The Drexel University field hockey team took to the turf this past weekend against The College of William & Oct. 14 and American University Oct. 16.
After losing two games, the Dragons were looking to get back on track. Both American University and William and Mary were difficult matchups, but the Dragons have shown throughout the season that they are capable of capturing big wins.
William & Mary, a Colonial Athletic Association rival for Drexel, was a particularly important opponent. Drexel entered play against William & Mary with a 1-1 conference record, and a victory over the Tribe would be huge in terms of keeping their postseason hopes alive.
The game started off in favor of Drexel. Just 8:04 into the first half, freshman Tess Bernheimer scored her fifth goal of the season to put the Dragons up by one. Tough defense from both teams meant scoring was at a premium for the rest of the contest.
It took until there were just about seven minutes left in the first half for there to be another score. Unfortunately for the Dragons, it was the Tribe who scored the game-tying goal. Neither team could score in the time remaining in the first half.
The second half played out much like the first. The Dragons and the Tribe were both locked in on the defensive side of the ball.
William & Mary scored their second goal about 20 minutes into the second half while Drexel continued to struggle on offense. They managed three shots on goal, but the Tribe’s goaltender Morgan Connor was more than up to the task. The game ended with the score on William & Mary’s side, 2-1.
Following the loss to William & Mary, Drexel then had the tough task of playing No. 20 American University. American came into the matchup with a record of 9-4 with the Dragons standing at 6-8.
Immediately, American made their presence felt with a strike just 2:30 in the first half to go up 1-0.
Drexel turned up the heat on defense, but American was undaunted by the increased pressure. They scored again around 20 minutes in to make the game 2-0.
Drexel struggled mightily to get set on offense and were unable to even get shots on goal. Three minutes later, American scored their third goal, putting the score to 3-0.
With such a tough first half, adjustments were certainly necessary for the second.
From the looks of the second half, those adjustments were particularly helpful. Sophomore Megan Wiest scored her ninth goal of the season, and the first for Drexel in the match. Defensively, the Dragons battled. They kept American off the board in the second half until 9:47 was left in the game. American scored their fourth and final goal of the match, making the score 4-1.
The Dragons continued to fight. Megan Wiest scored her second goal of the game to bring the score to within two. With 1:08 left, senior Idrienne Walker scored her ninth goal of the year to bring the game to within one. At that point, however, there simply was not enough time for the Dragons to complete the comeback.
The Dragons fell to 6-9 on the season, and 1-2 in conference play. Drexel plays another CAA rival, Hofstra University, onOct. 21. This will be a more emotional game than usual as the team will honor its seniors. Hopefully this emotion will translate well in the game for the Dragons, so that they can overcome the four-game losing streak they are on.