Conshohocken, Pa. – In a defensive battle at the Proving Grounds on Saturday afternoon, Villanova (3-6) applied a late attack but fell short 3-2 to the Drexel Dragons (3-2).
 
On a breezy overcast afternoon, the Wildcats celebrated Senior Day honoring Emily Clarke (Garden City, N.Y.), Ashley Thomas (Berlin, N.J.), and Riley Dolan (Broomall, Pa.). The trio have combined to win 26 games in their collegiate careers while achieving academic excellence in the classroom.
 
The first period proved to be a physical and defensive showdown as both squads sent shots at the cage. The Wildcats notched four shots in the opening 15-minutes while picking up one penalty corner. Drexel got on the board first with an early goal in the second frame before extending their lead shortly after halftime.
 
Villanova would not budge as they remained on the attack with plenty of time left to play. Katie Capalbo (Wallingford, Pa.) sent a shot on goal that was blocked by a Drexel defender, but Meghan Mitchell was in the right spot as she ripped the rebound past the Dragon netminder to pull the Wildcats within one.
 
Following a third Drexel goal midway through the final period, Villanova inched closer when Meghan Mitchell found herself open again and smacked a shot into the cage. The rookie picked up her second and third career goals on the afternoon. The late push was not enough as the Dragons closed out the remaining minutes for the win.
 
Villanova took 12 shots on the afternoon and picked up six penalty corners. Meghan Mitchell led the attack with five shots while Sabine De Ruijter (Huizen, Netherlands) tallied two.
 
The Wildcats will return to action on Monday, March 29 when they host La Salle. The game is set to begin at 4:00 ET.