For the first time in program history Drake will host the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship this weekend as the second-seeded Bulldogs entertain third-seeded Creighton on Friday (Nov. 13). Game time against the Bluejays is slated for 6:00 p.m. and will follow the other semifinal matchup between fourth-seeded Evansville and top-seeded Missouri State set for 3:30 p.m. The tournament semifinals will be video streamed via MVC TV with the championship match taking place on Sunday (Nov. 15) at 1:06 p.m. with Fox Sports Midwest televising the affair.
SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS
Creighton (7-3-5) comes into action this week after posting a 3-3 double-overtime tie with Drake last Saturday (Nov. 7). Sophomore Ethan Finlay directs the Creighton attack with seven goals and three assists. The Bluejays' success this season has been predicated on defense as Creighton has surrendered just 10 goals, four of which were scored by Drake. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has registered 36 saves and sports a 0.63 GAA. As a team, the Bluejays lead the conference in goals allowed (0.67) and goals against average (0.62). In MVC-only affairs, Creighton led the league in shots per game (17.50), goals per game (2.00) and assists per game (2.00).
SERIES HISTORY
Drake will be squaring off against Creighton for the 29th time in school history, with the Bluejays having dominated the series, 19-2-7. This will mark the sixth encounter in MVC Tournament play with Creighton owning a 5-0 series lead. The two teams have not met in the tournament since the semifinals of the 1997 MVC Championship in Evansville, Ind., won by the Bluejays, 3-0.
THE COACHES
Creighton: Bob Warming is in his 14th campaign leading the Bluejays and maintains a 190-60-34 record (.729) and is 383-179-64 (.663) in 32 years overall.
Drake: In his 12th season on the Drake sidelines as head coach is Sean Holmes, who owns a 98-101-24 mark (.493), including 176-127-26 (.574), overall in his 17th year as a head coach.
DRAKE HEAD COACH SEAN HOLMES
Sean Holmes was named head coach at Drake in 1998 and is in his 12th season at the helm of the Drake men's soccer program. Under Holmes, the Bulldogs have posted an 98-101-24 record and have built a legacy of excellence on Drake's campus and in the Missouri Valley Conference. Holmes is dedicated to the ideal of developing the whole student-athlete.
Holmes led the Bulldogs to a school-record 13-5-1 mark in 2008, including six-consecutive shutouts to open the season. Drake finished second in the MVC with a 4-1-0 record and made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, receiving an at-large bid. The Bulldogs were nationally ranked for the final 11 weeks of the season.
Holmes came to Drake after serving as the top assistant at conference-rival Evansville from 1995-98. During his tenure at Evansville, the Aces compiled a 47-30-6 record, winning the 1996 MVC championship. The team, which he helped build, garnered an NCAA Tournament berth and a top-20 ranking.
Holmes was head coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., from 1989-93, compiling a 78-26-2 record, leading the 1991, 1992 and 1993 teams to NAIA District 10 championships. Holmes also served as director of the Olympic Development Program in Kansas for two years.
Holmes was named NAIA Midwest Coach of the Year in 1992, and NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1993. He was the Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991.
Holmes holds a USSF 'A' level coaching license and is a member of the Region II staff for the Olympic Development Program. He serves as a staff coach for the Iowa Soccer Association, and also served as age group coach for both the 1978 and 1984 Region II teams. He was an assistant coach at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in St. Louis, Mo.
DRAKE RECEIVING VOTES IN LATEST NSCAA NATIONAL POLL
For the third consecutive week, Drake is receiving votes (13) in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national poll released on Tuesday (Nov. 10) after being ranked in the top-25 for three weeks earlier in the year.
BULLDOGS THIRD IN NSCAA MIDWEST REGION POLL
Drake held steady at No. 3 in the Midwest Region as released by the NSCAA on Monday (Nov. 9). Tulsa is the regional leader, followed by Missouri State, Drake, UAB, Kentucky, Creighton, Marshall, Oakland, Evansville and Memphis.
