Marshal King nets game winner in double OT thriller, Fox and Bowering record hat tricks
Sunday at Vidas Athletic Complex the Drexel Dragons (4-4) defeated the Providence Friars (3-6) 11-10 in a dramatic double overtime contest. Drexel has now won four of their last five, while the Friars have lost five straight.
Coming into the game Drexel had won three of their last four, the latest a huge 15-10 victory over #11 Georgetown last Saturday. As they entered this contest with Providence, the Dragons were playing with a bit more confidence as they are due to start their conference schedule next weekend at home versus UMass.
The Friars started this season on the upside with a 3-1 record, but then lost four straight, the last three at home.
Providence opened the scoring, taking advantage of an early man-up as Sean Leahey scored his 12th of the season, beating Chre Teitelbaum low-to-high. The Dragons tried to respond as Will Manganiello found Nick Fox in front but goaltender Tate Boyce came up huge with a save – his first of many on the night.
Boyce continued to come up big for Providence as he stopped four big scoring attempts by the Drexel offense. After a turnover, the Friars moved down field and Tim Heinrich scored his sixth of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Drexel was finally able to respond as Reid Bowering collected his 12th of the season, coming from behind the net to go short side to draw the Dragons within a goal. Boyce stopped Robert Frazee on a man-up attempt, which bolstered the Friar’s offense as Evan McGreen went top shelf for a 3-1 lead.
Boyce was the story for the Friars. Drexel fired eight shots on goal in the first, and only one was able to beat him.
Austin Goltz scored up high to start the second, putting the Friars up 4-1.
Drexel scored their second goal as Bowering netted number 19 of the season just seconds after a man-up penalty expired. Ryan Nawrocki scored his sixth of the season on a delayed penalty, and Leahey scored his second of the game to put the Friars up 6-2, their largest lead of the game. Leahey scored off of a split-dodge to beat Teitelbaum.
Drexel responded to those two goals in quick fashion with one of their own. Reid Bowering scored his hat-trick goal as Matthew Varian rolled off of a split dodge to find Bowering in front. Leahey found Nick Shaw in front to restore the four goal lead but the quarter ended with two goals from Drexel. Sophomore Nick Fox converted a pass from Bowering on the near side and Jake O’Donnell scored on a man-up to end the half 7-5.
The Friars’ defense came up big in the first five minutes of the third quarter as they thwarted several opportunities by the Dragon’s offense. Teitelbaum then made some big saves, and on the clear, O’Donnell found sophomore Zach Manns, in his first game of the season, for the goal.
Varian then scored two in a row to give Drexel an 8-7 lead. Boyce, who had started strong, struggled in the third, and had given up five in a row.
Nick Preston tied the game for Providence to end a nearly 15-minute scoring drought, scoring on a rebound. But Fox put the Dragons back up by one at 9-8, scoring with just seven seconds left in the third.
Damon Currie put the ball five-hole on a man-up early in the fourth to tie the game at nine. Drexel regained the lead 10-9 as Fox got the hat trick from in front after a huge defensive stop. Providence tied the game again as Nick Hatzipetrakos scored his first of the game as he skipped a shot past Teitelbaum. Drexel looked for the late go-ahead goal but Boyce intercepted a pass intended for Varian.
Varian made a final effort for Drexel but the ball hit the outside of the goal and they headed to OT tied at 10.
Each team gained some momentum from timeouts in the extra frame, but neither could get the advantage. Varian and King had good attempts but Boyce came up big and double overtime loomed.
Drexel had the first crack in the second overtime as Providence was called for a hold violation on the face-off. Once Drexel gained the offensive zone, they called time out. Off the restart, Fox hit Bowering with a pass near the goal-line extended. Bowering drew the Providence defense in as Marshal King came from the near side to loop around and get into the open area to fire the game winner past Boyce at 43 seconds of the second overtime.
Providence was led by Sean Leahey (2G/1A) as the Friars had nine different players score.
Nick Fox (3G), Reid Bowering (3G/2A) and Matthew Varian (2G/3A) led the Dragon’s offense.
Drexel opens their CAA conference schedule next Saturday at home versus UMass at 1 p.m.
