Though the Drexel University golf team has seen its season come to an end, the team is still reaping the rewards for their performances throughout the season. Chief among them is junior Connor Schmidt, who was recognized as a Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association standout. This is the first time Schmidt was given the honor, but the upperclassman has been putting up terrific numbers on the golf course for all three years of his collegiate career.

Schmidt began the 2018-2019 campaign for Drexel at the prestigious Alex Lagowitz Memorial Invitational. The season opener was hosted by Colgate University, and saw 17 teams take to the green. Schmidt actually had a relatively quiet performance over the course of two days compared to his teammates, coming in third out of the competing Dragons. Schmidt shot 222 across the entirety of the tournament, getting a 72 on the final day. His tally assisted in placing Drexel second out of all teams competing.

The turning point for Schmidt came at the Hartford Hawk Invitational, whereupon he secured a 71 in the final stages, as well as the highest individual score for Drexel. His score pushed Drexel to fifth place out of 20 teams. It was even more impressive that Schmidt’s scores came under poor conditions, as rain threatened to end the tournament prematurely twice.

Schmidt’s efforts at Hartford garnered him the first of many accolades throughout the season, as the CAA named him their Player of the Week in early March. This run of success would carry over into the Quechee Collegiate Club Challenge, where Schmidt tied for first place while guiding Drexel to a top-four finish.

Drexel’s return to the green came Oct. 15, 2018, when the Dragons made the journey to Elon, North Carolina, for the Elon University Phoenix Invitational. Though Drexel didn’t perform at their usually high standard, Schmidt’s consistency made its appearance yet again, as the junior walked away with a one-under par over 54 holes, first out of any other Drexel golfer. Schmidt came in 14th out of all individuals, while Drexel finished 11th out of 16 teams.

Another great team effort from Drexel was showcased at the OBX Intercollegiate Invitational, in which the Dragons secured a third place among the 18 teams who competed. This was the best ever finish at the tournament for Drexel in program history. Schmidt once again managed a one-under par on the final day of the competition en route to a six-under-par 207 across all rounds. Schmidt also took fourth place among individuals, propelled by four birdies and three rounds shot under par, continuing his breakout season saga.

Despite the traction Schmidt had been picking up over the course of the season, neither his coaches nor teammates could have predicted what happened at the Lonnie Barton Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida. The sunny weather matched Schmidt’s game, as the junior won first place for the time first in his career. Schmidt led 132 other tournament participants, with his three under par 69 on the last day putting his final score at a three-under-par 141. Supported by Schmidt’s sure hand, Drexel was able to secure a fifth place finish out of the 20 competing teams present.   

Next up for Drexel was the Seattle University Redhawk Invitational, where Schmidt saw his surge of wins slow down a bit. The junior finished second on the team behind sophomore Stephen Cerbara, though it was by a margin of a single point. Schmidt managed a par or better scoring across all rounds as Drexel finished fourth overall in the tournament.

As the season came down to its closing stages, Schmidt showed he wasn’t done impressing yet. Going into the Villanova Wildcat Invitational, Drexel was seeking to defend the tournament title they won a year ago, and Schmidt was happy to lead them to it. The junior won his second ever first place medal at the collegiate invitational as Drexel also topped the 20 team field.  

The CAA golf championships proved to the rest of the league why Schmidt was being talked about all season the way he was. Schmidt fought his way into the top five individual placements with a 217 card, only falling out of the title race after suffering a late triple bogey. Schmidt shot 66 on the second day of the tournament, the best ever round for a Drexel golfer at the CAA’s in team history. To cap off his historic run, Schmidt was awarded his third consecutive CAA Commissioner’s Award for academic achievement.

The Golden State Warriors have moved onto the next round in the NBA playoffs, but not without a fight from their first opponent, the Los Angeles Clippers. After such an overpowering win last season over Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors were expected to have an easy time yet again this year. But, they struggled, as the Clippers forced a Game 6 in the series.

