Offensive Surge Powers Field Hockey Past Bryant Sunday Afternoon, 4-0

Sunday, October 1

Buckley Field

noon

Drexel University

(5-7 (0-1CAA))

Bryant

(3-10 (1-0MAAC))

BRYANT

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Offensive Surge Powers Field Hockey Past Bryant Sunday Afternoon, 4-0

10/1/2017 1:43:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The Drexel field hockey team got a complete team effort Sunday afternoon and the offense surged for four goals as the Dragons downed Bryant at Buckley Field, 4-0. Drexel improved to 5-7 (0-1 CAA) on the year, while Bryant fell to 3-10 (1-0 MAAC).

The Dragons' offensive attack was relentless all afternoon en route to the shutout win. Freshmen Chandler McFeeley, Reilly Finegan and Katie Ronan each scored their first career goals. Junior back Katie Bagdon notched her first tally of the season on a penalty stroke in the second half. The shutout was Erin Gilchrist's first of the season.

After Bryant got an early shot on Gilchrist at the start of the game, the Dragons took control of the possession and rarely ceded their pressure on the Bulldogs. Despite the Dragons' pace, Bryant looked up to the task defensively through most of the first half. Drexel broke through in the 33rd minute on a penalty corner when McFeeley popped back into the play after entering the ball and redirected Horan's blast from outside of the circle. McFeeley's first career goal gave the Dragons a 1-0 lead heading into the half.

Drexel played a strong second half to seize full control of the contest. In the opening minute of the half, Finegan had a penalty stroke opportunity, but sent it wide. The Dragons kept pushing, though, and after a scrum in front in the 51st minute, Bagdon had a penalty stroke chance of her own, which she sent to the back of the cage to give Drexel a two-goal lead. Drexel continued to own the tempo, and less than eight minutes later found itself with another one of its 12 penalty corner chances. Tess Bernheimer's blast from the top of the circle caught a defender's stick and deflected up over the players' heads, but when the ball came back down, Finegan found herself in perfect position on the right side of the cage to bat the ball out of the air and past Bryant keeper Lyndsay Swantson for her first career goal and redemption. The Dragons held a 3-0 lead the rest of the way until a penalty corner with the clock at 0:00. Ronan found herself in position to gain possession of Delaney Baxendale's blocked shot and hammered the ball home for her first collegiate goal to make it a 4-0 final score.

The Dragons' offense came alive for 24 shots, including 15 on goal. Bryant managed two shots overall, both of which went on goal off the stick of Ally Burdick. Gilchrist needed two saves to preserve the shutout, while Swantson stopped 11 of the 15 balls that came her way. Drexel had a dozen penalty corners, and shut Bryant out in that category.

The Dragons will return to action with a tough slate next weekend at No. 17 James Madison on Friday night then at No. 3 Virginia on Sunday afternoon.