Drexel advanced to its first NCAA tournament quarterfinal.
PHILADELPHIA -- Drexel won its first NCAA tournament game 16-11 against neighboring Penn at Franklin Field. The Dragons utilized a scintillating 7-0 scoring run stretching from late in the second quarter until midway through the third to gain control of the game.
Nick Saputo notched a hat trick in the win, scoring three times in the first half. All three goals came in the final 12 seconds of quarters, including two in the final 12 seconds of the first half that stunned the crowd of 2,852 and send Drexel (13-4) into intermission up 7-6. His first goal of the second quarter was preceded by a Jules Raucci score, the first of two for him, to begin a streak of three Drexel goals in just more than 11 seconds, turning a 6-4 deficit into a 7-6 halftime edge.
The Dragons scored the first four goals of the second half as well, and at one point had scored 10 of 11 late in the fourth quarter to send the large Drexel fan contingent into a frenzy.
Ben McIntosh added a hat trick, all of which came in the second half. His third goal was his 46th of the season, setting a new Drexel single-season record. Jared Boudreau, Ryan Belka and Nick Trizano each joined Raucci with two goals, while Hank Brown and Chris Frederick contributed scores. For Frederick, the goal which gave Drexel an 11-6 lead with 8:25 remaining in the third quarter was his first goal of the season. Raucci added two assists for the Dragons, while Trizano, Belka and Cole Shafer each registered one.
