Late Hofstra Rally Downs Women's Lacrosse, 9-8

Saturday, April 25

Hempstead, N.Y.

1:00 p.m.

Drexel University

4-12 (1-5CAA)

Hofstra

11-5 (6-0CAA)

Drexel

Hofstra

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Late Hofstra Rally Downs Women's Lacrosse, 9-8

4/25/2015 3:40:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Drexel women's lacrosse team missed out on a chance to punctuate its 2015 season as the Dragons saw a late lead disappear in a 9-8 loss at Hofstra on Saturday afternoon. The Dragons led nearly the entire game and held an 8-5 lead with just over two minutes to play before the Pride began a late rally to finish a perfect regular season in CAA play.

The Dragons (4-12, 1-5) concluded their season with the loss. Nadia Pelham-Lacey put together her second-straight hat trick and third such outing in four games. She added an assist for a team-best four points as she finished her redshirt freshman campaign on a strong individual note. Lacey Aghazarian added two goals and an assist to finish with team leads of 21 goals and 23 total points. Teresha Bradley had nine saves in her final collegiate appearance in net. Alissa Watts was one of three Dragons to score a single goal as she, too, played her final game in the blue and gold.

Drexel led 8-5 with just under three minutes to play before a turnover gave Hofstra late life. The Pride cleared the ball up the field and earned a free position attempt, which Lindsey Alfano converted to make it a two-goal game with 2:17 remaining. Playing with an empty net, the Pride's Brittain Altomare won the first of three critical draw controls. Sam Lenox's goal pulled Hofstra back within one at 8-7 with 1:53 to play. Altomare herself scored at the 1:13 mark to even the score, and Alfano netted the game-winner with just 32 ticks remaining. Drexel was never able to regain possession after the Hofstra rally began.

Altomare had four goals and eight total draws to lead Hofstra. Drexel had held an 8-7 edge in draws before the final stretch, but Hofstra finished with an 11-8 advantage in that category.

Drexel gave up the game's first goal to Altomare just 2:37 into the action, but responded swiftly and strongly. Less than a minute later, Devin Nihill finished a feed from Pelham-Lacey, knotting things at one apiece. That started a 4-0 Drexel run, which included goals from Pelham-Lacey, Aghazarian and Emily Duffey as the Dragons took a 4-1 lead halfway through the opening period.

After Hofstra got a goal to end the Dragons' run, Drexel responded when Watts scored her 54th career goal off an assist from Aghazarian to make it 5-2 with 5:19 remaining before halftime. Hofstra would score twice more before the end of the half, but Drexel went into the break up a goal on the first-place Price, 5-4.

The Pride briefly evened the score early in the first half, but Drexel took the lead right back when Pelham-Lacey scored at the 21:16 mark. This time, the goal sparked a 3-0 Dragons burst. Hofstra was held without a goal for more than 22 minutes as Drexel took its 8-5 lead thanks to a pair of Pelham-Lacey scores sandwiched around an Aghazarian goal. The defensive effort and ball control was excellent for the Dragons for 57 minutes of play, but Drexel did not quite have enough left in the tank to finish off the upset as the Hofstra comeback began.