Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/19/22
From Press Release
A quartet of Wildcats completed hat-tricks as host Villanova rallied in the third quarter to defeat Drexel, 15-12, on Saturday afternoon. Villanova improves to 4-3 on the year while the Dragons fall to the same record.
Villanova got on the board first at the 12 minute mark of the first quarter when Luke Keating (3G, 5A) dished it from behind the goal to a cutting Brett Baskin (La Salle, 3G, 2A) who was able to put it away. Will Vitton came up with a trio of saves early to keep the Dragons off the board. Keating again would set up Baskin this time cutting up from behind the cage and dishing it to Baskin who broke through the middle and placed a low shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Drexel would answer less than a minute later with Sean Donnelly scoring his 14th goal of the season at the 5:12 mark. It would be Donnelly again who would score for the Dragons this time on an extra man opportunity to tie it with 2:26 to go in the quarter. The Dragons kept the run going netting their third at the 1:02 mark and their fourth goal with just 12 seconds remaining, both by Aidan Coll (Hill School, 3G), to put Drexel up 4-2.
The Dragons kept the run going to start the second quarter with Sean Curcio and Coll scoring quick back-to-back goals to make it 6-2. J.P. Basile put Villanova back on the board at the 3:55 mark to get the offense going once again. The Wildcat’s got one more goal before halftime when Brett Baskin picked up a ground ball just over midfield and dished it to Matt Campbell (3G, 1A). The senior was able to take the fast break opportunity and score to make 6-4.
Justin Coppola came out and won the opening faceoff of the second half and the Wildcats offense used that opportunity to score. It would be Patrick Daly who found Keating on the doorstep to make it 6-5. Villanova would do the same on their next possession, Coppola won the faceoff and this time it was Basile who would tie the game at 6. Drexel would go up by one at the 7:33 mark but the Wildcats answered.
Tucker Goodelle (3G) would score two goals in two minutes and in between senior captain Patrick Daly would also score to put Villanova up 9-7 with 4:06 to play in the third. On the next possession Chet Comizio collected the ground ball off the faceoff and pass it to Keating. He made a quick pass to Campbell who was able to rip a shot into the back of the cage to make it 10-7. With just 13 seconds remaining in the quarter Keating had a put back goal off a saved shot taken by Campbell to make it 11-7. The Wildcats scored seven goals in the quarter and limited Drexel to one.
Villanova offense kept the momentum at the start of the fourth quarter. Campbell and Keating both ripped goals for the Wildcats early and Drexel found the back of the cage with a pair of goals to make it 13-9 with just over nine minutes to play.
Drexel fought back; Jack Mulcahy (Downingtown East) scored for Drexel to make it a three-goal game. Goodelle completed a hat trick at the 7:00 mark but Drexel’s Ryan Genord (3G, 1A) scored back-to-back goals just a minute and a half a part to make it a two-goal game.
Villanova’s Brody LaPorte was able to force a turnover by Drexel after the Dragons won the faceoff and give the Wildcats an important offensive opportunity. It would be Baskin who would net the goal with 3:31 to play on a dish from Campbell to make it again a three-goal game. Neither team was able to score in the final minutes making the final 15-12 Villanova.
Vitton finished with 11 saves on the day, five of those came in the second quarter. Brody LaPorte had another strong defensive game for the Wildcats, the senior had four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers. At the faceoff x Justin Coppola was 16-for-32 (.500) with 11 ground balls.
Also for Drexel, Liam Rosato (Germantown Academy) won 13 of 24 faceoffs and Luke Stansfield (Penn Charter) added two assists.