It seemed as if the Warriors were going to bring the same level of dominance as they have been in the past couple seasons. Winning multiple championships in the past years showed that they were a force to be reckoned with. The Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, along with Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, all contributed to the team’s success. So, this year was expected to be no different. After beating such a strong team with the Cavs in the finals last year 4-0, the first round should have been really easy, but the Clippers gave them a strong fight.

After leading the NBA playoffs in points per game, the Warriors were ready for Game 1 and did not disappoint. Curry had a team leading 38 points and a double-double, while Durant had 23. The Clippers gave a good fight, as Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, who both come from the bench, scored 26 and 25 points respectively. But, in the end, the Warriors came out on top, 121-104.

The biggest news story of the series was the matchup between Durant and Patrick Beverley. With Durant being such a powerful foe, Beverley had to be very aggressive in order to cover him. The whole game, Beverley showed Durant his strength, and Durant acknowledged it, saying he has a “different type of grit” coming from Chicago, according to CBS Sports. They were both eventually ejected in the fourth quarter, but it showed that the Clippers were not about to give up a sweep.

This was exactly the case in the next game, where the Clippers showed off their raw talent. The Warriors did again dominate, as they had a 31 point lead at one instance. But, it all went downhill from there, as Williams scored 36 points and a double-double to lead the charge and have the largest postseason comeback in NBA history. This historic matchup showed the Clippers were a force that the Warriors couldn’t just sweep by.

After getting to a 3-1 series lead, the Clippers’ season was on the line, and they showed up in Game 5. Even after Durant’s 45 points, the Clippers were able to overcome the Warriors to force a Game 6. Lou Williams came off the bench and scored 33 points in the 129-121 win.

However, it was the Warriors who came out on top, taking the series in Game 6. Durant again played a momentous game, scoring a career playoff high of 50 points. This was just too much for the Clippers, and they lost 129-110.

Next up was the Houston Rockets, led by the infamous James Harden. Harden, who just came off a near sweep of the Utah Jazz, looked to take down the Warriors. In Game 1, Curry and Thompson did not have impressive stats, but the Warriors were able to pull off the win given Durant’s 35 points. What may also have contributed to the Warriors’ win was the no-call fouls on Harden and Chris Paul. After attempting a three, both Paul and Harden looked to be contacted, but there was no foul called. This sparked outrage in Rockets’ fans and caused a pretty significant gripe with the referees. In fact, Paul got ejected on the Rockets’ last possession due to his anger towards the calls.

In Game 2, the Rockets tried to get an edge on the Warriors, but the power of Golden State was on full display. Even though Durant and Harden were tied with 29 points, 20 plus games from Curry and Thompson carried the team to victory. Both teams, however, struggled in the game, as they lost key players to injuries. Harden left the game for a while, as he got hit in the face multiple times. Curry left the game with a dislocated left middle finger, but was also able to return with it taped. Even with all of these drawbacks, GSW was able to get the win, 115-109.

Sports legends can get noticed in the regular season, but they are cemented in the playoffs.

The talk of the NBA playoffs so far has been the incredible 37-foot buzzer beater that Damian Lillard hit against the Oklahoma City Thunder that sent the Portland Trailblazers to the Western Conference semifinals. Since Lillard sank that shot there has been a lot of talk from members of the media about how great of a player he is and how he’s one of the best in the league.

Why does it take a 37-foot buzzer beater to start a conversation about how great a player is? Russell Westbrook has not had clutch shots in the playoffs like Lillard has, yet his talents have been talked about for years. He even won the MVP award in the 2016-17 season.

Lillard, on the other hand, has never been a serious MVP candidate, despite putting up MVP numbers, and has even been snubbed for All Star selections while Westbrook has typically been named a starter. Fortunately, Lillard has a chance to complete his quest to be known as one of the best in the league by advancing into the NBA playoffs as the leader of a team, something Westbrook has yet to accomplish since Kevin Durant’s controversial exit from the Thunder in 2016.

