. 11. Brown had a nice day as well, racking up 12 points and four steals for the Dragons. The Hawks were led by Monaghan who scored 10 points.

Neither team was stellar shooting the ball. Drexel went 19-55 shooting, including 4-17 from beyond the arc. Saint Joe’s finished 11-42 from the floor, including 1-12 from three point range for a meager 8.3 percent.

The Dragons took on the Bucknell University Bison Nov. 15 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Drexel will go on the road next weekend to participate in the TD Bank Classic in Burlington, Vermont. They will face off against the Siena College Saints Nov. 23 at 7 p.m., then either the Wagner College Seahawks or the University of Vermont Catamounts Nov. 24.

Despite the Drexel University field hockey team failing to qualify for the Colonial Athletic Association playoffs, select Dragons have been honored by the conference for their strong play this season. Four players — Tess Bernheimer, Tess Horan, Delaney Baxendale and Avery Powell — were honored by the CAA Nov. 1.

Forward Tess Bernheimer received the highest honor on the team, earning first team All-CAA honors. The junior from Lewes, Delaware, set career highs in goals and points while leading the team in both categories. Bernheimer also had a team-high three game-winning goals, with clutch goals against Fairfield University, Bryant University and Monmouth University.

This is not the first time Bernheimer has been honored by the conference. In 2016, during her freshman season, Bernheimer was named to the CAA All-Rookie team and was named CAA Rookie of the Year. It was the first time ever a Dragon was named CAA Rookie of the Year.

Junior Tess Horan was named second team All-CAA. The midfielder started all 18 games for Drexel, netting three goals and one assist on the season. Horan was also named to the CAA All-Rookie team in 2016.

Senior Delaney Baxendale also earned second team All-CAA honors. In her final season, she started every game for the Dragons and was a team captain. Baxendale played more than anyone else on the team, with 1,275 minutes tallied, and scored one goal on the season.

Lastly, freshman Avery Powell was honored by the conference for her strong first season, earning a spot on the All-Rookie team. The rookie, from Moorestown, New Jersey, finished the season with three goals, three assists and nine points. Powell scored the first goal of the season for the Dragons in the season opener against the No. 7 University of Virginia Cavaliers and also netted a game-winner against the Hofstra University Pride Oct. 26.

Next season, Bernheimer, Horan and Powell will return to the Dragons to help the team pursue their first conference playoff berth since 2016.

The Drexel University field hockey team wrapped up their season this past weekend, defeating the Hofstra University Pride 5-1 Oct. 26, and falling to the Northeastern University Huskies 3-1 Oct. 28. The team finished the season with a record of 9-9 overall and 2-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play.

The Dragons narrowly missed the CAA playoffs. The team placed fourth in the conference in a three-way tie with Hofstra and the James Madison University Dukes. Despite Drexel having the best overall record of the three teams, James Madison was awarded the playoff berth due to having the best goal differential.

The weekend began with a promising outlook for Drexel as they took on the Pride at Buckley Field. A loss would have meant elimination from the conference playoffs, but the Dragons showed up to play.

In the eighth minute, freshman Avery Powell gave the Dragons an early lead with her third goal of the season. Three minutes later senior Megan Wiest scored on a backhand shot to the right side of the net to make it 2-0.

Wiest added another goal in the 26th minute when she found her own rebound to score. Then sophomore Chandler McFeeley put another one of the board to give Drexel a commanding 4-0 lead. Hofstra was able to get one back in the 33rd minute when freshman Cami Larsson found the net after a penalty corner, but the Dragons took a strong 4-1 lead into halftime.

In the second half, senior Amy Ferguson tallied her sixth goal of the season to put Drexel back up by four. Then the Dragons played strong defense for the remainder of the half, not allowing a single Hofstra shot on goal, to close out the crucial 5-1 victory.

Drexel led the game in shots 15-8, and 8-4 in shots on goal. Senior Erin Gilchrist had three saves for the Dragons, while freshman Betty Bosma also had three saves for the Pride.

On senior day against the Huskies at Buckley Field, the Dragons faced a similar situation. A loss would spell the end of their season, while a win could catapult them into the conference playoffs.

