Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
William & Mary
Offense Spurs No. 17 Drexel to 4-2 Victory Over William & Mary
10/10/2008 9:09:25 PM | Field Hockey
Philadelphia – Drexel's offense flexed its muscles against William & Mary with four goals as the 17th-ranked Dragons doubled up the Tribe, 4-2, in a Colonial Athletic Association game played at Buckley Field. Sophomore Kim Tunell (Wilmington, Del./Concord) tallied two goals, including the game-winner, to lead the Dragons. Christina Mastropaolo (Harleysville, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy) and Jen Cairone (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) also contributed scores in the victory. The win moved Drexel to 10-3 (3-1 CAA) on the season while William & Mary dropped to 3-9 (2-2 CAA). The Dragons won their 10th game earlier in the season than any other Drexel field hockey team in history and are eyeing the school mark of 13 wins in a season set in 2000.
The Dragons got on the board first as Susan Ciufo (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) led a Drexel transition opportunity. As the sophomore moved in toward the goal, William & Mary goalie Carrie Thompson charged. Ciufo sent the ball from the right side of the arc to the left post where Tunell came racing in from behind the play. Tunell was able to reach the ball just in time to deflect it into the vacated cage. Ciufo's assist extended her streak of 13 games with at least one point. The Tribe answered six minutes later when Wesley Drew fired a ball from well outside the arc on the right side of the field. The ball found its way toward the left post where Jenna Cinalli made a diving effort and deflected enough of the ball to redirect it into the goal.
Drexel looked to tie the score minutes later as Ciufo sent a pass to a breaking Mastropaolo on another transition break. Thompson charged Mastropaolo immediately after the forward received the ball but Mastropaolo was able to chip the ball around the goalie and toward the cage. With the ball heading into the cage, Tribe defender Courtney Farino raced in and deflected the ball just left of the goal in recording a defensive save. The Dragons finally regained the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the half when Mastropaolo corralled a rebound off of a Tunell blast on a penalty corner and deposited the ball into the left side of the cage.
After halftime, William & Mary tied the game on an Erica Eng penalty stroke that just eluded Drexel goalie Colleen McAndrew (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) on her left side. The Dragons quickly squashed the Tribe's momentum following the goal as Drexel used its timeout then scored 62 seconds later as Tunell converted a penalty corner off of a Carolina Gibernau (Montevideo, Uruguay/Universidad de la Republica) pass. The Dragons iced the game with Cairone's seventh goal of the season. Senior co-captain Amanda Kicera (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) was credited with an assist on the play.
The Dragons outshot the Tribe, 24-7, and earned 13 penalty corners to William & Mary's three. Thompson made 12 saves while McAndrew stopped two shots.
The Dragons will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 12 when they host conference unbeaten Old Dominion at 1:00 p.m.
