Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Northeastern
Dragons' Offense Scores Five in First Half in Shutout Victory over Northeastern
10/24/2008 3:30:39 PM | Field Hockey
Boston, Mass. - The Drexel Field Hockey team reeled off five straight goals in the first half to defeat Northeastern, 5-0, in a Colonial Athletic Association game played at the Huskies' Sweeney Field. The win moved 16th-ranked Drexel to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in the CAA. The 13 wins ties the school record for victories in a season set in 2000 while the five conference wins also tie the school mark set in 2000 and 2007. Drexel midfielder Carolina Gibernau registered an assist in the first goal of the game to give her 10 on the season to break the Dragons' single-season mark of nine set by Amy Stipandic in 1991.
Christina Mastropaolo continued her stellar play in conference play as she got the Dragons started early. Just 2:38 into the game, the sophomore scored on a Gibernau's record-breaking assist. Less than nine minutes later, Mastropaolo deflected an Amanda Kicera shot into the air and into the back of the cage for her eighth goal in conference play this season, the most of any player in the league.
Freshman Elizabeth Koch came off the bench to record a goal on a deflectioin of a Kim Tunell shot with less than 16 minutes remaining in the half. The assist was Tunell's ninth of the season. Less than three minutes later, Kicera rifled a reverse shot that found the back of the cage for her seventh goal of the season.
Just before the end of the half, Susan Ciufo scored with an assist from Koch as the sophomore extended her point-scoring streak to 16 games, longest in the nation. No player in the conference currently has more goals than Ciufo who has 15. She also became just the fourth player in Drexel history to score 20 career goals.
Ciufo nearly added to her total in the second half as she took a penalty stroke that just glanced off the inside of the left post but stayed out of the cage. The Dragons cruised through the second half as the defense secured the shutout as Colleen McAndrew made six saves in the game. The shutout was the Dragons' second consecutive in CAA action as Drexel has not allowed a goal in conference play in its last 164:47 of action. For the game, Drexel outshot the Huskies, 12-11, and held a 7-3 advantage in penalty corners.
Drexel returns to action on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7:00 p.m. as the Dragons host Lehigh in their final non-conference game of the regular season.
