When he takes the field this spring for the Drexel University men’s lacrosse team, Ben McIntosh will look much like any other player out there. But, it’s his future that makes him different and his journey getting there that makes this story so unique. After he closes out a remarkable career as a Dragon, McIntosh will be heading to the professional level to play for the Denver Outlaws in Major League Lacrosse, as the professional team drafted him 62nd overall Jan. 10.

McIntosh’s lacrosse career started at the young age of four in his hometown of Coquitlam, British Columbia. He first started playing indoor box lacrosse, which is very popular in Canada.

“I started playing indoor lacrosse for the Coquitlam Adanacs; I didn’t start playing field lacrosse until I was 12 years old,” he said.

Despite having only a few years of experience playing field lacrosse, McIntosh quickly became a very exceptional player. His early potential provided him with his first opportunity to play in the United States. At 16, he went to Western Reserve Academy, a boarding school in Hudson, Ohio. Leaving his home in Canada at such a young age was difficult.

“That was one of my biggest obstacles,” McIntosh explained.

Throughout his life, he had been playing lacrosse and hockey, and sometimes he would even find himself on three different teams at one time. “I loved hockey but it got to a point where I needed to pick one sport to pursue and it was hard for me, but I chose lacrosse.”

From 12 years on, he was constantly playing lacrosse. At each game you would find his father and coach, Jim, as well.

When asked who has been his greatest mentor throughout his career, McIntosh was quick to respond, “My dad has been the biggest contributor throughout my career. He would spend countless hours a week driving me and my older brother Garrett to practices and games.”

He remembers times when he and his father, Jim, would often discuss various plays throughout his games. “After the game, he would tell me when I played well and when I didn’t. He could be brutally honest at times, but I think everyone needs that to get better. … There is no way that I would be the player that I am today, if it wasn’t for my father,” McIntosh said.

And getting better is exactly what McIntosh did at Western Reserve Academy. Moving to Ohio may have been one of his biggest obstacles, but it was also one of his best experiences. After four years at Western Reserve Academy, McIntosh was recruited by Drexel University.

McIntosh has been having quite a productive career at Drexel. Last year he played in 15 games as a midfielder and produced 38 goals and 18 assists. It was one of the best offensive seasons in the program’s recent history.

With one more year as a Dragon, McIntosh only has one thing on his mind: “I want our team to win the [Colonial Athletic Association championship] and make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program’s history.”

When asked about hearing his name called during the eighth round of the 2014 MLL Draft and if the opportunity to play at the professional level may become a distraction, McIntosh said, “All that is on my mind right now is Drexel.”

Regardless of where he is playing lacrosse, Ben McIntosh is sure to have success. As he closes out this final chapter with Drexel, he will be moving on to play for the Denver Outlaws. And if there’s one thing to be certain of, his father will be right there to support him for this next chapter as well.

There was some excitement to be found from the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams following their performance Nov. 22-24 in the Frank Elm Invitational at the Rutgers University Aquatic Center. The Dragons didn’t come home with a first-place finish, but they have proven themselves valid competitors in the Colonial Athletic Association.

This year’s Frank Elm Invitational showcased a number of top teams throughout the nation. The invite included nine teams besides Drexel: Rutgers, Columbia University, the U.S. Military Academy, Wagner College, West Chester University, Villanova University, the University of Massachusetts, Saint Peter’s University and Boston University.

The men’s team concluded the event with a third-place finish, scoring 1,450 points — just behind Rutgers and the Lions of Columbia, who finished in first place. The women came in sixth place overall with a total of 849 points.

The event started at 10 a.m. Nov. 22 with the preliminary races that were soon followed by the 1- and 3-meter diving preliminaries. Fans were on their toes once the clock struck 6 p.m. because that meant the relay races were about to begin.

The Dragon relay teams continued along their path of dominance, as opposing teams in the 200-yard freestyle relay stood no chance against the Blue and Gold. The relays started with the women. Brianna Bentz, Rachel Bernhardt, Katie Duggan and Claudia Duguay took home the top finish, stopping the clock at 1:35.02.

