Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/10/21
From Press Release
Drexel’s Aidan Coll (The Hill School) scored a career-high five goals and Ross Blumenthal made six saves in the fourth quarter as the visiting Dragons defeated No. 12 Delaware, 12-9, on Saturday at Delaware Stadium.
It was the fourth-straight win for the Dragons and the second in a row against a top-20 team. The Dragons are now 5-2 on the season and 3-2 in Colonial Athletic Association play. It was the Blue Hens (7-2, 4-1) first loss in conference play and snapped a seven-game Delaware win streak.
Coll had the best day of his career in the rivalry game against the Blue Hens. The senior had three goals in the first half and added two more and an assist in the second half. Seven other Dragons scored a goal in the balanced offensive attack.
The Dragons got off to a good start and never trailed in the game. Freshmen Luke Tomak and Zach Augustine (Avon Grove) each had goals and when George Grippo set up Luke Hurley after a turnovers, the Dragons found themselves with a three goal lead.
The Blue Hens hit the pipe twice in the games opening minutes. Delaware answered Drexel’s run with three straight scores, including a goal by Mike Robinson with just 13 seconds left in the first quarter to tie it up. Coll put Drexel in front with the first of his three first-half goals just 51 seconds in the second, but once again the Blue Hens answered. This time it was Charlie Kitchen (St. Augustine Prep) who found the net for the second time in the half.
Three minutes later, Drexel started a 4-0 run to end the half and took an 8-4 lead to intermission. Coll started and ended the run, his final goal coming from the right side after spinning off a Blue Hen defender with only 4.5 seconds to go. In between Coll’s goals, Sean Donnelly and Collin Mailman scored even strength goals.
The Dragons increased the lead to as many as six in the third quarter. Delaware opened the scoring but Drexel rattled off three straight to make it 11-5. Coll started the run with his fourth of the day. Two minutes later, Grippo stripped a Delaware player in the offensive end, picked up the loose ball, took it the length of the field and scored his first goal of the year. After a Delaware penalty, Reid Bowering, returning to the line-up after missing four games, set up Coll on the man-up. Delaware answered that with a Matt Acchione man-up goal, but Drexel countered 15 seconds later. Freshman Brent McVicker, who was on the face-off unit, went to the cage after Jimmeh Koita won the draw and scored his first collegiate goal. The Blue Hens were able to trim the deficit to five with 1:32 to play in the third when Charlie Kitchen scored his third goal of the game.
Ross Blumenthal finished the day with 12 saves. Nine of those came in the second half. Matt Kilkeary had 14 stops for the Blue Hens. Delaware won 14 of the 25 face-offs as Jake Hervada (Haverford School) won 8 of 12 draws.
