HERSHEY, Pa. - A valiant second period comeback attempt came up short when #25 Lebanon Valley dropped a wild game to Drexel by an 8-5 margin on Friday night at Hersheypark Arena.

Sophomore Joey LaBonte had a big night, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a losing effort. Andy Thurby, Zach McKown, and Cody Pessig added a score apiece for the Blue and White.

After digging themselves into an early 3-0 hole, the Flying Dutchmen scored four-straight to take their first lead of the night midway through the second stanza. Unfortunately, the Dragons had an answer as they converted two scores late in the second to swing the momentum back in their favor before putting it away by netting the first three goals of the third period.

It took the visitors less than five minutes to score twice in the early going. Ryan Williams put Drexel on the board first when he took advantage of a loose puck behind the Dutchmen goal and converted a wraparound score three and half minutes into the game. Marco Gagliardi doubled the Dragon advantage when he followed a Tyler Woyshner attempt and put his rebound attempt past LVC goaltender Chase Wilson with 15:03 remaining in the first period. William Bascou also assisted on the play.

A shorthanded, unassisted, breakaway goal by Nick Kinosian four minutes into the second period gave the Dragons a 3-0 lead. Just when it looked like things were getting ugly, Lebanon Valley stormed back and dominated the next ten minutes offensively.

Thurby, the team's leading-scorer, netted his eighth goal of the year when LaBonte and Danny Willey helped LVC work a power play advantage to perfection with 15:05 left in the second period. The Dutchmen wasted just 25 seconds before cutting the deficit in half when McKown scored his seventh of the season off assists by Jacob Horst and Russ Armbruster.

Pessig converted the equalizer when he scorched his one-timer over the shoulder of Drexel goaltender Zach Kantner and into the upper right corner of the Dragon frame at the 10:55 mark. Before the visitors could recover, LaBonte scored his first goal of the contest off a perfect pass from Thurby with six minutes left in the stanza. Just like that, the Blue and White turned a three-goal deficit into a one-score advantage.

Drexel responded, however, and it didn't take long. Just 16 seconds after LVC's go-ahead score, Stephen Villa netted the equalizer off an assist from Zach Paro. Less than a minute later, the Dragons had the lead once again when Bascou slipped one past Wilson to put the visitors up 5-4.

The Dragons padded their lead early in the third period when Maxwell Stetson and Carson Newton each scored a goal in a 3:06 span and Paro converted Drexel's final score of the game with 12:50 remaining.

LaBonte helped jumpstart the LVC offense late when he netted his second goal of the night with 11:04 left to play. Brothers Jake Thomas and Adam Thomas each added an assist on the play. The Dutchmen had a couple of chances to draw closer when they got off three good power play attempts following a Dragon penalty two minutes later but unfortunately for the home team and its comeback effort, none found twine.

Wilson made 19 saves on the night while LVC freshman goaltender Brendan Manquen made three stops in his 16:54 of play. Kantner had a solid outing, turning away 35 of the Dutchmen's 40 shots on goal. Lebanon Valley was whistled for eight penalties while the visitors were called for five.

The loss dropped Lebanon Valley to 7-6 on the season but the Dutchmen won't have to wait long to get a shot at avenging the defeat. The Blue and White will travel to Philadelphia tomorrow night for their second showdown with the Dragons in as many nights. The puck drops at 7:45 p.m.

Three Stars of the Game:
1. LVC's Joey LaBonte (Two goals, one assist)
2. Drexel's Marco Gagliardi (One goal, two assists including assist on game-winner)
3. Drexel's William Bascou (One goal, two assists)