The men finished their 200 free relay with a close second-place finish. Joel Berryman, Alex Chialastri, Mike Krohn and Alex Bagshaw came in at 1:24.23, falling just behind Army’s team.

As for the Drexel divers, the men’s 1-meter diving event took place along with the women’s 3-meter. Madison Kramer scored a 250.10 in the preliminaries and a 242.90 in the finals for a fourth-place finish. David Sanchez brought home third, as he dove a preliminary score of 265.85 and a final score of 258.15.

The second day of the event presented a bit more excitement than the first day. It was Bernhardt who claimed the first victory for the Dragons, as she dominated the 100-yard breaststroke with a final time of 1:03.97. Her performance got the ball rolling for the rest of the team as they inched closer and closer to the top of the standings with their eyes set on a team title.

On the final day of competition, though, it seemed like the Dragons were struggling to keep pace with the rest of the field. Although they were unable to claim a team title, they demonstrated their strength as contenders and their will to compete in every event.

The Dragons will look to bounce back from a loss this weekend, as the resilience of this team is indisputable. They will look to their mistakes as motivation when they return to the pool for the Winter National Championships, being held Dec. 5-7 in Knoxville, Tenn., at the University of Tennessee. With their eyes set on national competition, the ache of this loss at the Frank Elm Invitational will soon be something of the past.

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The Drexel women’s swimming and diving team looks to rebound in the Frank Elm Invitational following a tough 159-141 loss to Binghamton University Nov. 9.

The Drexel swimming and diving teams will head to Piscataway, N.J., for the Frank Elm Invitational hosted Nov. 22 by Rutgers University. The men’s team has yet to be defeated through six meets, and the women’s team is coming off a disheartening loss to the Bearcats of Binghamton University, a close 159-141 contest.

There were a few bright spots during the Binghamton meet, but none was brighter than sophomore standout Madison Kramer. For her stellar performance, the Kramer was named the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Diver of the Week. She earned weekly honors after her first-place finishes in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. The sophomore led all competitors with a score of 230.33 in the 1-meter and 243.98 in the 3-meter.

The women’s team was looking strong, claiming individual wins in the 200-yard free, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke, courtesy of Aubrey Murray, Gizem Yali and Rachel Bernhardt, respectively.

The men continued along their path of dominance, kicking off the competition with a big win, as Kyle Lukens, Chad Schmidt, Alex Chialastri and Alex Bagshaw stopped the clock at 1:35.50 for a first-place finish in the 200-yard relay. The Dragons had their eyes on a team title as they extended their efforts to pick up some more wins in the 200 free, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 200 fly. The competition looked rather sluggish as they attempted to keep up with the swift swimming of Chialastri, Schmidt, Mike Krohn and Joel Berryman.

“Joel Berryman has been giving us some outstanding performances this year in the backstroke events and sprint free events,” head coach Shawn Markey said. “Right now, Joel is the No. 1 seed in the 100-[yard] backstroke going into the Frank Elm Invitational.”

Both the women and the men were successful in their final 400-yard free relays against Binghamton. The team of Murray, Bernhardt, Claudia Duguay and Brianna Bentz swam to a first-place finish with a time of 3:35.92. For the men, the team of Lukens, Bagshaw, Chialastri and Berryman touched the wall at 3:12.04 to claim another victory.

As the Dragons prepare for the Frank Elm Invitational, Markey explained how the team’s training and hard work sets them apart from the competition once they hit the water on game day. “We trained fairly hard for this one; we only take a couple days off to rest before the meet. I know other teams take a much longer rest, but every team is different going into a meet like this, so it’s always interesting to see how our team copes with it mentally.”

This year, the competition is stiffening up a bit. With the addition of the U.S. Military Academy, a win at the Frank Elm Invitational is a much tougher task than it has been in recent years.

“Over the past two years, [Army] has done an exceptional job recruiting some top-level talent,” Markey said. “It’s not only the level of talent that has raised the bar, but they have the depth in every event.”