For Lillard, however, it is hardly ever about himself and his own individual accolades; it’s about his teammates and their quest to make a deep run in the challenging Western Conference Playoffs. Standing in their way is the second-seeded Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets made it to the Western Conference semifinals by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a contested series that went the full seven games — the only full series in the first round.

Leading the Nuggets are Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Murray is a third year guard out of Kentucky who enjoyed a breakout season and has continued his streak in the postseason, averaging 20 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds per game. Jokic has continued his dominant play from last season as well and has emerged this season as a true MVP candidate while putting up 20 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists per game. With a deep bench behind them, the Nuggets deservedly secured the 2nd overall seed in the conference, and despite struggling in their first round, remain heavy favorites in Vegas.

Fortunately, Lillard isn’t challenging the Nuggets on his own —  he has two teammates who have been putting up solid numbers themselves. The first is Lillard’s long time backcourt mate CJ McCollum, who has been averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists this postseason. The two have endured incredible hardships over the last 12 months, with the sting of last year’s early playoff exit fresh on their minds. So when star center Jusuf Nurkic fractured his leg March 26, it was easy to assume that the Blazers would not make a deep playoff run. However, the team signed big man Enes Kanter after he was waived by the Knicks, and the team has excelled. In the playoffs, Kanter has filled Nurkic’s role perfectly, with averages of 15 points and 10 rebounds. While Kanter and McCollum have been great for the Blazers, it’s going to be Lillard who needs to consistently perform like the MVP caliber player in order for the Blazers to move into the next round.

If you think Lillard is fazed by the pressure, then you haven’t been paying attention.

“Pressure, nah. Fam, this is just playing ball. Pressure is the homeless man who doesn’t know where his next meal is coming from. Pressure is the single mom who is trying to scuffle and pay her rent. We get paid a lot of money to play a game. Don’t get me wrong — there are challenges. But to call it pressure is almost an insult to regular people,”, he said in an interview with NBC Sports.

Lillard’s ability to keep things in perspective has helped him stay focused on his game, and the Blazers have followed his lead and put the criticism aside.

If Lillard continues his magic from the first round, this could be the start of a legend in the making.

The ever-popular Oklahoma City Thunder franchise has seen it’s 53rd season in the National Basketball Association end after a disappointing playoff run against the Portland Trail Blazers. While OKC’s franchise player Russell Westbrook continues to put up incredible numbers securing his third consecutive triple double this season, the team continues to struggle in the regular season and in its championship stages.

Much has happened in OKC’s 11th season since its relocation from Seattle. Nick Collison, a 15-year member of the squad, announced his retirement at the end of the previous season, effectively making Westbrook the team’s longest serving player.

Westbrook is now only one of three NBA players still active who was also a part of OKC when the team went by the name “Seattle SuperSonics.” The others are Jeff Green and Kevin Durant who both debuted in the league wearing SuperSonic jerseys.

Throughout the 2017-18 season, there was much media speculation about whether key player Paul George would finish out the calendar year still on the OKC roster. Despite rumors of George’s departure to the Los Angeles Lakers, the small forward made the decision to resign with OKC. The Thunder was also able to re-sign forward Jerami Grant and point guard Raymond Felton. New signings included Nerlens Noel, Deonte Burton and Tyler Davis. The squad lost P. J. Dozier and Daniel Hamilton to free agency.   

The franchise came into the regular season with a good amount of fanbase hype after going 3-1 overall in its preseason schedule, as well as getting George to stay on for the foreseeable future.

