WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary lacrosse team was edged by Drexel, 15-13, in its Colonial Athletic Association home opener on Sunday afternoon at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.
 
Although W&M (5-6, 0-2) trailed 10-6 early in the second half, it charged back with a 7-1 run to build a two-goal advantage with 10:44 remaining.
 
However, Drexel (6-6, 1-1) outscored the Tribe 4-0 during the remainder of the contest to earn the road league victory.
 
Tribe Standouts
Freshman Starr Howard etched her name in the Tribe's record book and became the program's single-season record holder for draw controls (58), as she eclipsed the previous mark of 57 set by Ellen Shaffrey in 2015. Howard finished the contest with a team-high four draw controls to go with three caused turnovers and a ground ball.
 
Freshman Lauren Russell led W&M offensively with a career-high five goals on just seven shots, while sophomore Sophie Kopec totaled four points (1g, 3a).
 
Freshmen Belle Martire and Grace Ahonen added two goals apiece, while Ahonen's stat line also included two caused turnovers and a draw control.
 
Senior Holly Hager came up big defensively with three caused turnovers and four ground balls.
 
Inside the Numbers
Although both teams posted 28 shots and W&M owned a 16-15 edge in ground balls, Drexel held a 19-11 advantage in draw controls – which included a 10-5 margin in the second half.
 
The Tribe committed seven fewer turnovers (9-16), but the Dragons totaled three more saves (10-7).
 
Both teams utilized 7-1 runs during the contest, as Drexel's helped it build a 10-6 lead early in the second half, while W&M's immediately followed and gave the Tribe a 13-11 advantage with 10:44 remaining.  
 
The Opposition
Claire Jarema led Drexel with three goals, while Colleen Grady (2g, 1a) and Karson Harris (1g, 2a) added three points apiece.
 
Harris also came up big on the draw circle with a game-high 12 draw controls.
 
Notes
Sunday's contest marked W&M's first home game since March 6 … The Tribe's last four losses have all come by three goals or less … Russell has posted hat tricks in three consecutive games and totaled 12 goals during the span … Howard broke W&M's single-season record for draw controls in just 11 games … The previous record set by Shaffrey came during a 16-game season.
 
Up Next
W&M will continue its conference slate when it hosts Delaware at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field on Friday at 5 p.m. The contest will be broadcast by Lax Sports Network (LSN).