The Dragons have proven themselves to be viable contenders in each and every competition thus far. The women are anticipating this opportunity to bounce back from their loss to Binghamton, while the men’s team looks to be untouchable, and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down just yet. Look for the Blue and Gold to embrace the challenge at this year’s Frank Elm Invitational.

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Sophomore Matt Williams swings away from the boards during Drexel’s 6-4 loss to West Chester University Oct. 26 on “Pink In The Rink” night. The forward from Flourtown, Pa., has two goals and two assists for the Dragons this season.

The men’s club hockey team took to the ice this past weekend against the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University. The puck dropped at 7:45 p.m. Nov. 9 when the Dragons took on a league opponent at the Class of 1923 Arena. The two teams compete in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association, and the last time these two met, it ended in a narrow 3-1 decision, with the Mountain Hawks claiming the victory.

The Dragons were determined to stay on the attack in this one. The first period was filled with action, as the two teams combined to score a total of five goals in the first 20 minutes of play. It was Drexel forward Carson Newton and his pivotal goal that gave the team the 3-2 advantage going into the second period.

The second period told a different story for the Dragons. The high-scoring offense that once pressed the action in the beginning of the game was now playing a bit more conservatively. But the Dragons were still dictating the pace of the game as they controlled the puck, keeping possession from the Mountain Hawks and their sharpshooting front line.

The second period didn’t showcase the high-scoring input like that of the first, but the Dragons continued to stay aggressive on the defensive end of the ice — some may say a bit too aggressive. Forward Max Stetson laid a big hit on one of the Lehigh attackers, sending him crashing into the boards. Stetson was then hit with a costly five-minute penalty for illegal checking, leaving the Dragons a man down late in the period.

But that didn’t seem to slow down the Blue and Gold, either. With less than three minutes left in the second period, forward Eric Brawley scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway as he sliced through the defenders and put the puck top shelf past the Lehigh goalie, giving the Dragons the 4-2 advantage.

With hopes of going into the third period up by two goals, the Dragons were right where they wanted to be. Those hopes were diminished when Lehigh’s Henry Brooks found an opening in the Drexel defense and charged toward the goal and put one by goalie Zach Kantner with only 1:59 remaining. The second period would close with a 4-3 lead for the Dragons.

The third period started off just like the first, with a lot of action and goal scoring. The Mountain Hawks were the first to strike, as Evan Goldstein glanced one off the post but was able to put the rebound in the back of the net just past Kantner’s glove, knotting up the score at 4-4.

Then the period continued to be a back-and-forth battle with one answering goal after another. The Dragons seemed like they were running out of time as the clock ticked away, leaving them down 6-5 with less than four minutes remaining. But the resurgent goal of Drexel forward Marco Gagliardi gave the Dragons the equalizer they needed to get themselves back into the game.

As the game looked like it was going to be sent into overtime, forward Stephen Villa tracked down the puck and passed it ahead to one of his teammates and patiently waited for his opportunity. Once he got a return pass, he took the long shot.

“The pass came, and the shot was from the point,” Villa said. “I didn’t see it go in; I only remember seeing an opening on his glove side, so I took the shot.”

If you weren’t already standing up for this game, you certainly were now. Villa’s deciding goal with only a minute left had everyone in attendance on their feet. That included his family, who traveled all the way from North Carolina to see him play.

“Having my family there to watch was very special,” the freshman said.

The Drexel men’s ice hockey team has a longstanding tradition of winning, having won four league championships in the ECHA. Given this well-earned 7-6 victory over a very tough opponent, it will be interesting to see if they can carry this momentum onto their next competition as they head to Lebanon Valley College Nov. 15 to play the Dutchmen at Hersheypark Arena.

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The Drexel women’s swimming and diving team defeated George Washington University by a score of 160-131 in a head-to-head match Nov. 2 at Drexel Pool.

The Drexel swimming and diving teams continued their dominance in the water Nov. 2 as they defeated George Washington University. The Dragons performed very well in their first home meet of the season. The women’s team overwhelmed the Colonials in a 160-131 victory while the men remained undefeated for the season with yet another lopsided finish, as they took it to the Colonials 183-108.