The regular season did not go as smoothly as Oklahoma fans had hoped. The Thunder finished fourth in the Northwest Division with a record of 9-7. Overall, the team went 49-33 in the Western Conference, earning a .598 win percentage in the process. The team started off poorly in October, going 2-4 in its opening slate of games. November saw a massive improvement from the Thunder, as they went 12-3 that month. Most of the wins were secured at home, where the Thunder boasted an impressive 7-1 record. The period of February through December was somewhat average for the squad, combining a 24-16 record across the three month span. Playoff hopes were jeopardized in March, when the team posted a 6-10 record, splitting their wins and losses even at 3-5 both home and away. Thankfully, the squad was able to salvage their chances at getting into the playoffs with a good final stretch of games in April. The team went a perfect 5-0 to place sixth out of the eight teams in the Western Conference that would qualify them for the playoff tournament.  

The opening round of the tournament saw OKC drawn against the Portland Trail Blazers. Their first meeting took place April 14 at the Moda Center in Portland, where OKC was hosted by the Trail Blazers. Scoring was split very evenly throughout the game, with each side taking two quarters. The Thunder took the second and fourth, 23-15 and 30-28 respectively. Portland was able to steal the first and third quarters, with their 39-25 winning opening handing them the game. George led all scorers with 26 points and was tied on most rebounds with Westbrook. Through their 104-99 win, the Trail Blazers were able to walk away with the lead of the series.   

The second game of the series was held in the same venue and echoed the result as well. OKC came out with the lead after the first quarter, going up 31-26. The Thunder then gave up the following three quarters 23-28, 21-37 and 19-23 in that order. George led scoring again for OKC, putting up 27 points. Steven Adams and Westbrook threw in nine rebounds each to keep the team in the mix. Westbrook led both squads in assists with 11. The Trail Blazers emerged victorious with a 114-94 win, extending their series lead to 2-0.

Going into the third game of the series, the Thunder knew they had to get a result if they wanted to remain contenders in the playoff race. With the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City granting the Thunder the home court advantage, the trailing side decided to make the most of it. Westbrook had 33 points with 11 assists, once more proving his worth to his team. Adams added seven rebounds to push OKC past Portland 120-108 across the four quarters. Though they managed to earn their first series victory, the Thunder’s run would end shortly after, between April 21-23. First came a loss at home 98-111, before a return to Portland to attempt at a final comeback failed as the squad were felled 115-118. George scored 36 points in the final game, while Westbrook managed 11 rebounds and 14 assists. With their title hopes drawing to a close, the Thunder will now have to look forward to their next great challenge: the off-season, in which they’ll have to work on re-signing key players to building toward a better future.

The Drexel men’s lacrosse team (6-6, 2-2) traveled to Hempstead, New York, to get a much needed win against Hofstra University (4-9, 1-3) as it sent them to the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. The victory didn’t come easy for the Dragons, as they trailed throughout the first three quarters. The team showed incredible resilience in overcoming the deficit, which has been a difficult task in previous games.

Junior Matthew Varian came up big for the Dragons, scoring all three of his goals in under two minutes to tie the game in the fourth quarter with 12:51 to go in the game. Not only did Varian have three clutch goals, but he also was a facilitator racking up three assists. Junior Reid Bowering was also very impressive, as he has been all season long, scoring four goals in the game, including two in the fourth quarter. The four goals gives Bowering 40 total goals on the season, making him the ninth Dragon to ever accomplish this milestone. With one year still remaining on his eligibility, the Dragon faithful can look forward to watching Bowering as he climbs higher in the Drexel record books.

Freshman Ross Blumenthal came up big down the stretch as he was able to stop the Pride from tying the game. Blumenthal had 15 saves on the day, giving up 12 goals of the 39 shots he faced. Junior Jimmeh Koita had a strong outing in his face off attempts as he’s done all season long, winning 15 of his 26 faceoff attempts. It was an overall consistent effort from the Dragons, who have struggled at times this season to find success in all aspects of the game.   Although they lost, Hofstra put up a good fight as they were almost identical to the Dragons in every statistical category.

