The Triangle

Issue date: 10/2/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Casey Tabas Sophomore defender Rachael Sheridan attempts to dribble the ball up field for the women's soccer team. The Dragons lost their first two conference games and are 2-7 overall.

After a tough start in the Colonial Athletic Association play against Northeastern, the women's soccer team dropped its second conference game to Hofstra by a score of 4-0. The loss drops the Dragons to 0-2 in the conference and 2-7 overall.
The star of the game was Hofstra's Jess Crankshaw, who scored three goals in the contest. With her two first-half goals coming from 25 and 30 yards out, Crankshaw really earned the hat-trick. She also added an easier goal in the second half via a penalty kick.
Ironically, the last time a Hofstra player recorded a hat-trick was in 2004 when Chrissy Arnone scored three against Drexel.
Crankshaw's performance caught the Dragons by surprise considering she had scored only once in her team's previous eight games.
Hofstra truly dominated this game from the start. The Pride outshot the Dragons by a staggering margin of 19-7.
In Drexel's two conference games it has been outscored by a margin of 8-1. These kinds of lack-luster performances may have kept the team close in non-conference games, but the game changes once conference play begins.
"The games are much more intense and physical because everyone is battling for points to make the CAA playoffs," head coach Ray Goon said. "Last year we lost to Northeastern in overtime (3-2) after leading 2-1 with less than three minutes left in regulation. If we win or tie, they don't make the playoffs. They went on to win the CAA championship as the last seed."
The team will try to forget this game and focus on its next opponent, Old Dominion. The Lady Monarchs are currently 1-1 in the CAA and 5-5-1 overall this season.
They will be coming off a 3-1 loss to conference opponent, UNC Wilmington. The Dragons will have to control ODU's leading scorer, Ashlee Coutu to put themselves in a position for the win.
During the week, Goon talked about what problems his team has been having and what he would like to see improve in upcoming games.
"With a young team (we start seven underclassmen), playing consistently is the biggest challenge," Goon said. "We stress the ability to make decisions and execute at a quicker pace because the conference teams will put us under more pressure than our typical out-of-conference teams."
A team full of young talent is expected to have its ups and downs. The more experienced this team becomes the better they will get. And a win at ODU would give this team a much needed confidence boost.

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