The Jaspers conclude their winning streak at five games and now stand at 5-2 on the season. Drexel improves to 3-4.
Fitzpatrick got the scoring started for the J's just 1:42 into the contest, receiving a pass from junior midfielder Emily Sandford (Floral Park / Sacred Heart) and beating Drexel's Zoe Bennett for tie it at one. However, the Dragons rattled off six straight goals after that to create a 7-1 advantage late in the first half.
The senior found the back of the net with 31 seconds until halftime. Out of the break, senior midfielder Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) and freshman attacker Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) threaded the twine to make it a 7-4 deficit. That would be the closest gap Manhattan reached in the final stanza, though, as Drexel scored six of the game's final nine goals.
Murphy added two goals and an assist in the game, while Burns and sophomore attacker Alaina Burgess (Holden, MA / The Governor's Academy) each recorded one goal.
Manhattan wraps up its non-conference portion of 2019 with a road date against defending NEC-champion Wagner on Saturday, March 16 at 1:00 pm.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Fitzpatrick now moves into sole possession of fourth place on Manhattan's all-time points list with 152, surpassing Alicia Psillos '08 and Mary Dudek '05.
- She also moves into a tie for third all-time in assists with Melissa Medina '02 at 44 and sixth in goals at 108 with Molly Pheterson '06.
- Murphy racked up multiple points for the third consecutive game and the fourth time this season.
- Burns extends her scoring streak to four consecutive contests.
- Senior tri-captain Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) made eight saves in net.
- Fitzpatrick and senior tri-captain Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) led the team with four ground balls, while Kaishian and Burns controlled three draws each.
- Drexel's Karson Harris posted five goals and one assist to lead Drexel.
FIRST HALF
- Manhattan's defense forced two shot clock violations for Drexel.
- Prestiano's first save of the afternoon came against Cassidy Delaney at the 25:56 mark.
- Sandford stood atop the 12-meter arc and found Fitzpatrick cutting from the right
- Prestiano also got the stop on Colleen Grady 7:33 out of the start.
- With 1:46 to go until the break, Harris drew a free position opportunity that Prestiano denied to her right.
- Fitzpatrick's goal with 31 seconds remaining came after she switched directions with a nifty spin move and tucked the ball into the lower-right corner.
SECOND HALF
- Murphy opened the half on a re-direction at the top of the eight-meter fan, shooting right-handed from six meters away to make it 7-3.
- Prestiano worked to her right and pocketed Grady's shot 21 seconds later.
- Burns got her goal 4:11 in on the right side, switching to her left hand to escape a Dragon defender.
- Almost eight minutes down, Murphy forced Bridget Boyle to cough it up, nabbed the ground ball and went in herself for her second of the game.
- With 18:42 on the clock, Fitzpatrick floated the ball from the left of the net to Burgess, who turned in a high-low shot to make it 10-6.
- Following Drexel's final three goals, Fitzpatrick converted off the free position to cap the scoring at 4:29.