DRAKE BATTLES CREIGHTON TO 3-3 DOUBLE-OVERTIME TIE
DES MOINES, IOWA - Playing before a near-capacity crowd of 1,632 at the Cownie Soccer Complex, Drake and Creighton waged a classic men's soccer game as the two MVC heavyweights battled to a 3-3 double-overtime tie last Saturday (Nov. 7).
Senior Garrett Webb (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) made the most of his final regular season home game giving Drake a 1-0 advantage with the first of his two goals on the night at the 36:36 mark.
Webb redirected a deflection off of junior Matt Kuhn's (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) shot that was saved by Creighton goalkeeper Brian Holt into the net for his eighth goal of the season.
The Bluejays had an answer as Josh Moran netted his first tally of the season in the 40th minute (39:08) to square the affair at one.
Fresh off the bench, junior Kenan Malicevic (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Valley) converted a rebound off a save of junior Nick Foster's (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) shot just 36 seconds later into his fifth goal of the season to send Drake into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.
The contest remained in favor of the Bulldogs until the 76:55 mark when Sergio Castillo collected his first goal of the year on a laser that beat redshirt junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd (Harwood Heights, Ill./Loyola Academy) top shelf off to tie the game at two.
Creighton then seemingly stole the momentum in the 88th minute (87:31) when Chris Schuler headed in a feed off a corner by Moran to give the Bluejays their first lead of the evening, 3-2.
Thirty-nine seconds later Webb headed in the game-tying goal at the 88:10 mark in a scrum in front of the net. The tally was Webb's team-leading ninth of the season.
Neither team put a shot on goal in the first overtime session, but all three shots in the second overtime stanza required a save to ensure the tie.
Drake registered 22 shots in the contest, led by six from Webb and three apiece courtesy of Kuhn and redshirt sophomore Michael Noonan (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier).
Drozd registered a team season-best eight saves in the match, while his counterpart, Holt, collected five stops.
WEBB NAMED MVC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Garrett Webb was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday (Nov. 9). The honor marked the second of the season and third of the career for Webb.
Webb turned in a defining week for Drake, registering four goals on only five shots on goal to lead the Bulldogs to a 1-0-1 mark. He scored a pair of tallies on three shots in a 4-1 victory at Eastern Illinois last Wednesday (Nov. 4).
In the Bulldogs' regular season finale against Creighton last Saturday (Nov. 7), he recorded a season-high six shots, including three on goal, en route to scoring two goals against the Bluejays. His first tally gave Drake a 1-0 lead and his second goal may have been his biggest of the season as with the Bulldogs trailing 3-2 he netted the equalizer with 1:50 left in regulation to send the contest into overtime where it ended in a 3-3 tie.
WEBB NAMED TO CSN NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
Garrett Webb was rewarded for his outstanding play a week ago as he was tabbed to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week after registering four goals in two games for the Bulldogs.
Webb capitalized on nearly every shot on goal he attempted against both Eastern Illinois and Creighton as he tallied four goals on only five shots on goal.
On the season, Webb leads Drake in goals (9), points (22), shots (41), shots on goal (20) and game-winners (2).
BULLDOGS HONOR EIGHT SENIORS
The Bulldogs honored eight seniors before their final regular season home contest versus Creighton last Saturday (Nov. 7) as Calvin Clark (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas), Brian Wurst (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill South), Julien Edwards (Ottawa, Ontario/De La Salle), Kevin Shrout (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit), Ted Schleisman (Verona, Wis./Middleton), Luke Gorczyca (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas), Webb and Tom Spiess (Roseville, Minn./Totino-Grace) were recognized for their career accomplishments.
DRAKE MVC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Drake maintains a 4-11-2 mark in 17 matches in MVC Championship history, including 2-6-1 under Sean Holmes. The Bulldogs have posted 0-5, 2-0 and 1-1-1 marks against Creighton, Evansville and Missouri State, respectively.
