Second Half Shutout Propels Women's Lacrosse to 15-7 Win at ECU

Friday, March 30

Greenville, N.C.

12 p.m.

Drexel University

3-7

East Carolina

2-11

Drexel

ECU

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Second Half Shutout Propels Women's Lacrosse to 15-7 Win at ECU

3/30/2018 2:22:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Trailing at halftime and in danger of going winless on the road during non-conference play, the Drexel women's lacrosse team came out in the second half at East Carolina on Friday afternoon with a renewed focus. The Dragons held the Pirates off the scoreboard in the second half and pulled out to a 15-7 victory, their largest margin of victory thus far this season.

Cassidy Delaney had a career day in directing the offense, posting career highs with four goals, three assists and seven total points. All three of her assists were from behind the net to Jamie Schneidereith in front, whose hat trick was the first of her collegiate career. Colleen Grady also scored three goals with a pair of assists to continue her standout rookie year. Fellow freshman Karson Harris netted a pair of free position goals, two of Drexel's six scores from the eight-meter. Courtney Dietzel, Lucy Schneidereith and Alex Beilman added goals.

Zoe Bennett had nine saves to hold down the defensive unit which proved impenetrable in the second half. The Dragons controlled the time of possession after halftime, but won just six of 24 draw controls on the afternoon and had to rely on the defense to get the ball back into the offensive zone. Bennett faced two shots in the final 2:33 to preserve the second-half shutout.

Molly Savage had three caused turnovers while Harris, Jamie Schneidereith, Lindsey Shettle and Rachel Warden each came up with two. Warden and Harris led the way with three ground balls apiece.

East Carolina, in its first season as a Division I program, held a 7-6 halftime lead but the second half proved to be a different story for the Dragons. Three minutes into the period, a Harris free position following a Pirates yellow card knotted things back up. Delaney gave the Dragons the lead back with 24:42 to play, curling around from behind the net for an unassisted goal.

After a pair of Dragons free position goals, Delaney set up shop behind the net and found Jamie Schneidereith streaking down the middle for a goal that made it 11-7 with 14:52 to play. It was the third time the duo had connected on essentially the same play, following two such goals in the first half.

Drexel had a number of extended possessions in the second half, claiming possession after missed shots by beating the Pirates to the edge. Though the Dragons relied on their defense to gain control, it was the offense turning it over just six times after halftime that allowed them to lock down and ice the game away.

Despite trailing at halftime, the Dragons had gotten off to a fast start with two goals in the first 82 seconds of the action. Delaney scored the game's first and last goals, with her first coming as she weaved in from the right side to score over ECU goalie Abby Smith's left shoulder. Grady netted the second goal by going five-hole on Smith with 28:38 to go in the first half.

Drexel led 4-2 before East Carolina went on a 5-2 run to end the half. It was the Pirates locking down defensively in that latter stretch of the first half, not allowing the Dragons' goal scorers any space. The Pirates took the lead with 36 seconds to go in the first half, but that would prove to be their final goal of the afternoon as the Dragons left nothing to chance after halftime.

Friday's game wrapped up non-conference play for the Dragons, who will now turn their attentions towards Colonial Athletic Association play. The Dragons open CAA action next Friday, April 6, when they host Towson. That game is set to get underway at 6 p.m.