The medley relay teams hit the water to lead off the meet; Katie Duggan, Rached Bernhardt, Brianna Bentz and Aubrey Murray reached the wall at an incredible time of 3:56.68. Everyone in attendance at the Drexel Pool was stunned as it was announced that the women’s team had just broken a 23-year-old school record in the 400m medley relay.

“The women’s team has made huge progress this year, and the freshman class has been a game changer for us,” head coach Shawn Markey said.

They were soon followed by the men’s 400-yard medley relay team of Joel Berryman, Chad Schmidt, Kyle Lukens and Alex Bagshaw, who stopped the clock at 3:27.08 to take first place in the competition.

Freshman Zoltan Gercsak picked up the first individual win the for the men’s team in the 1000-yard free with a time of 9:49.22. Following his win, sophomore Joel Berryman swam away from the rest of the competition, finishing first in the 100-yard backstroke. Junior Chad Schmidt brought home another win for the Dragons when he left everyone behind in the 100 breaststroke, stopping the clock at 59.06. Junior Mike Krohn also came up big, as he swam by the competition in the 200-yard fly, finishing in 1:55.65, followed by Lukens, who came in second place with a time of 1:55.93.

In the 50-yard free, the men dominated the Colonials; the top three finishers were all Dragons, including Bagshaw (21.88), junior Mike Shaeffer (22.29) and sophomore John Connolly (22.37). Also, junior Andrew Reimon claimed another victory for the Dragons in the 200 breaststroke, as he touched the wall at 2:09.71.

“In terms of recruiting, we brought in some good men to fill the gaps in free events and distance events,” Markey explained.

When asked about the men’s team’s impressive run to start the season, Markey said, “The team and I have discussed making it through this season undefeated on a number of occasions. This has been our biggest goal. The team is very excited and optimistic about it. It will all come down to good planning and having a healthy team each meet to make that happen.”

As for the women, freshman Aubrey Murray started things off with a first-place finish in the 200 free with a time of 1:54.09. She won three events altogether during the meet. In the 100 backstroke, senior Gizem Yali finished in first with a time of 59.97, while teammate Katie Kapelsohn followed close behind for the second-place finish with a time of 1:01.69. Freshman Rachel Bernhardt captured another win for the Dragons in the 100 breaststroke, and freshman Claudia Duguay claimed a victory in the 50 free.

The day ended with the freestyle relay teams slashing through the water with times of 1:26.24 for the men and 1:38.18 for the women, with both taking first place. The Blue and Gold return to the water Nov. 9 as they head to Binghamton University for an away meet. Thus far, the Dragons have proven that they are in a league of their own, but it will be interesting to see if they can continue their elite performance against the tough Bearcats team.

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[media-credit name=”Ajon Brodie” align=”alignleft” width=”300″] The Drexel men’s swimming and diving team defeated Loyola University Maryland, Lafayette College and Seton Hall University in a group meet Oct. 26. Up next for the Dragons is a head-to-head matchup with George Washington University Nov. 2 at Drexel Pool.

The Drexel swimming and diving teams traveled to Baltimore to take on Loyola University Maryland, Lafayette College and Seton Hall University Oct. 26. The men’s team conquered the meet with wins against all three opponents to remain undefeated for the season; they beat Loyola 196-103, Lafayette 208-90 and Seton Hall 207-89. The women also brought their best to Baltimore, capturing two wins against Lafayette (212-88) and Seton Hall (163-136) and just falling short to Loyola (137-163) in a highly competitive contest.

The Dragons started off the meet by running away from the rest of the competition in the 200-yard medley relays. For the women, Katie Duggan, Rachel Bernhardt, Emily Lau and Brianna Bentz touched the wall at 1:47.52. For the men, Joel Berryman, Chad Schmidt, Kyle Lukens and Alex Bagshaw took the win with a time of 1:34.79.

One of the biggest surprises of the event was the performance from the underclassmen.

