Danes can’t hold lead in loss
The UAlbany men’s lacrosse team took the lead with 12:25 to go in the fourth quarter, but Drexel used a staunch defense to keep the Great Danes off the scoreboard for the next 11 minutes as it rallied to win 14-12 in Philadelphia on Saturday.
The teams traded the lead throughout the game, as UAlbany and Drexel entered the fourth quarter tied at nine. Aidan Coll gave Drexel the lead a minute later, before backto-back goals from Joey Pezzimenti and Graydon Hogg put the Great Danes back in front at 11-10.
After a Dragons timeout, faceoff specialist Regan Endres put the ball back into the hands of UAlbany (0-2), but shots by Hogg and Teioshonta
McComber failed to find the mark. Drexel kept up the defensive pressure, and finally scored on a counterattack at the 8:39 mark.
Endres won the next faceoff for UAlbany but Drexel (1-2) converted a Jacob Moran turnover into a 12-11 lead. The Danes, despite dominating possession, were unable to answer until only 1:20 remained in the game, with the score now 14-11 in favor of Drexel.
Hogg and Moran led the scoring for UAlbany with four points each. But it was Endres, echoing the play of and wearing the same number (6) as former UAlbany recordsetting specialist TD Ierlan, who left the biggest impression. Endres finished 17-for-25 at the faceoff X and scooped up 10 ground balls to keep the Great Danes in the contest.
The Danes open up their home campaign on Wednesday with a matchup against regional rival Siena. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start at Casey Stadium.