The Dragons’ next game will come April 27 as Drexel hosts Towson University on Senior Day. This will be the end of the regular season before the CAA semifinals.

After such great success in doubleheaders this season, the Drexel University softball team had a decent chance to defeat their next opponents, Delaware State University and Elon University. They also were set to have a doubleheader against Wagner College, but it was canceled due to inclement weather.

Up first was Delaware State, who struggled this season. They went into the first game with a 6-24 record, and it didn’t get much better for them from there. The biggest news of the series was junior Linda Rush, who hit her 17th home run of the season, beating fellow teammate, sophomore Kristi DiMeo’s record of 16 last season. However, DiMeo may be close to taking back the crown, as she also had 16 home runs going into the game.

The second inning of game one is where Drexel exploded, scoring four runs off Rush and DiMeo doubles. Junior Hannah Walker had a two-run double of her own in the fourth inning, leading to an 11-1 win for the Dragons.

In game two, Drexel spread their offense out, with sophomores Reilly Jo Swanson and Megan Trivelpiece, as well as Walker all recording a three-hit game. The Dragons broke out in the third inning, where senior Jenelle Ladrido’s triple brought in Swanson and Walker. Ladrido herself came home afterward with a single from junior Mari Gardner. With a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and Rush’s record-breaking home run, the Dragons rounded out the series with a 9-3 win.

Next up was a three-game series against Elon University, with the stand-alone game first. In this game, the Dragons devastatingly lost a seven-run lead. To get there, Drexel showed off its powerful offense. DiMeo tied the record that Rush just secured in the first inning with a two-run homer. Walker also had one of her own, making the lead 4-0. With a couple of hits in the next two innings, Drexel was up comfortably, 9-2. Two solo home-runs by Elon in the fifth inning closed the gap slightly, but four additional home runs by Elon in the seventh inning blew Drexel’s lead away to give Elon the win, 13-10.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Drexel took advantage of poor pitching, scoring four runs on as many walks by pitcher Hailey Jomp. Rush broke the tie with DiMeo in the second inning with a grand slam, making that her 18th home run of the season. Walker added her fourth home run in the third inning to capture a 15-4 win, making sure they wouldn’t lose another lead so large.

However, the second game was not the same case. Elon was the first score with a grand slam in the third inning to give them a 4-0 lead. Freshman Sarah Clinton scored her fifth home run of the season to cut their lead to two. A groundout and error tied the game up at four.

With such a close game, Drexel looked to get the lead and win, but that honor was disappointingly given to Elon. A home run in the sixth inning game gave Elon the lead and a 5-4 win.

Quick to redeem themselves during their game April 25, Drexel got a smashing 8-0 win against the University of Pennsylvania, getting cut short by run-rule.

The Drexel University men’s tennis team has completed its 2019 season following their trip to Elon, North Carolina for the Colonial Athletic Association tennis championships. The Dragons began their run in the quarterfinals, coming in as the sixth-seeded squad among all competing teams. Elon University hosted the tournament.

Drexel’s first and only opponents were the College of William and Mary, who held the number three seed. As they have consistently done over the course of their season, the Dragons secured the doubles points after securing two doubles courts in a row. Drexel struggled in the singles stages of the day, losing four of the six singles matchups to ultimately fall 4-3 to the Tribe by the narrowest of margins.

The first doubles position was occupied by freshman Gustav Wogen and senior Sinan Orhon. The outgoing upperclassman, and arguably most successful player in Drexel’s history, left his final doubles match unfinished at 6-6, as the Dragons had already won doubles on aggregate.

Sophomores Xandy Hammitt and Sanil Jagtiani continued their fruitful partnership as a doubles duo on the second doubles court. The pair was the first to finish for Drexel, quickly claiming the 6-3 win. Junior Youssef Lahlou and freshman Juan Manuel Sanchez followed suit, though their match proved to be much closer. The two Dragons outlasted their opposition 7-6, pushing past the Tribesmen by the skin of their teeth.

