DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's soccer team continues its homestand on Friday night as Indiana State visits the Cownie Soccer Complex for Missouri Valley Conference action. First kick with the Sycamores is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.
 
Drake is 8-3-1 overall and 1-0 in the MVC after its 4-2 win over Valparaiso in its Valley opener. The Bulldogs have won five-straight matches and are 7-1-1 in their past nine games with the lone loss during that span to then No. 16 Wisconsin.
 
Midfielder Rebecca Rodgers (Peotone, Ill.) is one of the key pieces fueling Drake this year. Rodgers has claimed back-to-back MVC Player of the Week award winners, the latest coming after she recorded her second career hat trick in the Valpo victory. She has found the back of the net eight times in the past six games, and has nine goals on the season to rank second in the league. Rodgers, who continues to add to her program-leading career goals total, currently ranks 18th in the NCAA in goals/game at .75.
 
Freshman Hannah Bormann (Amana, Iowa) earned her second career MVC Newcomer of the Wek award the same day as Rodgers was awarded player of the week. Bormann, a forward, assisted on two of Rodgers' goals in the victory over the Crusaders. In her first season, she leads the team in assists with four and has scored one goal. Bormann was previously named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 18.
 
Drake's defense is another piece to its success in 2017. The backline of seniors Kasey Hurt (Ankeny, Iowa), Brooke Salisbury, Ali Smith (Lenexa, Kan.) and junior Linda Fiorito (Overland Park, Kan.) and senior goalkeeper Haley Morris (Clive, Iowa) have recorded four shutouts and held teams to one goal in three other wins. Smith (1^st), Salisbury (2^nd), Hurt (3^rd), Gorom (4^th) and Fiorito (5^th) comprise the top-five on the team in minutes played.
 
Indiana State (5-6-1, 0-2 MVC) dropped its last two matches to Missouri State and UMKC. The Sycamores beat the Bulldogs twice in 2016, including winning in penalty kicks in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals in Terre Haute, Ind. Drake leads the all-time series with a 12-4-2 advantage.
 
Following Friday's game, Drake hosts UNI on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. The Panthers are off to hot start at 10-1-1 and 2-0 in MVC play, going into their Saturday match at Missouri State. Drake and UNI have battled to three consecutive draws in the head-to-head series.