Women's Lacrosse Holds On for CAA Opening Win Over Hofstra, 12-11

Friday, April 7

Vidas Field

6 p.m.

Drexel University

6-5, 1-0CAA

Hofstra

6-4, 0-1CAA

Hofstra

Drexel

Photo by: Ryan Samson

Women's Lacrosse Holds On for CAA Opening Win Over Hofstra, 12-11

4/7/2017 8:19:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - In a critical matchup to open Colonial Athletic Association play, the Drexel women's lacrosse team held on for a much-needed victory on Friday night at Vidas Field, defeating Hofstra 12-11. The Dragons scored the game's first eight goals and held Hofstra scoreless for nearly the entire first half, but the Pride stormed back after intermission and nearly pulled off the comeback before Drexel's defense buckled down to hold them scoreless over the final 5:16 of the game.

Nadia Pelham-Lacey scored a career-high five goals, including the game-winner with 7:11 remaining. She added an assist for six points in the win, improving the Dragons to 6-5 on the year and 1-0 in CAA play. Lauren Gerrie and Alex Beilman each netted a hat trick for Drexel while Caroline Thiele dished out three assists. Devin Nihill also scored once for the Dragons and won a team-best three draws, adding a caused turnover. Carlee Ries made six saves in goal, while Eva Winiarski and Dominique Nyzio led the defensive effort in front of her with a pair of caused turnovers each. Winiarski and Thiele each had a team-best four ground balls, while Nyzio had two.

Things were going just how the Dragons drew them up for almost the entirety of the game's opening half. Pelham-Lacey got them on the board just 39 seconds into the action, sparking an 8-0 run that is the Dragons' longest scoring run of the year. Lauren Gerrie was next to get into the scorebook, finishing a free position attempt for the first of her three goals in the game. She made it 3-0 Drexel with 22:50 remaining when she took a pass from Thiele setting up the offense from behind the net.

Thiele found Alex Beilman next, giving the Dragons a 4-0 cushion with 20:09 to play in the first half. That was followed by a pair of unassisted goals from Pelham-Lacey and Beilman before Gerrie topped off her hat trick with 7:18 remaining before halftime. She once again was targeted by Thiele, and, shooting in the same motion in which she caught the ball, gave Drexel a 7-0 lead. Devin Nihill capped the scoring run with 4:49 to play in the first half when Pelham-Lacey threaded a pass across the field for Nihill's 24th of the season.

Hofstra got on the board with just 1:09 remaining in the first half when standout freshman Alyssa Parrella scored her 28th of the year. Though it was hard to predict at the time, it would be the first of four goals and six points for Parrella before the game ended.

The Pride scored the first two goals of the second half and four of hte first five, with only a Pelham-Lacey score breaking up the Hofstra action and leaving Drexel ahead 9-5 with 17:01 to play. Beilman netted her third with 15:16 remaining in the game, pushing the lead back to five at 10-5.

Becky Conto, who finished with five goals to lead Hofstra, scored her second of the evening with 14:37 to play to make it a 10-6 game, and after Pelham-Lacey once again had an answer, Conto started a 3-0 Pride run with her third of the night at the 11:52 mark. Less than four minutes later, the Pride had slashed Drexel's lead down to two, 11-9, with just 8:06 to go.

With 7:11 remaining in the game, Pelham-Lacey drew a foul in the circle and converted her free position attempt, a critical goal which would prove to be the game winner as it put Drexel ahead 12-9. The Pride was not done, though. Conto's fourth goal of the evening came 40 seconds later, and she pulled Hofstra within a goal with 5:16 to play on a free position of her own.

Hofstra had opportunities to come all the way back and even the score, but the Drexel defense buckled down when it had to. The Pride won the ensuing draw control, one of 11 it got in the second half, but Drexel forced a quick turnover and, though the Dragons could not score, they were able to run valuable time off the clock. That turnover was the first of four the Pride gave away in the final 5:16, and though the Dragons got only one shot attempt off during that span, the turnovers were enough to stall Hofstra's momentum and allow the Dragons to sneak away with the win.

Drexel was playing the final game of a four-game homestand on Friday night, a homestand they split after opening it with losses to High Point and No. 5 Penn State. Now, the Dragons will get back on the road for the first time since Mar. 19. Drexel will be back in action next Friday at Elon when they take on the Phoenix at 6:00 p.m. They will also visit William & Mary next Sunday, Apr. 16, before returning home to host James Madison on Fri., Apr. 21 at 5:00 p.m.