FOUR BULLDOGS EARN FIRST TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
Drake men's soccer earned recognition for its efforts in the classroom as four Bulldogs were tabbed as first team CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America all-district VII selections.
Named to the first team to remain in contention for national Academic All-America laurels are Matt Kuhn, Kevin Shrout, Calvin Clark and Brian Wurst.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable).
An accounting major, Kuhn maintains a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average. He has started all 19 games for Drake and leads the team in assists (7) and game-winning goals (2).
A management and marketing major, Shrout, who was named to the Hermann Award Watch List, owns a 3.4 GPA. He has started all 18 games he has played in and is second on the team in assists (5) and shots (38), while adding two goals.
Majoring in corporate finance, Clark boasts a 3.73 GPA. Starting all 19 games for Drake, Clark has recorded two goals and added an assist from his starting defender's slot. He is an anchor of a Bulldog defensive unit that has posted seven shutouts.
A management major, Wurst maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA. He has started all 19 games at his defender position for the Bulldogs, who have recorded seven shutouts this season.
MARCHING TOWARDS BULLDOG HISTORY
Garrett Webb has registered 27 goals in 75 career games, for fifth all-time at Drake. He is two goals from surpassing Dusty Grau (28/1998-01) for fourth place. Webb also ranks third in career points (69), fourth in games played (75), fifth in shots (152) and eighth in assists (15) for the Bulldogs. Matt Kuhn sits third in career assists (19), while senior Kevin Shrout has recorded 139 career shots and is five shots behind Dusty Grau (144/1998-01) for seventh all-time, while ranking ninth in career assists (12). Redshirt junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd ranks fifth, fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, in wins (21), shutouts (10.0), game played (34) and saves (102).
STINGY DEFENSE
The Drake defensive backline of starters in Julien Edwards, Calvin Clark, Brian Wurst and Nick Foster has teamed with goalkeepers Michael Drozd and redshirt sophomore Jordan Kadlec (Hiawatha, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy) to be one of the toughest teams in the MVC to score against in 10 league contests. The unit has surrendered 11 goals en route to posting three shutouts.
RAISING THE BAR
With the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory over Bradley on Oct. 28, the squad achieved double-figure wins in consecutive seasons for only the second time in school history and first since the 1987 and 1988 Drake teams won 11 and 10 games, respectively.
DEFENDING THY PITCH
Drake has done an outstanding job of defending its home turf in league contests as the Bulldogs own a 12-1-4 mark in their last 17 home MVC affairs. Drake's last league loss before falling to Missouri State, 2-1, on Oct. 17, came at home versus No. 7 Creighton on Oct. 23, 2004.
DRAKE EARNS FIRST-EVER VICTORY AT CREIGHTON
Sophomore Thomas Ostrander's (Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond Catholic) goal in the 48th minute (47:05) provided No. 19 Drake all the scoring it needed in a 1-0 victory over Creighton (Oct. 14) to earn the program's first-ever road victory against the Bluejays.
The win marked only the second triumph for Drake over Creighton, the preseason MVC favorite, in 27 meetings, and the first victory in Omaha in 15 games.
The setback dropped Creighton to 56-6-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 21-3-2 at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays had been 13-1-1 at home against nationally-ranked teams at Morrison Stadium before Drake's victory.
EARNING HIS POINT
Michael Drozd has been solid for the Bulldogs in net this season but his contributions have extended to the offensive end of the field as well. His booming leg has resulted in a pair of assists this season, including on Thomas Ostrander's game-winning goal with 1:37 left in regulation in a 1-0 victory over Evansville (Oct. 10). Drozd is believed to be the first Bulldog goalkeeper to register multiple assists in school history in a single season. He also added a helper on Matt Kuhn's game-winning tally versus Marquette.
