Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/24/16
From Press Release
Michael Kay fired a shot into the top corner with just 39 seconds to play in overtime as visiting Drexel defeated Delaware, 6-5, in Newark on Saturday. The win kept the Dragons hopes alive for a bid to the Colonial Athletic Association Championships.
The Dragons (5-8, 1-3 CAA) lost the face-off in overtime as Delaware (5-9, 2-2) began the extra period with possession. Jordan Klunder (Conestoga) and Miles Thomas (Conestoga) converged on Steve DeLargy and caused a turnover, giving Drexel the ball. The Dragons called time and in the final minute. Joe Rainoldi found Kay from 12-yards out and the sophomore found the back of the net as the Dragons pulled out a road win.
Drexel had trailed 5-4 late in the game thanks to two Blue Hens’ fourth period goals. Dean DiSimone (St. Augustine Prep) tied it 4-4 in the early stages of the fourth. He faked out a Drexel defender, walked in alone on the left and beat Jimmy Joe Granito. That goal broke a drought of more than 28 minutes without a goal for the Blue Hens. Four minutes later, Delaware regained the lead and the momentum.
Andrew Romagnoli, with the shot clock on, raced from behind the net and tucked one in the far corner 9:28 to play, which gave the Hens the lead. Drexel was able to tie it up with 2:37 to play. Robert Frazee hit a cutting Jeremy Omrod at the crease and the junior scored his third goal of the season to tie it up. Omrod almost ended the game in regulation. He had a golden opportunity to be the hero with just 17 seconds to play, but he was robbed at the crease on a huge save by Parker Ferrigan. Delaware raced down field, but Drexel caused a turnover and the teams went to an extra frame.
After a slow start in the game offensively for Drexel, the Dragons came to life late in the second period. After scoring the first three goals, Delaware went cold and the Dragons were able to score four times. They scored two in the second to cut the lead at halftime to 3-2. Jordan Cunningham set up Frazee with 9:03 to go in the second period, which finally got Drexel on the board after not scoring for the first 21 minutes of the game. Drexel trimmed it to a one-goal game when Kay fed Rainoldi, who bounced a shot past Ferrigan with 3:34 left before the half.
In the third, Cunningham set Frazee up again, evening the contest in the opening minutes. Drexel completed the 4-0 run and took the lead for the first time when Matthew Varian scored an unassisted goal. He came from behind the cage and on his backhand scooped in a shot with just 55 seconds left in the third
Granito had a stellar game in the cage. The junior made 13 saves and kept the Dragons in the game early when their offense sputtered. Nabil Akl had one of his best games of the season, winning nine of the 15 face-off attempts in the game.
Five different Blue Hens scored goals. Ferrigan finished with 11 saves in a losing cause. The Dragons outshot Delaware, 38-32, while each team had 13 turnovers. Drexel had nine turnovers in the first half, but did a better job of taking care of the ball down the stretch.
Paul Major (Spring-Ford) and Connor Frisian (Conestoga) scored for Delaware.
Drexel will finish the regular season on Friday night at Vidas Field against UMass. Face-off is set for 6 p.m. If the Dragons can defeat the Minutemen and Fairfield defeats Delaware, the Dragons would get the final spot in the CAA Championships. If Delaware defeats the Stags, it will get the final spot.
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