Before the match, Drexel honored 12 field hockey seniors: Katie Bagdon, Delaney Baxendale, Lindsay Boerner, Kathryn Boyce, Mary Conroy, Ferguson, Gilchrist, Layne Litsinger, Sydney Muntone, Katie Pappas, Rebecca Weinstock and Wiest. The seniors, accompanied by their families, were presented with commemorative framed photos.

Unfortunately for these seniors, it would be the last time they took the field as Dragons. Just like Drexel did against Hofstra, Northeastern got a strong start.

Within the first 10 minutes, the Huskies were able to put up two goals. In the second minute, redshirt senior Kellie Stigas put one into the left side of the net from inside the circle. In the 10th minute Gilchrist made a nice save on a senior June Curry-Lindahl shot, but sophomore Melanie Weber put the rebound into the net to make it 2-0 Huskies.

Drexel responded with some nice chances in the half, but ultimately came up empty. Three corner opportunities didn’t result in a goal, Wiest lifted a shot high, and a Ferguson breakaway was stopped by Huskies’ sophomore goalkeeper Julia Gluyas to make it 2-0 heading into halftime.

After the break, the Huskies were able to increase their lead. After a corner, senior Rachel Campbell took a shot from the top of the circle into the right side of the net to give Northeastern a 3-0 lead.

Drexel had scoring chances, but were ultimately unable to mount a much needed comeback. The Dragons got on the board in the 62nd minute on a shot by junior Tess Bernheimer, but it was too little, too late. The 3-1 defeat at the hand of the Huskies signified the end of the Dragon’s season.

The Huskies led the game in shots 14-9, with 9-5 in shots on goal. Gilchrist led the game with six saves while Gluyas had four saves for Northeastern.

On the season, Bernheimer lead the Dragons in goals and points. Her 12 goals and 26 points were both a career high. Wiest led the team in assists, with five, and shots, with 41. Gilchrist had the most starts in goal with 12, and led the team with 56 saves. She finished her final season with a goals allowed average of 2.49, and a save percentage of 0.667.

The CAA Field Hockey Championship will take place Nov. 2 and 4 in Newark, Delaware. The No. 16 Delaware University Blue Hens will be pursuing their sixth straight conference title.

The Drexel University field hockey team split their road conference matches last weekend, falling to the College of William & Mary Tribe 2-1 in overtime Oct. 19, and defeating the Towson University Tigers 3-2 for their first conference win of the season Oct. 21. The weekend puts the team’s record at 8-8 overall with a 1-3 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play.

Against William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, it was a tight match. Drexel was able to find the net first in the 14th minute. Junior Tess Bernheimer scored off an assist from freshman Puk Thewessen to give the Dragons a 1-0 advantage.

The Tribe took control of the match in the second half. About 10 minutes into the second period, the Tribe were able to even the score on a tip-in goal by sophomore Melanie Strik, assisted by freshman Cara Menges. The Tribe kept up the assault, firing off 11 shots in the half, but strong defense by the Dragons — including seven saves from senior Erin Gilchrist — forced the game into overtime.

It didn’t take William & Mary long to net the game winner in the extra period. They were presented with a penalty stroke in the 74th minute and junior Christie van de Kamp finished to give the Tribe a 2-1 victory.

The win clinched a berth in the CAA playoffs for William & Mary. The Tribe outshot the Dragons 18-5, including 10-3 in shots on goal. Gilchrist led the game with seven saves while freshman Kimi Jones had two for William & Mary.

Going into their matchup against the 1-15 Towson University Tigers, the Dragons needed to take care of business. A loss would have made their path to the CAA playoffs even more of a challenge.

Things looked grim early as the Tigers got off to a strong start. Towson goals by senior Katie McNeel and sophomore Abby Webster in the first 10 minutes put the Dragons in an early hole. Drexel cut the deficit in half in the 15th minute on a corner opportunity. Junior Tess Horan deflected a shot from the top of the circle by senior Megan Wiest to put the score at 2-1.

In the second half, the Dragons were able to assert their dominance, not allowing a Towson shot all half. The equalizer came in the 47th minute when Bernheimer scored off of a corner opportunity. The goal was her team-leading 11th of the season.

