The Drexel University Men’s Lacrosse Team had their promising season come to a screeching halt in 2013, leaving Dragons’ fans much to be desired. The Dragons fell to divisional foe, Towson, in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Semifinals last May by a disheartening score of 11-8. The result came just a week and a half after Drexel downed Towson 14-11 at Vidas Field.
With scrimmages underway and the 2014 season inching closer to reality, the Dragons (ranked 18th in the final 2013 USILA Coaches’ Poll) are determined to build off of an 11-4 (5-1 CAA) record posted last Spring.
The Dragons enter the 2014 season returning six starters and 25 letterwinners; however, the team lost a few key components as four starters and 8 letterwinners moved on. The most notable departure was undoubtedly standout attackman Robert Church, who was taken with the 5th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2013 National Lacrosse League draft by the Edmonton Rush (first Drexel player ever selected in the first round of the draft). Church finished his career ranked 4th in points in team history (3rd in goals, 8th in assists). If the Dragons want to top the No. 7 ranked offense that they boasted last season (12.13 goals per game), someone is going to need to step up to fill the 57-point void left by Church.
Ben McIntosh just might be the man for the job. McIntosh, who led the team in scoring and was the No. 2 overall point producer last season behind Church, comes into this off-season as the clear-cut leader on the team. Fellow Seniors Nick Trizano and Jared Boudreau will likely play a larger role within the offense, as they look to use their versatility and quickness to complement McIntosh and subsequently produce a larger stat line in 2014.
The Dragons posted a flawless 8-0 record at Vidas Field last season; they will look to use the experience gained last year to improve on their below .500 record away from the comfort of home. Drexel Head Coach Brian Voelker has made it awfully clear— if they want to move forward, their defense needs to improve. The Dragons ranked No. 40 in team defense last season (nearly 11 goals per game). Though Voelker has yet to fill the defensive “uncertainty” with any names, Senior Matt Dusek will most likely be the focus of the Dragon’s back line, playing alongside fellow Senior Tyler Houchins.
Similar to the off-season’s defensive approach, Voelker has left the goalie battle wide open to encourage competition. There are currently five goalies on the roster (2 Freshmen, 1 Redshirt Freshman, 2 Sophomores) including Cal Winkelman who started 11 games last season posting a 9.74 GAA and .514 Save %.
As the Dragons continue to prepare for the 2014 season, it will be interesting to see what questions they can answer. Will McIntosh be capable of leading the dynamic Dragon offense? Will the defense be able to correct the mistakes made last season to enable a longer post-season run in 2014? Will Winkelman once again take charge in net or will he leave the door open for one of the youngsters? At this point, the only thing certain is that Voelker has three months to answer these questions and ensure his guys are ready to prove that last year was just the beginning.
The University of Virginia comes to Vidas Field in Philadelphia February 15th to open the Dragons’ 2014 season.
