The Dragons are going dancing with fire breath.
Drexel earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with its ninth straight win, a decisive 15-11 CAA Championship victory at Hofstra on Saturday its first conference title since 2014 and second overall.
“It feels really good. We had a bit of a delay to start the season and then you don’t even know if you’ll get the thing done, but the kids worked really hard,” Drexel coach Brian Voelker said postgame. “Started off slow, had a couple tough games early in the year, and ever since then guys have played really well.”
Sat May 8 2021 | Patrick Stevens | College
PHOTO BY JOHN STROHSACKER
Vermont finally broke through.
In the Catamounts’ third consecutive America East championship game appearance, Chris Feifs’ team claimed its first tournament title and the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament bid.
The No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, Vermont (9-4, AE 7-2) used a balanced offensive attack and a dominant performance at the faceoff X to dispatch fourth-seeded Albany 15-10. The victory is Vermont’s third win this season and fifth straight against the Great Danes.
@UVMmlax pull away in the second half to down @UAlbanyMLax and clinch its first-ever NCAA tournament bid.
The CAA is where anything can happen and it usually does.
On Thursday, anything was Hofstra upending top-seeded Delaware, 10-9, to advance to the CAA Tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.
The Pride used two decisive runs an early six-goal spurt and a late three-goal one plus a suffocating defensive effort and a hot hand from an unlikely hero to earn the victory.
Dylan McIntosh, who’s battled injury this year and throughout his career, came into the tournament with five goals all season. He matched that on only eight shots.
Hofstra coach Seth Tierney was emotional talking about McIntosh postgame. He chose the words tearjerking and heart-warming to talk about him and his road through injuries.
We were treated to a smorgasbord of television games, rivalry games and contests that had league-standing significance.
The ACC Thursday Night Thriller remains undefeated. Navy earned the Star in front of 5,000 fans in Annapolis. UMBC keeps winning overtime games. Otto bounced back in Charlottesville. The Drexel Dragons and Saint Joe’s Hawks have momentum in late April.
For some, this week is the last of the regular season. For others it s the chance to play for a conference automatic qualifier where every game has Game 7’ intensity and ramifications. Right now, there are roughly 45 teams in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament.