MADISON, N.J. (Oct. 22, 2016) — Senior forward
Dylan Hammer buried the lone goal of an intense, rainy Landmark Conference battle with The Catholic University of America as the Rangers celebrated Senior Day with a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon.
By the Numbers: The Rangers are 9-4-2 after connecting on their sixth shutout of the season. The win brings Drew to 3-1-1 in the conference and 4-3-1 on Ranger Stadium turf. The Cardinals fall to 6-10-1 and 1-5 in the conference.
Turning Point: On Senior Day, it was equally fitting and likely that a fourth-year player would net the first score — and that's just what happened. Hammer, after a flurry of activity on the box following a servive by sophomore
Anthony McMyne, leapt for a ball in the goalies face. The keeper batted his initial try straight up in the air like a volleyball set, and Hammer got airborne once again to head in the goal.
Top Performers: Senior goalkeeper
John Marques went wire to wire in net with one save and without allowing a goal. Hammer's goal was his sixth of the season, tied for the team high. He also tried three shots on goal. Freshman forward
Andy Imoh was a constant presence on the offensive half of the field. His relentless possession kept the ball around the opposing net for long stretches of time.
Stat Sheet: The Rangers tried 12 shots to Catholic's four, slanting the possession percentage heavily in their favor.
Playoff Picture: This pivotal victory places the Rangers within quality real estate in the conference standings. Susquehanna fell to first-place Elizabethtown, dropping them a half-game behind Drew. As of now, the Rangers are in third place, a half-game behind second-place Scranton. Moravian and Goucher will be right on the Rangers' tail threatening to take away their rights to the postseason. Contests against Moravian and Goucher remain to close the regular season.
Up Next: Drew hosts Moravian on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m. in an important contest. Drew can clinch a playoff berth with a win, but they'd likely look to focus on seeding with playoff entry likely.