Moving on to singles, Hammitt gave Drexel hope for an easy run to the tournament semifinals. Hammitt finished first among Drexel players with a three-set victory, outplaying William & Mary freshman Daniel Pellerito 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The early win did not kick off the streak of games gone in favor of Drexel that the Dragons were hoping for. Wogen was the next finisher for Drexel at fifth singles. The freshman started off well in his first set, barely giving it away 7-6 to Tribe sophomore Chen Ruo. Wogen dropped the second 6-4 to hand the Dragons their first lost match of the day.  

The last match in Drexel’s favor was Jagtiani’s three-set battle against William & Mary junior Brenden Volk. Jagtiani took the first set 6-3, lost the second 4-6 and came back to break the deadlock with a 6-4 winning set. After the sophomore echoed his wins at doubles, the remaining Dragons went on to lose each of their individual matches. Lahlou and Orhon were the only players to claim sets, with both Dragons clinching the second set of their three-set games. Neither player achieved their comeback.

Drexel ends their season record slightly above the .500 mark, reaching 11 wins and 10 losses. The CAA quarterfinals saw the final game  of Orhon, who holds Drexel’s record of most wins in the history of the tennis program at singles and doubles. Orhon owns 71 individual match victories and 81 while sharing the court at doubles. His exit will leave a profound impact on the squad going forward.

The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team started their two-game homestand at Vidas Field against Colonial Athletic Association rival University of Delaware April 6. While the game was very close at the end, the Dragons found themselves playing catch up for the majority of the game.

The difficulties started in the first period after the Blue Hens jumped to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Drexel put a dent in Delaware’s lead and managed to get within two goals at the end of the first period thanks to impressive scoring efforts by sophomore Ryan Genord and junior Reid Bowering.

At the end of the second period, the Dragons once again found themselves trailing by a score of 10-6. The Dragons managed to score four goals in the period, but were overwhelmed by Delaware’s attack that yielded six goals just as quickly. The goals for Drexel in the second quarter were scored by Bowering, junior Colin Mailman and junior Matthew Varian, who scored two of them.

In the final two periods, the Dragons were able to outscore the Blue Hens 7-5. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough as Drexel fell to Delaware 15-13. The top performers for the Dragons were Bowering with five goals and Varian, who finished with a hat trick to go along with four assists.

Drexel’s next game was against Fairfield University April 13. The Dragons were clearly motivated from the loss to Delaware, as they put on a clinic against Fairfield. The Dragons never trailed in this one, winning by a score of 21-9. The top scorer for the Dragons was Genord with four goals. Mailman, Bowering and senior Marshall King all scored three goals.

While he did score a goal, that wasn’t what stood out in the game for junior Jimmeh Koita. Instead, it was how Koita won an incredible 24 face-offs for the Dragons. Drexel dominated Fairfield in almost every category. The Dragons outshot Fairfield 60 to 31, won the faceoffs 27-7 and held the advantage in ground balls 41-17. One of the most impressive stats from the game was that the Dragons ended the game on 8-0 run. With three goals in the game, Bowering now has an unbelievable 36 goals for the season.

The victory gives Drexel a record of 5-6 on the season. With two games remaining, the Dragons are looking to make their way up the standings in the CAA conference as they currently sit in fourth place behind Towson University. Drexel’s next game is April 20 as they travel to Hempstead, New York, to face Hofstra University who has an overall record of 4-8, with both teams looking to make the CAA playoffs.

After playing the majority of their outdoor matches away, the Drexel University men’s tennis team arrived at the end of their season having played three of their final four regular season games home on Drexel’s Vidas Courts. The Dragons made their outdoor home debut April 4 against Saint Joseph’s University, taking down the Hawks 4-3.

