Dragons Finish Historic Regular Season With 6-0 Victory Against FDU

Wednesday, October 25

Philadelphia, Pa.

5:00 PM

Drexel University

9-2-4, 3-2-3

FDU

6-3-5, 3-0-3

FDU

Drexel

Dragons Finish Historic Regular Season With 6-0 Victory Against FDU

10/25/2023 9:17:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel men's soccer team wrapped its regular season with a historic 6-0 victory against FDU on Wednesday night at Vidas Field. Two goals by Patrick Short and tallies by four other players surged the Dragons (9-2-6) past the FDU Knights (6-3-5).

It is the first time since Oct. 3, 2009, that the Dragons scored six goals. It is also the first time since Drexel joined the CAA in 2002 that the team won a match by a margin of six goals.

Short scored both of his goals within minutes of each other. His first goal of the night came in the 8^th minute of the contest. A ball played on by Antonio Illuminato on a free kick found the head of Short and was flicked onto the top right of the goal. The goal was Short's fifth of the season. The assist was Illuminato's eighth of the season.

Drexel Goal by No. 16 Patrick Short gets the Dragons on the board!

Drexel, 1 FDU, 0#FeartheDragon pic.twitter.com/syJiZU5KXH
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

Short's second goal of the night was a putback shot after the FDU keeper made a save in the 11^th minute of the match. The graduate student's second goal of the night pushed him over the team-high for a goal total of six.

Drexel goal by No. 16 Patrick Short doubles the Dragon's lead and gives Short a first-half brace!

Drexel, 2 FDU, 0#FeartheDragon pic.twitter.com/IfIHtkP1zm
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

At the end of the first half, Drexel had the lead in shots with nine. The Drexel backline helped hold FDU to just two shots.

In the back half of the match, Isaiah Whittaker-Francis unloaded a goal from about 25 yards out to push the Drexel lead to three. The goal was Whittaker-Francis' second of his rookie season.

Isaiah Whittaker-Franics from deep! Early in the second half, the Dragons lead 3-0!#FeartheDragon #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/3IE0M5Ge7d
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

In the 64^th minute, Illuminato quadrupled the Drexel lead after a deflection on his own corner found its way back to him. The graduate student scored his fourth goal of the season.

Drexel goal by No. 17 Antonio llluminato adds to the Drexel lead making it 4-0!#FeartheDragon pic.twitter.com/xDwwEC0MbV
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

Drexel's scoring onslaught continued in the 76^th minute. Stephen Appiah finished a play that originated off a corner kick by Joshua Pulla. The ball was headed on by Colin Davis to the head of Appiah, who finished the play with his head. Appiah tallied his second goal of the season. Davis, who was credited with his second assist of the night, pushed his season total to three.

Drexel goal by No. 26 Stephen Appiah extends the Dragons lead to 5!

Drexel, 5 FDU,0 #FeartheDragon pic.twitter.com/4CO4MaE5JY
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

The Dragons finished their scoring spree in the 88^th minute of the game with a tally by Pulla. In a similar play like Short's second goal of the match, Pulla was on the receiving end of a deflection of the Knights keeper.

Drexel goal by No. 22 Josh Pulla! The Drexel lead extends to 6!

Drexel, 6 FDU, 0#FeartheDragon pic.twitter.com/SGn7X4F98k
— Drexel Men's Soccer (@DrexelMSoccer) October 25, 2023

Drexel finished the second half with 18 shots. With the two halves combined, the home team totaled 27 tries, with 12 on target. The Drexel backline continued its dominance, holding the visitors to just one try on goal. Alessandro Capogna, the Drexel keeper, only needed to make one save in the 90-minute match.

It is the first time the Dragons finished the regular season with an undefeated home schedule since joining the CAA. The team now awaits to see who they will play in the CAA Quarterfinals and where they will play. The rest of the conference will play the final conference matches on Saturday.