The Drexel University women’s lacrosse team began their 2019 season with a tough matchup against Johns Hopkins University Feb. 10. Johns Hopkins’s defense was definitely a factor in this game’s outcome, as they held the Dragons to only 17 shots throughout the game with only six shots in the second period. With the help of this defense, Johns Hopkins was able to get their offense possession and control the game from start to finish. Johns Hopkins took more than double the shots than the Dragons (39 total.) Johns Hopkins won by a final score of 17-9.

After the loss in their season opener, the Dragons traveled to New Rochelle, New York, to play Iona College. Here, they defeated Iona 11-7, which gave the team and the new head coach Jill Batcheller the first win of the season.

Iona came into the game having already lost their first two games of the season.

The Dragons came out firing at the start of the first half. Junior Courtney Dietzel scored the first goal of the game. Against Johns Hopkins, Dietzel had two goals. Dietzel scored 16 total goals during the 2018 season, and in this game against Iona alone, she scored a hat trick. Her total is already five goals on the season through just the first two games.

Throughout the first half of the game against Iona, the teams tied the score twice, but the Dragons were able to hold control of the game and held Iona scoreless for the last 12 minutes before halftime. The Dragons ended the first half on a 3-0 scoring run to lead 5-2. Junior Lucy Schneidereith was the powerhouse of this scoring run as all three goals were from her, giving her a hat trick already in the first half alone.

Moving into the second half, the Dragons continued their scoring run going 5-0 before Iona finally found the net past Drexel goalkeeper sophomore Zoe Bennett with 20:44 left to play. However, Iona was still behind the Dragons 7-3.

The Dragons increased their lead to five with a goal off a free position shot by sophomore Colleen Grady. After a draw control by sophomore Jamie Schneidereith, Dietzel received a pass from Grady to give her another goal on the day. With 14:30 left to play, the Dragons had a solid lead 9-4.

The Dragons’ defense held strong as there was no glimpse of Iona attempting a comeback against the Dragons. A final goal by Iona’s Christine Gironda left the score at 11-7 in Drexel’s favor as the clock ran out.

Bennett had 13 saves on the day. Lucy Schneidereith led the Dragons with five goals and one assist. Dietzel followed her with her hat trick. Grady dished out three assists as well as her one goal in the second half.

The Dragons will now travel to Washington, D.C. to play Georgetown University Feb. 23. Georgetown is currently 2-0 through their first two matchups of the season against Saint Joseph’s University Feb. 9 and Towson University Feb. 16. This will be a great game for the Dragons, as Georgetown is currently ranked 19th in the nation.