Drexel Powers Past Hofstra 5-1 to Earn Berth in CAA Championship Final

Saturday, November 7

Buckley Field

12:00

Drexel University

Hofstra

Susan Ciufo and Christina Mastropaolo each scored a pair of goals to send Drexel to the CAA Championship Final

Drexel Powers Past Hofstra 5-1 to Earn Berth in CAA Championship Final

11/7/2009 12:49:22 PM | Field Hockey

Philadelphia - Drexel used three first-half goals to cruise to a 5-1 victory over Hofstra in the opening game of the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Championships. The top-seeded Dragons got two early goals from Susan Ciufo and two more from Christina Mastropaolo to set up the program's first-ever berth in a CAA Championship Final. The win moved Drexel's school-record mark to 18-2 on the season.

Drexel opened the scoring with a counterattack score from Ciufo. The junior received a pass at midfield and redirected the ball to Jen Cairone who sprinted ahead down the right side of the field. As Cairone carried the ball into the right side of the circle she sent a pass back to Ciufo in the middle who used perfect placement in her shot as the ball found the right side of the back of the cage. The Dragons' second goal came off a penalty corner as Jennifer Bolger fired a shot that was controlled by Ciufo. The junior then slipped the ball past Amanda Heyde and into the cage. Drexel's third goal also came off of a penalty corner as a Bolger shot was saved by Heyde but the rebound popped out to Sofia Sanguinetti. The sophomore sent the ball to her left where Mastropaolo one-timed the ball high into the netting.

The second half saw more of the same from Drexel. Mastropaolo recorded a remarkable goal as she made a diving effort to deflect a Carolina Gibernau pass from 30 yards down the middle of the field. Mastropaolo got the end of her stick on the ball to send it high into the goal. For Drexel's fifth goal, Gibernau wowed the Buckley Field crowd as she deftly dribbled through three defenders at the top of the circle and created enough space to rip a reverse shot past a stunned Heyde. Hofstra scored its lone goal on a penalty corner with less than a minute remaining to cap the scoring.

Drexel will face the winner of the No. 2 Delaware vs. No. 3 James Madison semifinal. The CAA Championship Final will be held at Buckley Field on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.