Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/8/19
From Press Release
Drexel scored four straight goals to end the game and defeated Saint Joseph’s, 10-7, tonight in the opening game of the Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic.
Freshman Ross Blumenthal made six saves in his collegiate debut to pick up the win for Drexel. Marshal King and Matthew Varian each scored three times as Drexel improved to 2-3 this season. Saint Joseph’s fell to 3-3.
After an even three quarters, the Dragons took control in the fourth. The Hawks scored the first goal of the quarter to take the lead when Nate Patterson fed Ryan Doran from behind the net after a missed shot to make it 7-6. That would be the last goal of the night for Saint Joseph’s as the Drexel defense tightened and the offense starting clicking.
With just under 10 minutes to play, King fired a bouncer past Hawks’ goaltender Mike Adler from 15 yards out to tie the game. Less than a minute later, Reid Bowering dodged a short stick defender and scored from the right side of the crease to put Drexel ahead for good at 8-7.
The lead extended to 9-7 with 6:30 to go. Cam Harris picked off a pass deep in the Drexel end and started a fast break opportunity. Harris got the ball to Nolan Fox (Ridley), who found Marshal King on the left side.
King made the extra pass to Varian on the doorstep, and the junior scored his third of the game to give Drexel a two-goal cushion. King picked up his third goal of the night to ice the game with 5:52 to go as Drexel snapped a two-game losing streak.
Saint Joseph’s opened the scoring with two goals in the first two minutes of the game, but the lead was short lived. Varian and Jack Mulcahy (Downingtown East) scored just 37 seconds apart to even the game at two. The game went back and forth the rest of the way and the score was tied on six occasions.
Matt Soran had two man-up goals for Drexel in the first half. The Dragons continued to play well on the man-up, converting two of their four chances. Six different Hawks had goals in the first half as Saint Joseph’s held a 6-5 lead at the break.
Blumenthal made the most of his first start as a Dragon. He picked up six saves as the Drexel defense turned in its best performance of the young season. Drexel outshot the Hawks, 35-31. Varian finished the game with five points, while King had four. Bowering was held to one goal, but the junior had two assists.
Patterson and Nick Vernacchio (Upper Dublin) each had two points for Saint Joseph’s. Adler turned aside 10 Drexel shots, while Zach Cole (Lenape) won 13 of his 24 face-off attempts.
Drexel will play No. 11 Villanova on Sunday at Vidas Field in the finale of the Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic. Penn will play Saint Joseph’s after the conclusion of the Drexel game.
