Men's Soccer Tripped Up at Penn, 3-2

Wednesday, October 2

Philadelphia, Pa. (Rhodes Field)

7:30

Drexel University

5-3-2

Penn

3-6-0

Drexel

Penn

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

10/2/2013 9:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel men's soccer team's five-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday night as they fell at neighboring Penn, 3-2. The loss prevented the Dragons from clinching at least a share of the Philadelphia Soccer Six championship.

Drexel outshot the Quakers by more than double, 20-9, but had trouble solving Penn's goalkeeper, Max Polkinhorne, who was making his first collegiate start. Robert Liberatore finished with two assists to match his career high with two points, while Ken Tribbett and Jared Girard added goals for the Dragons. For Girard, it was his first score as a Dragon.

Duke Lacroix put the Quakers on top in the 19th minute scoring on a breakaway after a well-timed pass by Alex Neumann. Lacroix beat the Dragons' defense to the ball, getting behind them and sprinting into the box. He drew Tyler Afflerbach out of the net, deking him to the ground and poking it inside the near post.

Following the goal, Drexel began to turn up the offensive pressure. Without a shot before Lacroix put the Quakers on top, the Dragons went on to outshoot Penn 11-4 for the first half. Only three made their way on goal, however, as the Quaker defense kept Drexel from getting many clean looks at goalkeeper Max Polkinhorne. Polkinhorne was one of five Quakers making their first collegiate starts on Wednesday night.

In the second half, Drexel continued to put pressure on Polkinhorne, but Penn began to respond with offense of its own. In the 67 th minute, Lacroix nearly had a replay of his first-half goal as he got behind the defense and attacked Afflerbach from the keeper's left. This time, though, the freshman held steady and forced Lacroix to the corner, unable to get off a shot.

It appeared that might be a turning point, with Penn unable to take advantage of a major opportunity. However, moments later as Drexel was attempting to clear the ball, it was intercepted by Matt Poplawski, who quickly fed Sam Hayward. Hayward ripped a shot from Afflerbach's right that got past the keeper and inside the far post to give the Quakers a two-goal lead.

In the 76th minute, Drexel got on the board. Robert Liberatore fed a ball in from the left side across to the other side of the box. From 15 minutes out, Ken Tribbett lunged in and got a head on the ball, sending a low knuckler past Polkinhorne's outstretched arms, beating him to the keeper's right.

The goal cut Penn's lead in half, but that was short lived as Penn scored just one minute later, Hayward's second. He drove in and worked his way around several Drexel defenders to beat Afflerbach one-on-one.

Drexel got a late goal from Jared Girard, his first of the season and the first of his Drexel career. He got a toe on the ball in a scrum in front of the goal, poking it in to make it 3-2. Liberatore had fed him on a short pass for his second assist of the night.

With the loss to the Quakers, Drexel now joins Penn, Villanova and Temple as Soccer Six teams with 1-1-0 records. Should La Salle defeat Saint Joseph's in their meeting on October 18 at La Salle, all six teams would finish the season with a 1-1-0 mark. With a Hawks win or tie, Saint Joseph's would win the league crown outright.

The Dragons will play another intra-city contest on Saturday, hosting Temple at Vidas Field at 4:00 p.m. This game will not be officially considered at Philadelphia Soccer Six match. The game will be the final non-conference home game of the season for Drexel, which has won its last four home matches including three out of conference.