Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Delaware
Dragons Clinch a Share of Regular-Season CAA Championship
11/8/2007 5:54:39 PM | Men's Soccer
Philadelphia, Pa. – Drexel wrapped up at least a tie for its first CAA regular-season championship ever with a 3-0 victory over Delaware. Anthony Bafile and Pat McCaffery gave the Dragons a 2-0 lead in the first half and Todd Wampler put the match away with the third goal in the 76th minute. Drexel finishes the regular season with an 11-4-3 record and an 8-2-1 mark in conference play.
After battling to a hard-earned draw with CAA co-leader Old Dominion, on Sunday, Drexel came out playing like there were still Monarchs on the field. The Dragons commanded their offensive zone early with physical play and caught Delaware flat, scoring in the second minute of action on Thursday's season finale.
Chris Schieve knocked a bouncing ball into the box which keeper Taylor Thames came out to challenge the serve half-heartedly as a defender also had notions of breaking up the pass. But Bafile beat both Blue Hens to the ball and blasted it into the right side of the goal to give Drexel a 1-0 lead at the 1:11 mark.
The Dragons' second tally came off a corner kick served up by Bafile in the 19th minute. Delaware cleared it out of the six-yard box, but Pat McCaffery settled it at the 18 and threaded his shot through a crowd into the middle of the net for a 2-0 Drexel lead.
Drexel went on to pepper Thames with 12 shots in the opening period, forcing him to make six saves in the first period.
Todd Wampler came off the bench and gave the Dragons and insurance goal with 14 minutes left in the match. Wampler took a cross from Fabio Assumpção on the left side of the goal box 12 yards from the goal. Wampler fired the ball back to the right side past charging keeper Taylor Thames to make it 3-0.
Cory Robertson made three stops in goal to pick up his eighth shutout of the season and lower his CAA-leading goals-against average to 0.43. Thames finished the contest with nine saves for the Blue Hens, who were outshot 22-10 overall.
Drexel's victory capped an astounding regular season in which the Dragons amassed the most overall victories since 1998 and the most conference victories in the program's proud history. The Dragons' last regular season championship was in 1996 when the team went 6-1-2 in conference play to finish first in the North Atlantic Conference. The Dragons' performance took the CAA by storm this season after the team was picked to finish second-to-last in the preseason coaches poll.
With the win, the Dragons earned themselves a bye into the semifinals of the CAA Tournament in Virginia Beach, Va. where they will play the winner of an opening-round match-up on Friday, Nov. 16.
Goal Summary
1:11 Drexel Bafile (Schieve)
17:39 Drexel McCaffery (Bafile)
75:27 Drexel Wampler (F. Assumpcao)
Shots: Drexel 22, Delaware 10
Corners: Drexel 5, Delaware 3
Saves: Drexel- Robertson (3), Delaware - Thames (9)
