Women's Lacrosse Can't Back Strong Defensive Effort in 5-2 Loss at Monmouth

Wednesday, February 18

West Long Branch, N.J.

3:30 p.m.

Drexel University

0-1

Monmouth

2-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Drexel	1	1	2
Monmouth	3	2	5

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Lacrosse Can't Back Strong Defensive Effort in 5-2 Loss at Monmouth

2/18/2015 5:23:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Drexel women's lacrosse team played strong defense in its season opener on Wednesday, but could not get the offense going in a 5-2 loss at Monmouth. The loss was the first in eight years for the Dragons in a season opener.

The five goals allowed were the fewest by a Drexel defensive unit since February 23, 2014, a 9-5 victory over Saint Joseph's at Vidas Field. Teresha Bradley had four saves in Wednesday's loss. The seven combined goals in the game mark the fewest in a Drexel contest since the team joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2002.

The Dragons outshot Monmouth 19-11, and held the shooting advantage for much of the afternoon in the tightly-contested game. Lacey Aghazarian, who scored one of the two Drexel goals, led the team with four shots. Milan White scored the other. White was in a group along with Devin Nihill and Jeanne Angeles that had three shots on the afternoon. Drexel also won six of the nine draw controls in the game, but turned the ball over 20 times.

Jocelyn Quaile, Kelly McDevitt and Joelle Hartke each caused two turnovers to help aid the Dragons' defensive effort. In all, Monmouth turned the ball over 16 times itself.

Monmouth got on the board first, scoring an unassisted goal with just over 26 minutes remaining in the first half. The Dragons nearly had an answer a few minutes later, but Devin Nihill, a sophomore making her first collegiate start, saw her shot clang off the post, just missing an equalizing goal.

With 12:29 remaining in the half, the Dragons got that tying score. It came from draw control specialist Milan White, a junior who scored four goals last season. White drove in unassisted and rifled the score past Monmouth's Katie Donohoe to make it a 1-1 game.

Monmouth got two goals in the span of 1:47 late in the first half to take a 3-1 lead into the break. The Hawks also scored first in the second half before Drexel got a response from sophomore Lacey Aghazarian. After the Hawks committed a foul on an attempted clear, the Dragons took possession and worked the ball to Aghazarian. She created space and whipped in the score, pulling Drexel back within two with 18:39 remaining.

That would be as close as the Dragons would get, as the Hawks got another goal with 11:09 remaining to close out the scoring. The Dragons got two more shots off, but could not get one past Donohoe the rest of the way.

Drexel will return to action on Saturday when it opens its home schedule. The Dragons will take on Columbia at Vidas Field at noon.