The Drexel Dragon’s men’s lacrosse team (1-2) lost an early season matchup against local Philadelphia rival Villanova Wildcats (2-1) 14-13 March 1 at Drexel’s Vidas field.
The Dragons were paced by sophomore attackman Brendan Glynn, whose five goals were a game high.
“I’m so proud of Brendan today,” said Glynn’s younger brother Thomas Glynn. “He’s worked so hard, and this game is always so important. We didn’t get the W, but I’m still proud of him.”
Glynn wasn’t Drexel’s only offensive threat on this day however, as many Dragon’s found the net to put pressure on the Wildcat defense. Senior attackman Scott Perri (Smithtown, NY) had four goals, while senior midfielder Dan Layfield’s (Lima, NY) two goals kept the game in reach for Drexel. One goal was also added by sophomore midfielder Craig Owen (Media, Pa) and sophomore attackman Nick Trizano (Eastchester, NY).
The Wildcat offense came ready to play as well. Junior attackman Kevin Cunningham (Garden City, NY) led the Wildcat offense with four goals and two assists. Junior attackman Matt Ball (Severna Park, MD), junior midfielder Mike Vigilante (Massapequa, NY), and sophomore midfielder Max Hart (Bethesda, MD) each added two goals for Nova.
Sophomore midfielder Nick Doherty (Bernardsville, NJ), sophomore attackman Will Casertano (Millbrook, NY), sophomore attackman Jack Rice (Baltimore, MD), and junior midfielder C.J. Small (San Diego, Ca) each contributed one goal to the Wildcat victory.
Tuesday’s Villanova victory over Drexel was extremely important to the Wildcats (2-1), who followed their win with a 10-6 victory over Fairfield on March 5.
Drexel (1-2) didn’t seem to recover from the Nova los in time for their March 6 matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, losing on the road to the 2010 National Champion runners-up 7-11.
Ultimately, face-offs proved to be the difference for the Wildcats Tuesday. Junior face-off midfielder Nolan Vihlen (Germantown, Tenn) went 11-19 facing off, assuring that possession of the ball was in Nova’s control throughout the game.
“I’m happy with the way we won the face-off battle for the first time this year. Nolan [Vihlen] and Croonquist worked hard for us,” Villanova Head Coach Michael Corrado told Villanova.com following the victory.
The Villanova defense ultimately proved too strong for the Drexel attack in the end. Nova’s defense was led by senior All-American and future Major League Lacrosse star Bran Karalunas (Dewiit, NY), Junior defenseman Chris Creighton (West Chester, Pa), and sophomore goalie Billy Hurley (Morristown, NJ), demonstrating why Villanova is considered to be a top defensive unit in the country.
“We sure do play good defense,” said Villanova fan Frank Mita. “Every time Drexel would gain a little momentum, our defense held them off.”
The Villanova defensive tone was set by star Long Stick Midfielder Brian Karalunas, whose four caused turnovers and two groundballs made it impossible for the Drexel offensive unit to find a consistent rhythm.
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| Senior Captain Brian Karalunas picks up one of his two groundballs vs Drexel Photo courtesy of Phillylacrosse.com |
Karalunas was the 2010 Big East defensive player of the year, a 2010 All-American, the Villanova 2010 Most Valuable player, and as of January 2011 the 35th overall pick of the Long Island Lizards of Major league Lacrosse (The World’s premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league).
“Villanova may have come out on top after this game, but today was a victory for everyone who loves Philadelphia lacrosse,” said Frank Mita. “The crowd was electric, and the game was incredibly entertaining. People are starting to take notice that lacrosse is here to stay. I love this game.”
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