CHICAGO, ILL. - Playing in the final contest of a grueling seven-game road swing to begin its season, the Drake women's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision at DePaul on Sunday (Sept. 12).

The loss dipped the Bulldogs' record to 3-2-2 on the year, while the Blue Demons moved their ledger to 4-2-2 overall.

"We played some of our best possession soccer today, but our ability to break teams down in the final third has to be better," Drake head coach Lindsey Horner commented.  "DePaul's defenders absorbed or disrupted any counter chances we had. Too often this afternoon we lacked someone that was willing to take over the game, and as a group we made the game harder than it needed to be by being quiet and reacting.   With so many new faces filling bigger roles, our players have to be willing to get out of their comfort zone in order for us to take steps forward."

Lauren Pagone gave DePaul an early 1-0 advantage striking a header off a feed from Tara Strickland that beat Bulldog freshman goalkeeper Kalena Litch (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) at the 9:44 mark of the first half.

Callie Hemming extended the lead to 2-0 driving in a header off Rebekah Roller's corner kick in the 63rd minute (62:34).

Litch finished the affair with four saves, while pacing Drake in shots were sophomore Laura Moklestad (Des Moines, Iowa/Roosevelt) and freshmen Brittany Schuling (Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar), Megan Fisher (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) and Paige Dusek (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) with one apiece.

Pagone and Arianna Foster directed the Blue Demons with a game-high three shots each.

Drake opens its home campaign on Friday (Sept. 17) as the Bulldogs host UMKC in a 7:00 p.m. contest at the Cownie Soccer Complex.