Late Defensive Effort Saves 8-7 Victory for Women's Lacrosse Over Villanova

Saturday, March 11

Vidas Field

1 p.m.

Drexel University

4-2

Villanova

1-5

Villanova

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Late Defensive Effort Saves 8-7 Victory for Women's Lacrosse Over Villanova

3/11/2017 3:32:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Carlee Ries was called upon to make just four saves on a cold Saturday afternoon at Vidas Field, but she was ready when called upon as her last-second save of a Villanova free position shot preserved an 8-7 win for the Drexel women's lacrosse team. The Dragons had to stop two free position attempts by the Wildcats in the final 10 seconds, with the first shut down by a swarming defense that jarred the ball loose but fouled Villanova's Grainger Rosati in the process. Rosati's ensuing shot attempted to beat Ries above her right shoulder, but the senior goalkeeper was up to the challenge and deflected the ball away as the final seconds ticked off.

Drexel (4-2) avoided a second consecutive overtime game after a 9-8 defeat at the hands of Rutgers in overtime at home last Saturday. The Dragons got three goals and four points from Devin Nihill – her third hat trick of the young season – to lead the way as they built a 7-3 lead and held on at the end. Lisa Rogers and Lauren Gerrie also notched a pair of goals each, while Nadia Pelham-Lacey chipped in a goal and an assist for her sixth straight multi-point game to start the season.

The Dragons' defense did its part again on Saturday, creating 12 of Villanova's 25 turnovers on the afternoon. Eva Winiarski and Lindsay Shettle each caused three turnovers, with Winiarski adding three draws and a ground ball to her line. Nihill also won three draws for Drexel, while Maggie Stetson led all players with four. The Dragons held Villanova to just two goals over nearly 40 minutes of game action as they build their lead.

After the Wildcats opened the scoring, Drexel got on the board with 24:52 to play in the first half when Lauren Gerrie finished a dish from Caroline Thiele, her fifth goal of the season to knot things up at one. Villanova once again took a brief lead at the 17:59 mark, but the Dragons would rip off three straight goals to take a lead they ultimately would not relinquish.

Gerrie netted her second of the afternoon to start that run, taking a feed from Devin Nihill to tie the game up with 16:19 to play in the first. Just over 40 seconds later, Lisa Rogers put the Dragons in front with her eighth goal of the year, and Nihill's 12th goal came less than two minutes later on a free position attempt to make it a 4-2 Drexel lead.

The Wildcats scored with 12:48 to play in the first half, a goal that pulled them back within one but would prove to be their last over a span of 26:06. Nihill had the Dragons' answer with another eight-meter score that wound up sending the teams to the break with Drexel leading 5-3.

Rogers opened the scoring in the second half when her second of the afternoon, a man-up goal scored after Villanova's Dana Bouwman was carded moments earlier. Nadia Pelham-Lacey gave Drexel its largest lead of the afternoon, 7-3, with her first point of the game at the 20:37 mark, her team-leading 17th goal of the year.

What looked like a comfortable Drexel lead quickly proved to be anything but, as the Wildcats snapped out of their scoring funk to net three in a row over the next eight minutes. Jillian Swikart scored the first of her two goals in the game to cap that 3-0 run and pull Villanova within a goal at 7-6 with 12:36 remaining. Villanova won the ensuing draw, but Thiele and Dominique Nyzio each caused turnovers by the Wildcats in the back-and-forth, keeping them off the board until Nihill could break free for her 14th of the year to provide a little breathing room and the goal that would ultimately be the game-winner, assisted by Pelham-Lacey.

Swikart made it a one-goal game again with 6:52 to play, and though the Wildcats held possession for much of the final minutes, the Dragons defense stood tall. Nyzio and Shettle each had caused turnovers during the final sequence, and after the Wildcats forced Drexel into a shot-clock violation with just over a minute to play, the Dragons made them work for an opening until they finally got the ball inside and drew a foul with eight seconds remaining. The first stop, which saw Drexel dash in front of the Wildcats' shooter and knock the ball loose before she could get off a shot, paved the way for Ries' heroics at the buzzer as the Dragons escaped with the win.

Drexel will hit the road for a final time during the non-conference schedule when the Dragons visit Albany next Sunday, Mar. 19. That game is set to get underway at noon. The Dragons will then return home for four straight at Vidas Field beginning the following Sunday when head coach Hannah Rudloff and the Dragons welcome her sister – and former Dragon – Jessica Rudloff to town as part of the coaching staff at High Point University.