Maura Brennan won the 1000 free as well as the 500 free against Lafayette. Zoltan Gercsak stunned his opponents as he raced past them in the 1000 free and 500 free, winning every race against all three teams. Also, Claudia Duguay won the 50 free in all three meets, Clark Hou won the 200 individual medley, and Rachel Bernhardt took home wins in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke.

“We had a number of freshmen get their first wins for Drexel,” head coach Shawn Markey said.

In Bernhardt’s debut appearance as a Dragon, she recorded a time of 1:05.43 in the 100-yard breast stroke, which broke the past record of 1:05.64 that was held for 16 years. She also now sits in third all time for the Drexel women’s 200 breaststroke with her winning time of 2:24.57.

The diving team also executed very well. On the first day of competition, the Dragons made it clear that they were a force to be reckoned with. Sophomores David Sanchez and Madison Kramer led the way for the Dragons and didn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down by the end of the meet. Collectively, the two won every event they competed in, picking up a total of four wins for the Dragons.

Kramer was just one point away from qualifying for the NCAA diving zones meet in the one-meter. But it’s only November, and she will have other chances in coming weeks.

“Not getting the score to qualify was tough on her,” Markey said. “It’s good to know that she was that close so early on in the season.”

With all of the newly discovered young talent on the team, fans can expect that this year will have some exciting moments, and some other records may be on the verge of being broken. When asked about his up-and-coming squad, Markey discussed some of the team’s potential and the expected future of the program.

“The underclassmen represent exactly what we have been working hard to achieve with this program. They are top conference swimmers with great attitudes who are extremely intelligent and highly determined,” he said. “They push themselves to the limit every day and they are not easily distracted. These guys know what it takes to be great, and they never fail to support each other along the way.”

The Dragons will return to the water Nov. 2 when they host George Washington University at 1 p.m. It will be interesting to see if the Dragons can continue on their path of dominance against a very tough opponent.

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Behind the strong play of sophomore Christopher Crawford, the Drexel golf team placed 17th out of 18 teams in the Outer Banks Invitational hosted by Old Dominion University at Kilmarlic Golf Club in Powells Point, N.C. Crawford led the way with a 4-over-par score of 217 as the Dragons competed in the 54-hole tournament.

Crawford’s highlight of the tournament was a 4-under-par 67 in the second round to go along with a 79 in the first round and a 71 in the third round. The entire team seemed to be hitting on all cylinders during the second round.

“The major improvement in our second round was nice to see,” head coach Mike Dynda said.

The Dragons improved upon their first round by an astonishing 21 strokes. They shot a 316 in the first round and then pulled together to bounce back and shoot a 295 in the second round. Four out of the five Dragons improved upon their first-round play.

Not far behind Crawford was freshman Yoseph Dance, who finished tied for 77th place overall with rounds of 79, 71 and 80. The 230 he carded for the tournament was his lowest score so far as a Dragon. Another notable golfer who played very well at the invitational was senior Vincent Anagnos, who carded a 73-77-77 for a final score of 227.

Virginia Commonwealth University won the overall team title with a score of 843, 76 shots ahead of Drexel’s total of 919. The tournament’s individual title had to be decided in a breathtaking sudden-death playoff consisting of three different players. Marshall University’s Logan Lagodich ultimately claimed the title after defeating VCU’s Rocky Khara and ODU’s Jamison Randall in a stunning victory on the first playoff hole.

The Dragons’ young lineup had some ups and downs this fall, but when they played together, they were tough to stop.

“The team’s performance this fall was streaky, as is expected with a very young team,” Dynda said. “If we get a little more consistent at the end of the lineup, we will be fine moving forward.”

Time and time again, Dance especially was able to carry much of the team’s weight on his shoulders, and the pressure was seemingly not a factor. When asked about the freshman’s performance this fall, Dynda had nothing but great things to say.

“[He] was certainly a bright spot on the roster,” he said. “As a freshman from another continent and playing the way he did while getting used to all the changes, I was beyond impressed.”