Drexel would complete the comeback on another corner opportunity in the final minutes of the match. Senior Katie Pappas found senior Amy Ferguson on the left of the circle, and Ferguson buried the go-ahead goal in the 66th minute. Drexel would keep up the strong defense to ice the match, making the final score 3-2.

The win marked the Dragons’ first conference victory of the season. They outshot the Tigers 8-6 and 5-4 in shots on goal. Both goalkeepers, Drexel’s Gilchrist and Towson’s freshman Mackenzie Peacock, ended the match with two saves.

The Dragons will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a crucial pair of home games at Buckley Field against conference rivals. To keep playoff hopes alive, the Dragons must pick up a win against the Hofstra University Pride at 6 p.m., Oct. 26. If they defeat the Pride, the Dragons can clinch a spot in the conference playoffs if they get a victory against the Northeastern University Huskies Oct. 28 at noon.

If the team can’t secure the victory, they will need Hofstra to lose their match against No. 13 Delaware Oct. 28 and for the James Madison University Dukes to lose one of their matches this weekend (against either Towson or William & Mary) for the Dragons to earn a spot in the CAA playoffs.

The Drexel University field hockey team lost two games over the weekend at home, getting shut out by the No. 14 Saint Joseph University Hawks 8-0 Oct. 5, and losing a conference match to the James Madison University Dukes 6-2 Oct. 7. The losses drop the team’s record to 5-7 on the season with a 0-2 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play.

Against the nationally ranked Hawks, the Dragons fell behind early. Just three minutes into the match senior Anna Willocks tipped in a centering pass from Pepa Serrano to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Saint Joseph’s would strike again in the 13th minute. Tonya Botherway drove past defenders in the middle of the field and passed to Emily Henry on the right side who put it past Drexel goalie senior Erin Gilchrist. Botherway then added a goal of her own a minute later, assisted by Jordan Olenginski, to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.

The Dragons responded with some of their first offensive pressure in the 22nd minute. Drexel generated shots by senior Megan Wiest, senior Rebecca Weinstock and freshman Avery Powell, but all three were stopped by Saint Joseph’s netminder Victoria Kammerinke.

In the second half, it was all Hawks. Joely Helder scored her third goal of the season to make it 4-0. Willocks added another to the tally in the 53rd minute. Botherway backhanded one from the top of the circle for her team-leading 15th goal of the season. In the 58th minute, freshman Johanna Huse scored to make it 7-0. Then Willocks finished her hat trick with the final goal of the game.

Drexel’s only shot in the half came in the 70th minute by junior Tess Bernheimer and it went wide. The Hawks’ eight goals were a program record. They led the game in shots 19-7, and led in shots on goal 12-4. Kammerinke had four saves for the Hawks, while Gilchrist had three saves for the Dragons.

The Dragons hoped to turn things around against James Madison Oct. 7 on “Play4TheCure Day,” supporting breast cancer research. The Dragons, sporting pink socks, got off to another slow start.

In the fifth minute, offensive pressure by the Dukes rewarded them with a penalty corner. Lindsay Gippe took the ball off the corner and found a wide open Rachel Yeager on the opposite side of the net, who tapped it in to make it 1-0.

Drexel responded with a goal of their own in the 11th minute. Powell drove down the left side of the field and was able to get it back to junior Tess Horan in the center, who evened it up at one. The Dragons’ goal would be their only shot in the half.

Just 13 seconds later, the Dukes were able to take back the lead on a goal by Gippe. The momentum killing goal was followed by another two minutes later. Freshman Elfi de Rooij drove through multiple defenders and passed to Courtney Lynch next to the net for a tip in goal. The Dukes then added another goal by Yeager on a corner in the 34th minute, making it 4-1 heading in halftime.

After the break, the Dukes picked right up from where they left off, scoring their fourth unanswered goal. Gippe found a rebound off of Drexel keeper redshirt senior Kathryn Boyce and scored her second of the game.

Drexel was able to get one back in the 47th minute, when freshman Emily Owens buried one from the right side of the circle to make it 5-2. The Dragons had chances to get back in the game, but ultimately were unable to capitalize.

