Drexel University
Hofstra
Field Hockey Comes From Behind to Beat Hofstra in CAA Quarterfinals, 4-3
11/1/2007 10:21:03 PM | Field Hockey
The Drexel field hockey team rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Hofstra, 4-3, in the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship in Virginia Beach, Va. Amanda Kicera scored a pair of goals while sophomore Carolina Gibernau netted the game-winner in Drexel's first-ever appearance in the CAA Championship. The Dragons improved to 12-8 on the season and will advance to the semifinals where they will take on second-seeded James Madison on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Hofstra tallied the first two goals of the game and seemed poised to take command of the game. Charlia Warner dribbled the ball from the top of the arc to the right side where she fired a hard shot to the far post that found the back of the cage. Three minutes later, Hofstra's Nancy Wagenbrenner picked up a rebound and deposit into the cage to extend the Pride's lead. Drexel Head Coach Denise Zelenak called a timeout as the Dragons looked to cut into the Pride's lead. Minutes later, a Sarah Gostomski shot off a corner drifted just left of the cage. The Dragons' next scoring opportunity brought Drexel to within a goal when senior back Casey Mouser fired a ball into the front of the cage from near midfield where Kim Tunell slightly deflected the ball into the cage. Drexel went on to completely erase the deficit on another Gostomski corner. Again Gostomski fired a shot toward the cage but this time Kicera deflected the ball into the cage. Just before halftime, Hostra regained the lead as Wagenbrenner took a shot on a penalty corner that deflected off of a Drexel stick and into the cage.
After halftime the Dragons sought to once again erase a Hofstra lead as Kicera again deflected a Mouser ball that was sent in from outside the arc on a restart. The ball found its way to the back of the cage to knot the game at 3-3. The Drexel defense stiffened the rest of the way as Drexel defenders Whitney Enck, Jennifer Bolger and Mouser stifled the potent Hofstra attack. Finally the Dragons took their only lead of the game as Gibernau collected an Emily Horvat pass on a penalty corner and dribbled left then fired a shot that found its way to the far side of the inside of the cage. Hofstra could not answer as the Pride were held scoreless in the second half while the Dragons advance to a semifinal showdown with James Madison. The Dragons lost a tight 1-0 decision to the Dukes at Buckley Field earlier in the season.
