DES MOINES, Iowa – Despite out shooting Eastern Illinois 14-7, the Drake University soccer team fell to the Panthers 4-2 in the Bulldogs second exhibition game on Wednesday afternoon at Cownie Soccer Complex.
 
"Exhibitions are good opportunities to experiment with how we set up with certain players in certain positions. Today we had some individual errors that we need to clean up on the practice field. That's part of the process and common with exhibition matches and in the early part of the season," said Drake head coach Gareth Smith.
 
The Bulldogs had possession for most of the first half and had a solid opportunity to get an early lead. In the 15^th-minute, a great corner kick by James Wypych set up a header for Jame Grunert which ended up hitting the post.
 
In the Panthers only opportunity to get on the board in the opening half, Christian Sosnowski stole a long pass at midfield for a breakaway and was one-on-one with Drake goalie Darrin MacLeod, before setting up Justin Oliver for an easy goal from six yards out, taking a 1-0 lead at the half.
 
The Bulldogs not only had a 4-1 shot advantage in the first half they also had four corner kick opportunities to EIU's one.
 
Six minutes into the second half EIU struck again, this time Zach Medawattage sailed a 40-yard free kick right to Kris Luke, who was able to get past the Bulldog defender and blast a shot to the back of the net, putting the Panthers up 2-0.
 
The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the 61^st-minute when Steven Enna headed in a corner kick from Nic Jaimes.
 
Drake looked for the equalizer but it never came, as Oliver found the back of the net again in the 69^th-minute to give EIU a 3-1 lead.
 
Jaimes was able to put the Bulldogs within a goal, 3-2, when he got an opportunity to go one-on-one with EIU's goalie Mike Novotny and popped the ball over Novotny and into the net.
 
The Panthers managed to put the game out of reach early in the 89^th-minute when Oliver scored his third goal of the game.
 
In the second half, the Bulldogs continued to out shoot EIU, 10-6, and had five more corner kicks than the Panthers.
 
"We got to see some guys build their fitness and continue to sharpen up. We looked good in the middle but have to improve both ends of the box. We have to be a little cleaner finishing and cut some of those individual errors in defending. Overall, it was an opportunity for us to improve," said Smith.
 
The Bulldogs open the regular season on Aug. 26 when they travel to Stockton, Calif. to take on Pacific.