The team had its best outing of the season Sept. 21-22 at the Cornell Invitational, with Crawford winning the individual title and the team placing second overall. If there were a team MVP throughout the fall season, it was Crawford. It didn’t matter where the Dragons were playing during a given week; Crawford was going to card the lowest score for the team.

The golfers who continually recorded the best scores for Drexel were its underclassmen. It will be fun to see this team compete throughout the years as they grow together. There’s something to be said about this young up-and-coming team: it’s dangerous.

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After placing 17th overall at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, the Drexel men’s golf team is heading back to North Carolina Oct. 20 for the 34th annual ODU/OBX Invitational at Kilmarlic Golf Club. Sophomore Christopher Crawford led the way for the Dragons at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate with a 223 for the tournament, which was seven over par.

The Dragons seemed to have trouble with the Bermuda grass, which is what most southern golf courses have today. The greens are faster, the ball rolls farther, and players struggle to control their speed on the greens and club length from the fairways. Lonnie Poole Golf Course was a challenge for a number of teams in the field at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, and the Dragons had a hard time pulling together a round under par.

Head coach Mike Dynda said of the team’s preparation for the weekend, “We need a little bit of short game and putting practice. … We [also] need to make better decisions.”

Going into the ODU/OBX Invitational, the team looks to improve upon its performance in last week’s competition. The Dragons have shot fairly well at Kilmarlic Golf Club in the past.

“Kilmarlic is a really fun North Carolina golf course,” Crawford said. “Some of the holes are fairly tight and tricky, so it’ll stress accuracy off the tee and a solid iron game through the bag.”

For Dynda and the Dragons, Kilmarlic Golf Club is always a fitting end to the fall season. The beautiful 605-acre golf course is made up of maritime forest and sprawling wetlands with many challenges given its difficult layout. Keys for Drexel will include keeping the ball in the generous fairways and making good shots onto the gently sloping greens.

The rest of the Blue and Gold can expect Crawford to carry the momentum for the team. Throughout the season, the sophomore has frequently turned in the lowest scorecard for the team. To win this highly competitive tournament of 19 universities from 11 states, every Dragon on the team will have to do his part.

The Dragons have counted on young talent throughout the course of the season. Freshman Yoseph Dance has played very well as of late and has been able to keep pace with the sophomore standout. Dance finished just a stroke behind Crawford in the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, scoring a 224 for the event.

Another notable golfer is sophomore Alex Kane. He has been a bit inconsistent this fall, but when he has shot well, he has been a threat to the rest of the field. If these three can pull together and turn in a low-scoring finish, the Dragons have a good shot to take the title and bring it home to Philadelphia.

“I like the way this course sets up for the team a lot,” Crawford said.

As Drexel wraps up its fall season, this young team is determined to finish on a good note. Throughout the season, the Dragons have come very close to a team title, with second- and fifth-place finishes thus far. Look for the team to close the gap and make a run for the ODU/OBX Invitational title in the final competition until spring.

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Following a second-place finish at the Cornell Invitational Sept. 21-22 in Ithaca, N.Y., the Drexel golf team came in 17th at the Wolfpack Invitational Oct. 6-8 hosted by North Carolina State University. Christoper Crawford finished tied for 40th place individually.

Amid a difficult course layout and challenging weather conditions, the Drexel men’s golf team turned in a solid showing at the 2013 Wolfpack Intercollegiate, finishing in 17th place. The Dragons were led by a strong performance from sophomore Christopher Crawford, who turned in a team-low score of 223 for the three rounds of play and finished tied for 40th place overall in a field of 90 golfers.

With winds gusting over 20 miles per hour and the tees playing back, the Dragons had to overcome the challenges of a dark, rainy morning as they approached the first round of play Oct. 7 for an 8 a.m. shotgun start on the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C.

Following 36 holes of competition on the first day, the Dragons sat in 17th place. After a slow start in the first round, the team picked up the broken pieces and posted a 303 on the scorecard, recording their best round of the tournament.

In the final round, the team seemed to be having trouble adjusting to the southern terrain of the 7,358-yard course.