OVER OUR LAST FIVE GAMES
The Bulldogs own a 2-2-1 mark in their last five contests, with three of the five occurring on the road. Five Drake players have registered a goal, with Garrett Webb leading the way with five of his team-high nine goals. Webb, Kenan Malicevic and Luke Gorczyca lead the team in scoring in that span with 16, five and five points, respectively. Webb paces Drake with 16 shots. Michael Drozd and Jordan Kadlec have been peppered by 77 shots in that span in goal, and have recorded 22 saves.
BULLDOGS BITES
•Drake's 2-1 victory over Bradley (Oct. 28) marked the 175th in the coaching career of head coach Sean Holmes.
• Thomas Ostrander has turned in a strong league campaign for the Bulldogs, having netted three goals in 10 games. His tally at Creighton gave the Bulldogs their first-ever victory at Creighton and only the second in series history.
• Drake has made a habit of attacking its league opponents early as the Bulldogs have outscored league opponents 10-4 in the first half.
• While the Bulldogs held a slight advantage over their opponents in shots in 10 MVC contests, 153-147, Drake has made its shots count as the Bulldogs maintain a 66-49 advantage in shots on goal.
• Senior Calvin Clark and Kenan Malicevic were named to the all-tournament team at the Holiday Inn at the Plaza UMKC Invitational. Malicevic led the Bulldogs with a pair of goals and an assist on a team-high seven shots in two games, while Clark added a goal on two shots.
• As a team, Drake ranks 14th, 52nd and 56th, respectively, in the NCAA in scoring offense (1.95), winning percentage (.632) and shutout percentage (0.37), while Garrett Webb is rated 43rd and 46th in goals per game (0.50) and points per game (1.22) and Matt Kuhn is ranked 75th in assists per game (0.37).
• After registering five shutouts a year ago, Michael Drozd picked up where he left off last season, having pitched shutouts against DePaul (2-0), Marquette (2-0), Western Illinois (1-0), Evansville (1-0) and Creighton (1-0), while sharing a combined shutout against Oral Roberts with Jordan Kadlec. Kadlec notched a shutout of his own in a 3-0 win versus Eastern Illinois (Oct. 21).
• Drozd also made his mark on Drake's 2-0 victory over the Golden Eagles by earning the assist on Matt Kuhn's game-winning goal.
• Kevin Shrout has converted both his penalty kicks this season against Marquette and Western Illinois.
• Webb has turned in his third, fourth and fifth multi-goal games of his career with his two tallies against DePaul, Eastern Illinois (Nov. 4) and Creighton (Nov. 7).
BULLDOGS DEFINE CHARACTER IN FACE OF ADVERSE CONDITIONS
In a testament to its character and credentials as a worthy NCAA Tournament team, Drake earned a 2-2 double-overtime tie at No. 17 Northwestern (Sept. 25) despite playing a man down for the final 31 minutes of regulation and overtime. The Bulldogs trailed in the contest, 2-1, with less than four minutes to play when Garrett Webb sent the game into overtime with the equalizer at the 86:30 mark. Drake had an opportunity to steal the victory in the second overtime as Calvin Clark's shot in the 107th minute (106:36) was corralled by Northwestern goalkeeper Jonathan Harris.
IN OUR EARLIER MEETING
Drake 1, Creighton 0 (Oct. 14, 2009)
OMAHA, NEB. - Thomas Ostrander's goal in the 48th minute (47:05) provided No. 19 Drake all the scoring it needed as the Bulldogs notched a 1-0 victory over Creighton to earn the program's first-ever road victory against the Bluejays.
The win marked only the second triumph for Drake over Creighton, the preseason MVC favorite, in 27 meetings, and the first victory in Omaha in 15 games.
Playing in a steady rain throughout the game, the two sides played a tightly fought affair in the first half with the Bluejays edging the Bulldogs in shots, 8-5.
Ostrander put Drake on the board in the 48th minute (47:05) on a header off the defender from a crossing pass by Garrett Webb. The goal was the third of the season for Ostrander and second consecutive game-winner.
