Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/16/22
From Drexel Press Release
The No. 19 and host Drexel women’s lacrosse team defeated Penn State (No0. 25) this afternoon for the first time ever.
Hayleigh Simpson and Karson Harris drove Drexel’s scoring, each with three goals and an assist on the afternoon. The Dragons improve to 2-0 while giving Penn State a season-opening loss.
The Dragons seized an early 4-1 lead. The second quarter saw a constant change in goal success, putting the game at a three-point margin with 30 minutes to follow. The Dragons defense came back from the half hungry, holding the Nittany Lions to a lone goal on nine total shots faced.
Belle McHugh (Academy of Notre Dame) spearheaded Drexel’s defensive effort with two caused turnovers. The strength of the defense allowed the Dragons to execute offensively with two goals from Harris and Allison Drake, giving the Dragons their second-largest lead of the day heading into the final stretch.
Drexel closed out a well-rounded day with three consecutive goals from Colleen Grady (2G, 1A), Simpson, and Lucy Schneidereith (2G). Corinne Bednarik (Downingtown West) had a goal an assist, three draw controls and two groundballs.
For Penn State, Mary Muldoon had three goals, Kristin O’Neill scored twice and Regan Nealon (Garnet Valley) scored once while Kara Nealon (Garnet Valley) had two assists,
HIGHLIGHTS
Zoe Bennett earned her second win of the season while stopping 11 shots.
The Dragons held things down in the circle, taking a 13-9 advantage on the draw.
Drexel’s offense continued to be a dynamic effort as six different players recorded scores.
Harris had another well-rounded performance on both ends of the field, finishing the day with three goals and an assist. The graduate midfielder also picked up two ground balls and snagged six off the draw while forcing two caused turnovers.
The Dragons are averaging 34 shots per game and a .721 shot on goal percentage through two games.
THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH KIM HILLIER
“This win for our team is extra special for this program because they bought in and earned it. They continue to work extremely hard each day which is what allows us to fight through all four quarters against good teams. This Penn State team is well coached and has a ton of excellent players so a win against a team like that feels great. Our defense anchored down, led by our goalie Zoe Bennett who was lights out in net. Hayleigh Simpson had a great game top to bottom as well. The belief I have in the capabilities of this entire team is something that I continue to stress to every player on our roster. Having six different goal scorers helps when we talk about using more depth. Players who may not get the starts are able to step in and get the job done while also supporting the rest of their teammates. There are certainly areas that need work but that’s the exciting part. On to the next challenge.”
