Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Bucknell
Bill and Kelly Lead Dragons Past Bucknell, 17-6
4/3/2007 8:19:50 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Philadelphia – Jessica Bill (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville) scored four goals for the second straight game while Kerry Kelly (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) also netted four as Drexel women's lacrosse defeated Bucknell, 17-6 at Vidas Field. Freshman Mariana Uribe (Villanova, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame) recorded her first career hat trick as the Dragons rebounded after having their six-game winning streak snapped last Sunday at Hofstra. The win boosted Drexel's record to 7-2 while Bucknell slipped to 4-6.
The Bison opened the game strong as they netted the first goal less than two minutes in and threatened to extend their lead. Down 1-0, goalie Lauren LaBella (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) turned away two free-position shots until the Dragons' offense got going. Bill tied the score minutes later, then Gwenna Johnson (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) took a Kelly pass to give Drexel the lead. Bucknell responded less than 30 seconds later as Bonnie Buechel scored the first of her team-high three goals. Bill scored again, this time on a quick one-on-one move, before the Bison knotted the game, 3-3, with 14:32 remaining in the first half. The Dragons offense responded by scoring the final three goals of the half, including two from Kelly, as Drexel headed to halftime with a 6-3 advantage.
Kelly needed little time after the break to put the Dragons back on the board as she raced in off the draw to score just 14 seconds into the second half. The Drexel defense also responded as Bucknell was held off the scoreboard for a stretch of over 25 minutes spanning the two halves while the offense increased the Dragons' lead. The Bison were finally able to solve LaBella and the Drexel defense in the second half but not until 17:53 remained and the Dragons were staked to a 12-3 lead. Drexel would hang on for the 17-6 victory.
Katie Bradley (Spring City, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) notched a season-high three assists in the game while Kimberly Kabernagel (Levittown, Pa./Conwell Egan) added three caused turnovers and a pair of groundballs. LaBella, the national leader in goals against average and save percentage, stopped nine shots and allowed just four goals in over 47 minutes of action. Bucknell's Katie Hartsock made nine saves for the Bison.
The Dragons will take their 7-2 mark to Virginia this week as they play a pair of road games against Colonial Athletic Association foes. Drexel will face Old Dominion on Friday, April 6 at 3 p.m. then challenge William & Mary on Sunday, April 8 at noon.
Scoring Summary
D 6-11-17
B 3-3-6
Individual Scoring
Drexel: Kerry Kelly 4-1, Jessica Bill 4-0, Mariana Uribe 3-0, Emily Hoesch 2-1, Gwenna Johnson 2-1, Kaitlin Keegan 1-2, Katie Bradley 0-3, Nicole Iacono 1-1, Sarah Carter 0-1. Saves: Lauren LaBella 9, Rachael Behrndt 1.
Bucknell: Bonnie Buechel 3-0, Chelsea Peters 1-0, Alison Heffernan 1-0, Paige Kasschau 1-0, Sarah Collins 0-1, Lauren Dietrich 0-1. Saves: Katie Hartsock 9.
Shots: D 43, B 19
Groundballs: D 19, B 13
Draw Controls: D 14, B 11
Free-position shots: D 3-7, B 3-8
