PHILADELPHIA – A four-goal second quarter helped provide the difference as the No. 20 Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team defeated Drexel, 10-7, on Saturday evening at Sweeney Field.
 
Saint Joseph's struck first when Ben Dutton finished a feed from Carter Truesdell with 14:16 remaining in the opening quarter. Drexel answered with goals from Jack Joyner and Alec Tulio, sandwiching another Dutton tally to tie the game at 2-2 by the end of the period.
 
The Hawks seized control in the second quarter, scoring four unanswered goals over a span of just more than nine minutes. Dutton opened the run with an unassisted goal to complete his hat trick before Conor Trant won the ensuing faceoff and scored seconds later. Griffin Mallory and Jack Fiordalis added goals as Saint Joseph's carried a 6-2 advantage into halftime.
 
Drexel mounted a comeback in the third quarter, scoring the first four goals of the period to tie the contest at 6-6, aided by a pair of extra-man opportunities. The Hawks answered late in the frame, however, as Colby Wood and Collin Campbell each found the back of the net to restore a two-goal cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Ryan Bradley extended the lead during a Drexel man-up opportunity, as goalkeeper Tommy Gross fired a long clearing pass that released Bradley downfield. With no defender picking him up, Bradley converted to give the Hawks a three-goal edge and shift the momentum back in Saint Joseph's favor.
 
After Drexel's Teddy Luthy cut the deficit to two, Mallory sealed the victory with an empty-net goal — his second of the game — with 2:50 remaining.
 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ben Dutton led the Hawks with three goals, while Griffin Mallory added two.
• Collin Campbell recorded a goal and an assist, and Trant contributed a goal while winning 7 of 13 faceoffs.
• Colby Wood, Jack Fiordalis and Ryan Bradley rounded out the scoring.
• In goal, Tommy Gross made nine saves for Saint Joseph's.
• The Hawks held a 38-32 advantage in shots, forcing Drexel goalkeeper Brendan Donnelly into 12 saves.
• Saint Joseph's also held a 12-7 advantage at the faceoff and successfully cleared on 18 of 20 attempts.
• 10 of the 18 Drexel turnovers were caused, led by a pair from both Liam Quinn and Ryan Bradley.
• Saint Joseph's has claimed five of the last eight meetings with Drexel and has now won three straight in the series after the Dragons took 24 of the first 25 matchups.

 
UP NEXT
Saint Joseph's opens Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, March 14, hosting St. Bonaventure at 12 p.m. on Sweeney Field.