Drexel beats St. Joe’s 2-0 in Mark Fetrow’s head coaching debut

PHILADELPHIA – Drexel men’s soccer kicked off their 2023 season with a convincing 2-0 road win over crosstown rivals St. Joe’s in the head coaching debut for Mark Fetrow on Thursday night.

Dom Bachstein and Joshua Pulla, who played together at West Chester United over the summer, fired the Dragons in front with goals in the 6th and 39th minutes to stake the visitors to a 2-0 halftime lead.

Despite a second half that was end to end at times and more open than the first, neither team found the back of the net as the goalkeepers for both teams did well to cut down chances. Hawks goalkeeper Lars Haavie recorded six saves on the night, including a big stop late to deny Bachstein a brace on a back-heel setup from Pulla.

Alessandro Capogna made a big double save off a counter attack to keep the hosts from mounting a late comeback. The clean sheet was the Italian’s sixth in his second season with the Dragons.

“We wanted to show with a new coach what we can do,” midfielder Antonio Illuminato, who assisted the second goal, said post-game. “I think the team did well; what a great way to start.”

Fetrow didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for his first game as a college head coach.

The former Penn State standout from West Chester who has been a top assistant at Villanova for seven years took the helm right before preseason camp opened and had to quickly adjust to his new environment.

“They’re just relentless competitors; that’s what I’ve seen since I stepped onto campus,” Fetrow said of his new team. “They’re really coachable and in tune with everything we’re trying to coach and teach and they’re just fighters. They don’t give up on plays; I thought we were pretty sloppy in a lot of our builds throughout the game but they did a great job fighting for firsts, picking up seconds and that helped us retain possession and play in the attacking half.”

The significance of making his debut in Philadelphia coaching opposite Philly soccer legend Don D’Ambria wasn’t lost on Fetrow, who had support from family, former players and his former boss at Villanova in the stands.

“To have family here is very special because they’ve seen me in the coaching role for a long time now and never had an opportunity as a head coach,” Fetrow said. “To see some old players that I coached and Coach (Tom) Carlin and his family here means so much. The support I’ve gotten is incredible.”

Opening day is something coaches and players look forward to for months with the too-short regular season window and derby matches to open the season only raise the stakes. Referee Sergio Gonzalez showed six yellow cards in the first half, three to each team. The second half quieted down as the teams opened up play and Gonzalez showed just one yellow the rest of the night. It was a game that easily could’ve had more goals in it if not for heads up play by the opposing keepers.

“It’s always good to share the field and compete with teams in the same area,” said Illuminato, who is from Italy. “It’s a derby so it feels a little different and gives us something more to play for.”

With their first win under their belt the focus quickly shifts to the next opponent with a trip to Lafayette scheduled for Monday, followed by a visit to College of Charleston next Saturday.

St. Joe’s will be back at Sweeney Field Monday night against Rider, another team with a new head coach. Chad Duernberger, a former associate head coach at Penn State, succeeded veteran coach Charlie Inverso in the role after his retirement last winter.