Men's Soccer Nets CAA Opener, 2-1 vs. William & Mary

Saturday, September 28

Vidas Field

4:00

Drexel University

5-2-1, 1-0-0

William & Mary

4-3-1, 0-1-0

William & Mary

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Soccer Nets CAA Opener, 2-1 vs. William & Mary

9/28/2013 6:23:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The Drexel men's soccer team won its fifth-straight game on Saturday when the Dragons won their CAA opener against William & Mary, 2-1. Drexel responded from an early 1-0 deficit to grab a 2-1 lead less than 15 minutes later. Maty Brennan and Ken Tribbett scored for the Dragons, with Tribbett's laser in the 30th minute serving as the eventual game-winner.

William & Mary had won three straight games over ranked teams, including wins over Creighton and North Carolina when each was ranked No. 1 in the nation. Coming into the game, they had shut out opponents for 240:39, but Drexel scored twice in an 11:11 time frame to take the lead.

Finishing a five-game road trip, the Tribe looked sharp early on. Although Drexel got the first several scoring chances, William & Mary was the team that made the most of their first, scoring in the 17th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Chris Albiston put a ball into the box perfectly for Josh West, who came charging up the right side. He beat Drexel goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach up top, just the second goal Afflerbach has allowed during his young collegiate career.

Afflerbach, who has been in net for each of the Dragons' five wins, took over from there. He finished with five saves, matching his personal best. In the second half when the Tribe was desperately trying to even the game, Afflerbach kept them off the board with strong, aggressive play in net. He was quick to come out and take charge of the ball, forcing the Tribe to rush shots and miss chances down the stretch.

In the first half, after the Tribe got on the board, Drexel responded almost immediately. Just 1:41 after the William & Mary goal, the Dragons answered with a score set up on a similar play. Nathan Page, the Dragons' leading scorer, brought the ball upfield in the middle. Coming towards the box, Page got William & Mary keeper Mac Phillips off balance. He dished it off to Maty Brennan charging up the left side. The ball nearly got by Brennan, but the junior lunged forward to get a foot on it, redirecting it towards the net and by Phillips for the equalizer.

Drexel kept up the pressure after that, and found pay dirt in the 30th minute. Ken Tribbett got control just outside the box in the middle of the field. He wound up and fired a bullet in towards the net. What would have been a tough ball for Phillips to handle regardless became impossible when it deflected off the head of a William & Mary defender and over the outstretched arms of Phillips into the back of the net.

The Dragons, last year's CAA regular season champions, won their second straight league opener. Last year, Drexel defeated No. 11 Old Dominion 4-1. This season, William & Mary was receiving votes in the national NSCAA poll.

Drexel will now play three non-conference games before returning to CAA play. On Wednesday, the Dragons will head across University City to take on Penn at Rhodes Field at 7:30. With a win, the Dragons will ensure themselves of at least a share of the Philadelphia Soccer Six championship. They will then host Temple on Saturday and visit Princeton on October 8 before returning home to take on Northeastern in two weeks in their next CAA tilt.