Sacred Heart Edges Men's Soccer, 2-1

Friday, September 6

Vidas Field

3:30

Drexel University

0-2-1

Sacred Heart

2-2-0

Sacred Heart

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

9/6/2013 6:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Skylar Olson notched his first-career goal and the Drexel men's soccer team outshot Sacred Heart 21-4 on Friday afternoon at Vidas Field, but that was not enough as the Dragons fell to the visiting Pioneers, 2-1. Sacred Heart scored on its first two shots of the game, one in the first half and one early in the second, while playing a bunched-in defense that prevented the Dragons from generating many strong offensive looks.

Drexel (0-2-1) dropped its second home game of the season. The game was part of the University City Classic, hosted in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania. The Dragons will play six of their first eight games at Vidas Field.

Ken Tribbett led the Dragons with eight shots, two of which went on goal. Despite the overwhelming edge in shots taken, the Dragons were able to get just four shots in on Sacred Heart goalkeeper Dylan Strachan, who was making his first appearance of 2013. Several looks went wide, while Sacred Heart's defense was able to stop many Drexel balls from getting through to the keeper. The Pioneers also had one team save on a dribbler near the goal line in the first half.

Aaron Burrell got Sacred Heart on the board early, scoring in the game's sixth minute. Mahmoud Kafel found some space in the Dragon defense, breaking towards the goal and driving in close to Drexel goalkeeper Pentti Pussinen. As he entered the box, Kafel dished the ball off to Burrell on Pussinen's left. Burrell was able to redirect the ball inside the right post to finish the score.

After scoring, Sacred Heart packed its defense in tight, content to frustrate the Drexel offense. The Dragons were able to get six shots off in the first half, five of which came off the foot or head of Tribbett.

Eight minutes into the second half, after displaying the same defensive mentality in the half's first minutes, the Pioneers struck again. This time, Jamal Vinson was able to break into space up along the right side. He got behind the Drexel defenders and cut to the middle of the field, where he fired a left curl that found the upper quadrant of the net to give Sacred Heart a two-goal lead.

Drexel responded in the 64th minute when Skylar Olson drove a long ball past Strachan. The Dragons had played it into the box, but Sacred Heart once again was able to disrupt the offense and poke the ball out. This time, though, Olson was waiting 40 yards upfield, where he charged and laced a rope by a diving Strachan to put Drexel on the board.

The Dragons continued to push the tempo the remainder of the way, but could not find the equalizer.

Drexel will continue the University City Classic on Sunday when it hosts Stony Brook at 3:00 p.m. at Vidas Field