Men's Soccer Comes Back for 2-1 Win at Lehigh

Thursday, September 12

Bethlehem, Pa.

6:00

Drexel University

2-2-1

Lehigh

0-3-1

Drexel

Lehigh

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Soccer Comes Back for 2-1 Win at Lehigh

9/12/2013 10:06:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Drexel men's soccer team scored two goals in just over three minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit in the second half and earn its first road victory of the 2013 season at Lehigh, 2-1. Mark Donohue evened the score in the 78th minute, and Nathan Page followed in the 81st minute to put Drexel on top.

The win marked the 100th career victory for head coach Doug Hess, who is in his fourth season at the helm of the Dragons (2-2-1). Hess has won 26 games at Drexel and guided the team to the 2012 NCAA Tournament after building the men's soccer program at Campbell.

Freshman goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach opened his collegiate career with a clean sheet for 158:48 before Lehigh's Danny Gonzalez got to him in the 69th minute on Thursday night. Following a Mountain Hawks set piece, Gonzalez was able to get a head on a ball and beat Afflerbach to the far right side of the goal. In addition to being the first goal scored off Afflerbach, who had five saves on Thursday, Gonzalez's score was the first of the season for Lehigh (0-3-1) through four games.

The Dragons had been able to control possession and tempo for most of the second half leading up to the Gonzalez goal, and turned up the pressure after falling behind. Donohue had a good look at the goal in the 76th minute, but fired just wide. Two minutes later, the senior forward found himself with another chance. This time, he converted, ripping a shot from the left wing past a diving Kevin Motylewski to the far post and in. It was his first goal of the season and the fifth of his career.

Three minutes later, the Dragons were on the attack again. This time, Connor Goldsmith fed a cutting Nathan Page in the middle of the box. Page, who notched his first goal of the season in the Dragons' 2-0 win over Stony Brook on Sunday, picked up his second when he beat Motylewski to the goalkeeper's left. It was Page's 20th career goal and sixth career game-winner, while Goldsmith, who was making his first appearance of the year, contributed his first-career point.

In the game's 87th minute, Afflerbach was called upon to make one final save as he stopped a shot off the foot of Matt Shreiner to preserve the Drexel lead. That would be the last serious threat mounted by Lehigh, which remains winless on the season.

Drexel will now return home to Vidas Field for its next three games to close out the month of September. The Dragons will host La Salle on September 17 at 7:00 p.m.