Top-Ranked Virginia Rallies to Defeat Drexel, 12-9

Saturday, February 19

Charlottesville, Va.

5:00 p.m.

Drexel University

#1 Virginia

Scott Perri had three goals and two assists at Virginia

Top-Ranked Virginia Rallies to Defeat Drexel, 12-9

2/19/2011 6:54:27 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

Top-ranked Virginia scored three unanswered fourth quarter goals to break a 9-9 tie and defeated Drexel in the season-opener, 12-9. Scott Perri scored three goals and had two assists to lead the Dragons, while Mark Manos made a career-high 19 saves.

Virginia's Shamel Bratton scored what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the fourth quarter and then gave the Cavaliers a two-goal cushion with his third goal of the game with 7:13 to play. Chris Bocklet sealed the game for Virginia with an extra-man goal with just under three minutes to go in the game. It was his fourth goal of the contest. Drexel had a pair of shots in the final minute but each was turned aside by goalkeeper Rob Fortunato.

Virginia got on the board first midway through the first period. Rob Emery scored an unassisted goal at the 6:56 mark for the Cavaliers first goal of the year. Drexel tied the game a few minutes later. Andrew Collins caused a Virginia turnover, picked up the loose ball and fed Scott Perri to even the score at 1-1. Virginia answered just 44 seconds later when Colin Briggs beat Drexel keeper Mark Manos. The Dragons had an opportunity to tie it when Virginia was called for a penalty, but the Cavaliers killed the penalty and took a two-goal lead on a Chris Bocklet goal with only 1:15 to play in the first quarter.

Nick Trizano cut the deficit to 3-2 in the first two minutes of the second quarter. Three minutes later, Bocklet found the net again and soon thereafter, Rhamel Bratton made it a three-goal lead for Virginia at 5-2. At the 7:07 mark, Drexel called timeout. The Dragons responded as Scott Perri set up Brendan Glynn twice within a minute and the teams went to the half with Virginia up by just a goal, 5-4.

Drexel's Robert Church tallied his first goal of the season early in the second half as the Dragons tied the game at 5-5. The teams exchanged the next nine goals, starting with a Bocklet goal early in the third period. The Cavaliers could not pull away from the pesky Dragons, but never relinquished the lead. Kyle Bergman, Perri and Farquhar had the Drexel goals in the third period as the teams went to the final quarter tied at 8-8. The Dragons bid for an upset was alive when Perri scored his third goal of the contest at the 11:01 mark of the last period to tie the game at nine. It came just two and a half minutes after Virginia went ahead on a Matt White goal.

Virginia outshot Drexel, 47-32, but had difficulty beating Drexel's All-America keeper in the cage. Manos had 10 saves in the first half and nine more in the second half. The 19 saves were a career-high. His previous high was 17 against four opponents, including twice against Virginia. The Cavaliers had a 12 saves from Fortunato and won 13 of 24 face-off attempts. Drexel's bid for a repeat of its upset at Virginia to start the 2007 season was thwarted in part by 21 turnovers and an 0-for-4 performance with the extra man. Brendan Glynn and Kyle Bergman each had three points for the Dragons.

Drexel returns to Philadelphia and will face Albany in its first home game of the season on Saturday. The Dragons and Great Danes face-off at 1 p.m. at Vidas Field.