Crawford was especially able to overcome the obstacles that this strenuous course had to offer, as he led the way after an inconsistent first round of play. In the second round, Crawford looked like he was settling in as he shot a mistake-free back nine with three birdies, carding an even-par round of 72. Still, his final score of 223 was 20 shots behind tournament champion Carter Jenkins of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Freshman Yoseph Dance was not far behind his teammate, tying for 56th place in the field with a score of 226. Dance showed promise early on in the tournament as he buried a spectacular 70-foot putt on the sixth hole of the first round. If that wasn’t enough, he made another lengthy birdie putt only three holes later to close out the front nine.

Sophomore Alex Kane wrapped things up for the Blue and Gold, tied for 77th place with a final score of 234 over the three rounds. Kane’s tournament was highlighted by a final-round birdie on the very first hole. He also sunk a putt after a nice approach on a troublesome par-5.

The toughest hole of the course seemed to be the dreaded No. 18. This 482-yard par-4 was giving golfers trouble the entire tournament. This problematic hole averaged 0.71 strokes over par for the 90 participants. But Crawford, Dance and Kane seemed to weather the storm of the finishing hole, as they collectively shot 4 over par on the 18th hole.

After a demanding tournament at the challenging Lonnie Poole Golf Course, the Dragons can feel the weight being lifted off their shoulders as they eye their next competition. They wrap up their fall season when they head back to North Carolina Oct. 20-22 for the ODU/OBX Invitational. Look for the battle-tested Dragons to improve upon their last performance on a much more manageable golf course at the Kilmarlic Golf Club in Powells Point, N.C.

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The Drexel golf team is coming off an impressive second-place finish at the Cornell Invitational, highlighted by a thrilling performance by Christopher Crawford, who took first place individually. For his stellar play, Crawford was named Drexel’s Colonial Marble & Granite Athlete of the Week and the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Men’s Golfer of the Week.

The Dragons now head to the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the Wolfpack Intercollegiate Oct. 6-8, which is hosted by North Carolina State University.

After a second-place finish at the Cornell Invitational, Drexel is looking to keep this momentum going into North Carolina.

“We hope confidence breeds [more] confidence. We are just going to continue with our goal of getting better every day,” head coach Mike Dynda said of the team’s upcoming event.

The Dragons have had almost two weeks off to prepare for this competition.

“The time off was great,” Dynda said. “The team got settled into their classes. We had some really good practice sessions and just enough of a break from competition to get hungry again.”

Look for some young up-and-comers to make a statement at this event. Freshman Scott Forrester has been playing very well as of late, shooting an impressive 76 in the second round of his last appearance. Also, freshman Yoseph Dance finished in 33rd place at the Cornell Invitational, which was only the second event of his Drexel career. These two freshmen have made lots of noise for the Dragons early in their careers.

Another notable golfer who had a solid outing at the Cornell Invitational was sophomore Alex Kane, finishing 42nd overall. After a slow start, Kane’s tournament was highlighted by a gusty shot on the second hole — what many called the toughest hole on the course — scoring him a dramatic 77 in the final round.

The Dragons will have some challenges ahead of them as they take on the demanding Lonnie Poole Golf Course.

“The main challenge any northern team faces when they head south is the grass; southern courses have Bermuda grass, while we have bent and rye grass,” Dynda explained. “Other than that, it’s all pretty much the same. The cup is still four and a quarter inches around.”

But the greens won’t be the team’s only challenge. The Lonnie Poole Golf Course has unique features that set it apart from other courses in the region, including traditional Scottish designs. The course is known for its hole-by-hole elevation changes and difficult bunkers that have irregular shapes and jagged edges.

Shots landing in the sand might even provide players with an easier recovery than the thick fescue that is awkwardly placed throughout the course. Shots in fescue often require a drop and a penalty stroke that the Dragons just can’t afford if they’re going to be in contention to win this event.

“Getting adjusted quickly to the course will be what we work on most during the practice round,” Dynda said.

It will be interesting to see how Drexel approaches this difficult golf course, and they will lean on their top performer, Crawford, as he eyes another first-place finish.

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