After the goal, Drexel sustained offensive pressure which resulted in multiple corner opportunities. The Dragons had six corners in the span of seven minutes but were unable to convert any of them. The Dragons had seven shots during this frame but none found the net, with four of them being stopped by James Madison goalie Caitlin Nelson.

The Dukes would add another goal in the 64th minute on a penalty stroke by Phoebe Large, her first goal of the season. The goal made it 6-2, where the final would stand.

James Madison led the game in shots 13-9, including leading 9-6 in shots on goal. Nelson led the game with four saves for the James Madison, while Boyce had three saves for Drexel.

Field hockey will wrap up their current five game homestand this weekend, taking on the Monmouth University Hawks Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Buckley Field. The Dragons will then take on the local Temple University Owls Oct. 14 at Buckley Field at noon.

Senior Erin Gilchrist had 14 saves for the Dragons during the weekend, as the Drexel University field hockey team split two games, getting shut out by division rival the No. 19 University of Delaware Blue Hens 3-0 Sept. 28, and overcoming the Ohio University Bobcats 5-1 Sept. 30. The weekend puts Drexel at an even record of 5-5, with a 0-1 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play.

In their CAA opener on the road against nationally ranked Delaware, the Dragons struggled. The teams traded chances early with senior Lisa Giezeman firing off two shots for Delaware in the fourth minute, and a Drexel shot by senior Megan Wiest that was turned away by Delaware goalie Sydney Rhodes in the sixth minute.

Then the Blue Hens took control of the half, not allowing the Dragons to get another shot attempt for over 22 minutes. Delaware got on the board in the ninth minute with goal off a penalty corner by Laurien Vink. The goal, assisted by Ally Pollak and Femke Strien, was Vink’s fourth on the season. Delaware would strike again on a penalty corner just four minutes later.  This time Giezeman was able to find the net, with assists by Strien and Kiki Bink.

In the second half the Blue Hens added to their lead. Pollak found freshman Tessa Verweijen in front of the net who was able to bury it to the left side for a score. From then on Delaware played lock down defense to maintain their lead. Despite having four penalty corners in the half, Drexel was only able to muster three shots. The Dragons were unable to score, despite employing an empty net, making the final 3-0.

In the matchup, Drexel was out shot by Delaware 16-6, including 10-5 in shots on goal. Drexel’s Gilchrist led the game with seven saves, while Rhodes had five saves for the Blue Hens in her shutout effort.

The return home was much more kind to the Dragons as they took on the Ohio University Bobcats at Buckley Field in Philadelphia.

In the ninth minute, Drexel was presented with an opportunity on a penalty corner. Junior Tess Bernheimer took the corner, fed it into freshman Puk Thewessen who tipped it to freshman Emily Owens for the score. The goal was the first career goal for the rookie from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and gave the Dragons an early lead.

In the second half, the Bobcats came out strong to start, dominating the possession. Within the first six minutes of the half they had four penalty corners and four total shots. They found the net on the fourth penalty corner, with sophomore Leah Warren putting one behind Gilchrist. The goal, assisted by Emma Eggleston, knotted the match up at one.

The Drexel response was strong, rallying to score four unanswered goals. Graduate student Layne Litsinger’s first goal as a Dragon gave the team a lead in the 53rd minute. Just two minutes later Thewessen scored her third of the season on a penalty stroke. Wiest took a deflection off a defender and passed it up to sophomore Chandler McFeeley for a score. Then Bernheimer scored her eighth goal of the season off a rebound to make it 5-1, where the score would stand. Bernheimer is currently the leading scorer for the Dragons.

The win broke a four game losing streak for the Dragons during which they only scored four goals total.

Opportunities were pretty even on the day, with both teams having eight shots on goal, and Drexel leading in total shots 13-12. Gilchrist was strong in the net once again for the Dragons leading the game with seven saves, compared to just three for Ohio’s Alex Pennington.

Field Hockey will continue their current five game homestand this weekend, taking on the No. 14 Saint Joseph’s University Hawks Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at Buckley Field. They will then resume conference play Oct. 7 as they face off with the James Madison University Dukes at Buckley Field at noon.