Drexel largely owned the doubles matches against their longtime Philadelphia rivals, taking two out of the three contests. Junior Youssef Lahlou and freshman Juan Manuel Sanchez composed the third doubles party, garnering the 6-4 victory to secure the doubles point for the Dragons. Finishing just before them was the pairing of sophomores Xandy Hammitt and Sanil Jagtiani, who dropped their match 6-2. Drexel’s efforts at first singles were spearheaded by senior Sinan Orhon and freshman Gustav Wogen, who bageled their opponents. Lahlou was rendered unable to continue ahead of his scheduled match at second singles, forcing head coach Mehdi Rhazali to move each of players up a spot in singles play.

The clinching of the doubles point by Drexel would prove to be crucial to the final outcome of the day, as the opposing sides would break even in singles play, with the score at 3-3. Winners at singles included junior Alvaro Cruz Chamorro, Jagtiani and Sanchez. Chamorro was the victor at third singles, outpointing his opponent in straight sets. Sanchez and Jagtiani followed suit shortly at fifth and second singles, respectively, to clinch the win for the Dragons.

League contests in the Colonial Athletic Association were all that remained for Drexel for the rest of their season, the first of which came away against Hofstra University April 6. The 4-3 score of the contest in favor of the Dragons echoed that of their matchup against Saint Joseph’s, albeit under different circumstances. The doubles teams went 2-1, granting the doubles point to Hofstra. Lahlou and Sanchez were paired again to great effect, finishing first at the third doubles court with a 6-2 win.

There were several nail-biters during the singles portion of the day, with Jagtiani’s three-set loss showcasing the upperclassman’s fighting spirit after being unable to secure a game in his second set at third singles.

In need of wins, Drexel was carried on the efforts of Chamorro, Lahlou, Hammitt and Wogen, who each earned straight set wins in their contests. These clutch individual performances against the Pride pushed the Dragons to victory, with the score in deadlock until Wogen’s finish.

In the wake of Drexel’s winning streak, which included a tough league outing, spirits were high for the tennis squad as they returned home to take on James Madison University April 13. Despite the positive energy, Drexel found themselves unable to chain together wins throughout the competition. The Dragons were handed a 5-2 loss that saw them fall in the CAA rankings ahead of the upcoming league championships.

Drexel was defeated in doubles play, with the aggregate score again reading 2-1 for the Dragons’ opponents, and the duo of Lahlou and Sanchez again laying claim to Drexel’s only win on the doubles courts.

The matchup provided even more tantalizing contests at singles than Drexel’s matchup against Hofstra, with three players going into third sets. Orhon, after losing his first set, came back 7-6  in the second to force a third. Falling 10-2 in the final period, the senior displayed the same trademark leadership responsible for some of Drexel’s key wins this year. Jagtiani went to three sets for the second time in as many matches, but his offense was again shutdown in closing exchanges. The same could not be said for Wogen, the only Drexel player to clinch his three set game. Chamorro tallied a point for the Dragons with his straight set win at fourth singles.  

The finale of Drexel’s regular season was as emotional as it was impressive for the Dragons since the tennis program celebrated its annual Senior Day with a tribute to Orhon, Drexel’s lone senior on the roster. Orhon led the Dragons against the University of Delaware in his last home match for the squad April 14. Orhon is Drexel’s leader in career singles and doubles matches won, and added to his tally with wins on the singles and doubles courts.

The remaining Dragons would follow Orhon’s lead to a 6-1 win over Delaware. Wogen, Orhon’s partner at first doubles, saw his winning ways spill over to his match at sixth singles. Jagtiani, Chamorro, Lahlou and  Sanchez completed the shutout at singles, their first time accomplishing the feat this season.

Drexel’s postseason run will begin April 18, when the Dragons will travel to Elon, North Carolina, for the CAA tennis championships, hosted this year by Elon University. Drexel will start off in the quarterfinals against the College of William and Mary.

