2018 Men’s Lacrosse Year in Review: #49 Drexel Dragons

With the 2018 college lacrosse season complete, it’s time to start looking back at how all 71 teams did during the season, as well as what to expect from each squad for 2019.

We’ve already begun looking back to 2018 with some team recaps thus far and continued our series this week with UMBC and Providence.

So with that, let’s continue the recaps!

#49 Drexel Dragons

Conference: CAA
2018 Record: 5-8 (1-4 in CAA play)
Head coach: Brian Voelker (9th Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Reid Bowering (31)
Assists: Matthew Varian (21)
Points: Matthew Varian (49)
Faceoffs: Jimmeh Koita (147-of-269; 54.6%)
Ground balls: Jimmeh Koita (87)
Caused turnovers: Jake Kiernan (19)
Goals against average: Chre Teitelbaum (11.63 GAA)
Save percentage: Chre Teitelbaum (47.4%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: M Will Manganiello (13 Gs, 3 As), D Jake Kiernan (17 GBs, 19 CTs), G Chre Teitelbaum (11.63 GAA, 47.4% SV%), M Jake O’Donnell (5 Gs, 6 As), D Michael Meurer (8 GBs, 5 CTs), A Robert Frazee (5 Gs, 5 As), SSDM Kyle Strang (2 GBs, 1 A)
Senior scoring departing: 38 of 206 points (18.4%)
Senior starts lost: 54 of 130 (41.5%)

Season Summary

Drexel hasn’t been able to achieve the same success that the historic 2014 team had in the four seasons since.

After three straight losses to Towson in the CAA semifinals, the Dragons failed to qualify for the CAA Tournament in 2018 with a 1-4 record in conference play. They ended nonconference play at 4-4, including a home win against Georgetown and a strong performance against Villanova, despite losing to the Wildcats. But in an open CAA, Drexel failed to capitalize. They fell by a goal to eventual champion UMass in the conference opener along with big losses against Towson, Hofstra, and Delaware. Their only win came against Fairfield.

The key to Drexel’s offense was to score at least 10 goals, which they went 5-1 in doing so. The team went 0-7 when they did not reach the 10 goal mark. The team got a big boost on offense with the return of Matthew Varian from injury. The redshirt-sophomore led the team with 21 assists and 49 points and was a good complement to sophomore Reid Bowering and junior Marshal King. Up top, seniors Will Manganiello and Jake O’Donnell, along with sophomore Nick Fox, each recorded at least 10 points as the first midfield unit. Senior Robert Frazee also managed 10 points in only nine games.

Jake Kiernan’s return to the defense was much needed with a team-high 19 caused turnovers. Freshman Sean Quinn was third with seven turnovers and started 11 games, while sophomore Will Stabbert started nine games, but wasn’t as dominant as he was his freshman year. Jimmeh Koita went 54.6% from the faceoff X, which was what head coach Brian Voelker wanted to see from the sophomore FOGO. He also scooped up 87 groundballs, more than double than his 39 he got as a freshman. Senior Chre Teitelbaum took reigns as the top goalkeeper after unimpressive games from redshirt-freshman Casey DuBois and sophomore John Roulston.

Looking Ahead

Drexel’s starting attack unit all returns, but the Dragons will need to replace two of their starting midfielders from a year ago. Fox is the only returning midfielder. Voelker and his coaching staff could decide to convert listed attackmen Chris McLallen and freshmen Ryan Geroud and Charlie Dumas to midfield to join Fox and sophomore Zach Manns. Short stick middie Cam Harris is a big return on the defensive side.

Kiernan and Michael Meurer graduate on close defense, but Drexel has plenty of options to work with. Along with Quinn and Stabbert, the Dragons also have freshmen Jack Farrell and junior Matt Klinges, who were the team’s LSMs, and freshman Brennan Greenwald. Drexel has to find an answer in goal after Teitelbaum took over a year after Jimmy Joe Granito graduated. DuBois and Roulston will probably get another shot, but look for John Van Sickle and Paul Macrina to also fight for the starting job.

Here’s who the Dragons will be adding to their roster for next year.*

*Compiled from a multitude of websites. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.