The Bulldog's defensive unit again persevered, buckling down in the final 45 minutes to collect Drake's third consecutive shutout, despite being outshot, 11-2. Michael Drozd spearheaded that effort, pulling in three saves on the night.
Webb and Kevin Shrout paced the Drake attack with two shots apiece, while Creighton was directed by a five-shot effort from Jeff Thayer.
WEBB AND SHROUT NAMED TO HERMANN WATCH LIST
Drake men's soccer seniors Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout were among those named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List, considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer.
They became the first Drake players to be named to the list in program history, placing them among 38 Division I student-athletes that comprise the 2009 Watch List. Drake was one of five schools nationally to place two student-athletes on this prestigious list, joining Monmouth, Tulsa, UCLA and Wake Forest. Only Creighton and Loyola of Maryland had more nominees with three apiece.
The recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the NSCAA. Fifteen semifinalists are to be selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. The finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 8, 2010, where the winner will be announced with a presentation banquet following.
HERMANN AWARD UPDATE
Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout, Drake's Hermann Award candidates, continue to shine for the Bulldogs this season.
Garrett Webb
2009 - Has started all 18 games he has played in and leads the Bulldogs in goals (9), points (22), shots (41), shots on goal (20) and game-winners (2)...has posted back-to-back multiple-goal efforts against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 4) and Creighton (Nov. 7)...has registered five of his team-leading nine goals in the last three games...collected a team season-high six shots including netting the equalizer with 1:50 left in regulation versus the Bluejays in a 3-3 double-overtime tie...earned MVC Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his efforts against Eastern Illinois and Creighton as well as being named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week...scored game-tying goal that forced overtime at No. 25 Missouri State...credited with assist on Thomas Ostrander's game-winning goal to provide Drake with a 1-0 victory at Creighton, its first-ever win on the Bluejays' home field and only the second in series history...earned assist on Ostrander's game-winning goal with 1:37 left in regulation in a 1-0 victory over Evansville, who came into the game as the top-scoring unit in the MVC...added an assist in a 3-1 road victory at Bradley, Drake's first win on the Braves' home field since 2002...registered a game-tying goal and an assist in the Bulldogs' 2-2 double-overtime tie at No.17 Northwestern...netted both goals in Drake's 2-0 season-opening victory over DePaul...accounted for the Bulldogs' lone tally against No. 22 Michigan...owns the top individual game marks for Drake in goals (2), while recording a team-best five shots in a 2-1 win at UAB...ranks second in the MVC in goals per game (0.50) and in points per game (1.22), fourth in game-winning goals (0.11) and fifth in shots per contest (2.28).
Kevin Shrout
2009 - Has started all 18 contests for Drake in which he has played and is second on the team in shots (38) and assists (5)...collected assist on Thomas Ostrander's goal against Missouri State...registered game-winning tally on a second-half penalty kick at Western Illinois in a 1-0 Bulldog victory, their first over the Leathernecks since 2003...named MVC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5)...recorded pair of assists from his defender's slot in a 3-1 road victory at Bradley, Drake's first win on the Braves' home field since 2002...first goal of the season came after he converted a successful penalty kick versus Marquette...registered a team season-high five shots against No. 22 Michigan...added four shots in a 2-0 victory over Marquette...ranks eighth in the MVC in both assists (0.28) and shots (2.11) per game.
WINS VERSUS LOSSES
In their 11 victories this season, the Bulldogs are averaging 15.3 shots, 5.2 corner kicks and 3.2 saves, while their opponents garner 11.4 shots, 5.1 corner kicks and 4.3 saves. In its six setbacks, Drake is recording 14.2 shots, 6.3 corners and 2.2 saves, while seeing the opposition average 11.7 shots, 3.7 corners and 4.8 saves per game.
UP NEXT
A victory by Drake and it advances to its first-ever appearance in the finals of the MVC Championship. A loss and the Bulldogs will need to await the announcement of NCAA Tournament pairings next Monday (Nov. 16) to see if their body of work is worthy of their second straight at-large tournament berth.