The Drexel University softball team pushed to continue their strong start to the season with a multitude of doubleheaders. The Dragons had been doing well this season against teams in doubleheaders, winning at least one of the games and winning both on multiple occasions. Their next doubleheader was against Fairleigh Dickinson University April 4.

In the first game, FDU was the first to strike, as they scored two runs in the third inning. Later in the inning, singles by freshman Sarah Clinton and sophomore Kristi DiMeo set up the Dragons to score. An error and double by sophomore Megan Trivelpiece fulfilled that prophecy and the Dragons tied up the game. A sacrifice fly brought home a third run, giving FDU the lead. Neither team could muster up runs for the rest of the game, giving Drexel the 3-2 lead.

The second game was a historic game in multiple ways. Not only was it head coach Carl Taylor’s 100th win, but this game also pushed their season win total to level with last year’s, proving their dominance. With the game still at 0-0 in the fifth inning, the bottom of the fifth inning was saved with a pinch-hit double from Clinton and sophomore Reilly Jo Swanson, bringing the Dragons up 2-0. The Dragons added to this lead after a double from senior Jenelle Ladrido, which brought in two more runs. However, an error brought Ladrido in too, making the lead 5-0. FDU managed to get one run in the last inning, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Dragons, as they won, 5-1.

Next up, the Dragons had another doubleheader against University of North Carolina Wilmington. In the first game, UNCW jumped into the lead with a two-run homer. But, the Dragons had an answer as junior Linda Rush hit her own two-run shot as Drexel tied the game. DiMeo also got in a home run, as the Dragons took a 3-2 lead. But, it was the sixth inning where the Dragons took off. RBIs by Rush, DiMeo and sophomore Haley Hulitt brought Drexel to a 8-4 lead. UNCW got two additional runs, but Drexel ended up on top with an 8-6 win.

In game two, Drexel really showed why they are one of the nation’s top offenses. Seven doubles made by multiple players brought their lead to 7-0. A double and a three-run home run in the fifth inning added to their lead and they eventually won 12-0.

But, the Dragons did not have as much luck in the third, stand-alone game against UNCW. A medley of non-hits put players on base for UNCW, and a double brought a runner to third. Finally, a sacrifice fly brought home the only run of the game, giving UNCW the 1-0 win.

Their next doubleheader was against La Salle University. The Dragons jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning with a double from Rush and walks by DiMeo and Trivelpiece. With the bases loaded, this was the perfect setup for senior Taylor Lee, who hit a grand slam. La Salle, however, answered right back with five runs of their own. A solo shot by junior Hannah Walker and a groundout by DiMeo, which brought in a run, gave the edge to the Dragons, who won 6-5.

In game two, Drexel had 13 hits, but could not come up with a win. DiMeo had two home runs and Clinton had one of her own, but six unanswered runs in the middle of the game pretty much sealed the deal for the Explorers, as they won, 13-8.

Instead of playing a doubleheader first, the Dragons played a stand-alone game first against Hofstra University. Drexel held an 8-4 lead for the last two innings before Hofstra tied up the game and took into extra innings. Errors by the Dragons lead to the game going into overtime. In overtime, Drexel was no match for Hofstra’s Kristin Hallam, who advanced to third after hitting a single, and took home after a groundout to give Hofstra the 9-8 lead.

In the doubleheader, Drexel had better luck in the first game — a five-run second inning, which included a two-run double by sophomore Elena Woulfe and a three-run shot by Rush. The Pride were ready to comeback, as they scored six runs in the fifth inning to get to a 7-5 lead. But, the Dragons used their previous streak to get three runs in the seventh inning to win 8-7.

Hofstra brought back their energy from the first game to win the second Rush tied up the game 1-1 after a home run in the first inning, but Hofstra answered with their own two-run shot to lead 3-1. Two errors by Drexel brought Hofstra’s lead to three, but Drexel could not muster up another lead, losing 4-3.

Drexel will look to continue their doubleheader dominance with games against Delaware State University, Wagner College and Elon University.