Drexel University
Delaware
Dragons Fall Short at Delaware 2-1
10/7/2009 9:11:41 PM | Men's Soccer
Box Score
Newark, Del. – A flurry of late shots and corner kicks by the Dragons came up just short along with Drexel's hopes of a comeback against CAA rival Delaware. Drexel fell 2-1 to the Blue Hens, dropping their first CAA contest of the season and falling to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in conference. Delaware (5-6, 2-1 CAA) got both of its goals from Darren Christie. Fabio Assumpção scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season for the Dragons.
Drexel outshot Delaware 8-6 in the second period and outcornered the Blue Hens 6-0 in the contest. Senior keeper Alex Reber made one save in goal for the Dragons. Brandon Paul made two stops in net for Delaware.
The teams played even in a scoreless first half. Delaware held only a slight 4-3 advantage in shots, 4-3, despite having a strong prevailing wind in its favor for the first 45 minutes. Drexel earned two corner kicks but failed to capitalize on either. Neither keeper was tested with a shot on goal in the first period of a match that was played largely at midfield.
It would not take the Blue Hens long to pull ahead in the second half, however, as Darren Christie found the net after carrying the ball down the left side of the goal box and putting in a shot from a tough angle on the left. The goal put Delaware on top 1-0 in the 52nd minute.
A yellow card on Delaware's Ben Rodkey in the 56th minute seemed to rouse the Dragons from their slumber as Malcolm LeBourne and Nate Baker would strike a pair of shots at the Hens goal over the next two minutes. The Dragons would also earn a corner kick which Fabio Assumpção would put on the head of Greg Ermold for a scoring attempt.
Delaware pulled ahead in the 74th minute with Christie's second goal of the match. Courtney Hewitt connected with a header off a throw in to find Christie's foot on the right post for a tally that would put his team up 2-0.
But just seconds later Drexel would turn the table on the Blue Hens by drawing a second yellow card on Darren O'Connor, resulting in an ejection. The set piece that ensued from the foul allowed Fabio Assumpçao a chance to display his skill for finding the net on free kicks. The Dragons' leading scorer did not disappoint, sinning a shot into the net to make it a 2-1 Delaware lead with just over 15 minutes to play.
The Dragons' last effort at an equalizer came in the 88th minute when blocked shot by Assumpção earned a corner kick for Drexel. But the kick from Skylar Olson did not connect with a goal scorer. Joe Sales blasted a shot high of the goal and Drexel got another corner kick in the 90th minute, but again the Dragons failed to convert with a game-tying goal as time expired.
Assumpção's goal was his sixth of the season, which is the highest goal total in a season for the senior midfielder. It is also the most goals scored by a Dragon since Anthony Bafile put in six in 2007 during the Dragons' run to the regular-season CAA Championship.
Drexel travels to play at Georgia State this Saturday at 1:00 in Atlanta, Ga.
Delaware 0 2 - 2
Drexel 0 1 - 1
Scoring Summary
51:22 Darren Christie (Del) unassisted
73:06 Darren Christie (Del) Courtney Hewitt
73:35 Fabio Assumpcao (Drexel) unassisted
Shots: DU 11, UDel 11
Corners: DU 6, UDel 0
Saves: Paul (Del) 2, Reber (Drexel) 1
Fouls: Delaware 16, Drexel 13
Cards: Nathan Page (Drexel), yellow); Brandon Paul (Del), yellow; Jon Scheer (Del), yellow; Darren O'Connor (Del), red
