Off to the best start in program history, Drake concludes its seven-match season-opening road trip with a visit to DePaul on Sunday (Sept. 12).  Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEMONS
DePaul (3-2-1) enters action this week following a 1-0-1 mark last weekend in home matches versus Missouri and Miami University.  The Blue Demons earned a 1-1 double-overtime tie against the Tigers last Friday (Sept. 3) before besting the Redhawks, 3-2, on Sunday (Sept. 5).  DePaul will visit Michigan State on Friday (Sept. 10) before hosting the Bulldogs.  Senior Callie Hemming paces the Blue Demons in goals (2) and assists (2).  Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Hanold owns a 0.94 goals against average for DePaul, while recording 28 saves.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs square off for the fourth time in program history with DePaul.  Drake owns a 2-0-1 record in the previous three encounters, including a 0-0 double-overtime tie last season at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

THE COACHES
DePaul: Erin Chastain is in her fourth season leading the Blue Demons, registering a 22-39-4 (.369) record.
Drake: In her third season on the Drake sidelines as head coach is Lindsey Horner, who owns a 20-20-6 record (.500).

DRAKE HEAD COACH LINDSEY HORNER
Lindsey Horner is in her third season leading the Drake women's soccer program after serving five years (2003-08) as assistant coach for the Bulldogs.

Horner was named to her position on April 10, 2008, becoming only the second head coach for women's soccer, which began as a varsity sport in 2002.

Horner guided the Bulldogs to a 9-9-1 mark in 2009.  Earning first team All-MVC honors was senior Elizabeth Woerle, while fellow seniors Blair Nelson and Crystal Townley collected second team laurels.  Receiving All-MVC honorable mention recognition were seniors Rachel Gielau and Melissa Lewis, along with junior Bailey Dorrington.  Laura Moklestad was selected to the MVC All-Freshmen squad.  Lewis also earned first team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete honors for the second consecutive year.

In her first season leading the Bulldogs, Drake posted an 8-10-1 mark in 2008, including a 4-2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference. Senior Katie Sauer was tabbed a first team All-MVC selection, while then senior Jenny Schroeder and juniors Elizabeth Woerle and Crystal Townley were chosen as second team All-MVC selections.  Juniors Blair Nelson and Melissa Lewis gained honorable mention all-league accolades, while freshmen Samantha Knosby and Danielle Figliola were named to the All-MVC Freshman team.

Off the field, Drake maintained a collective 3.25 grade point average with Schroeder and Lewis tabbed as first team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete selections.

Horner was the Bulldogs' top assistant from 2003-08. During her tenure, the Bulldogs compiled a 56-35-9 record, winning four Missouri Valley Conference regular season championships, while competing in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. She assisted in all facets of the Bulldog soccer program and served as camp director of the Premier Soccer camps.

Horner has been involved with the Iowa Olympic Development Program since 2004.  She plans to assist with the 1996 girls squad this season.

She has worked with several youth clubs as a clinician and a coach; most recently coaching the U-13 Iowa State Cup champions.

In 2002, Horner was a sports marketing intern for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association, where she was invited to try out for the team and also was a coach for Freedom camps and clinics.

Horner, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, was a four-year letterwinner at Kansas, being named the Jayhawks' most valuable offensive player as a senior in 2000. She was an all-academic Big 12 Conference selection in the spring of 2001 and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree from the school of education, majoring in exercise science with an emphasis in sports management. She is working towards a master's degree in adult learning and organizational performance.

She also helped the Kansas women's basketball team to a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference Tournament while making  an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1997.

Horner holds a Premier Coaching Diploma from the NSCAA and a 'B' license from USSF.

DENVER HANDS DRAKE ITS FIRST LOSS, 4-1
Drake suffered its first loss of the campaign falling 4-1 to Denver in the championship game of the Denver Invitational on Monday (Sept. 6).

The Pioneers scored a mere 23 seconds into the tilt on the first of two goals from Kalie Vaughn and never looked back en route to victory.

The lead swelled to 4-0 before freshman Generve Charles (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East) collected her first career goal at the 63:14 mark for Drake to establish the final margin.  Fellow rookie Brittany Schuling (Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar) earned the assist on the tally.

The Bulldogs were outshot in the contest, 16-6, with Kaitlin Bast, who also scored two goals for Denver, pacing all players with five shots.  Drake was directed by a two-shot performance from junior Danielle Figliola (Longmont, Colo./Silver Creek).

Freshman Kalena Litch (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) recorded the only three saves in the game for the Bulldogs.

BULLDOGS DOWN UNLV, 2-1
A pair of first-half goals from freshmen Megan Fisher (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) and Paige Dusek (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) propelled Drake to a 2-1 victory over UNLV last Saturday (Sept. 4) in the opening round of the Denver Invitational.

UNLV came into the contest ranked 10th in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) regional poll in the Pacific district.

The Bulldogs broke into the scoring column first, converting a successful penalty kick from Fisher at the 8:58 mark of the first half.  The play was set up when Brittany Schuling served a corner kick into the box to Fisher, who headed the ball on goal, but the UNLV defender was whistled for a handball to set the stage for the penalty kick.

Dusek scored what proved to be the game-winner for Drake in the 45th minute (44:36) knocking in a shot over Rebel goalkeeper Kylie Wassell off a free kick from Fisher.

The Bulldogs did their damage in the initial stanza despite being outshot by UNLV, 11-4, and 24-5 in the game.

Kalena Litch nearly netted her fourth shutout of the campaign, but Amanda Forrester found the back of the net with an unassisted goal for the Rebels at the 78:02 mark to provide the final 2-1 margin.  Litch finished the contest with eight saves.

Fisher sparked Drake with a team-high two shots, while Ashleigh Shoughro paced UNLV with a game-high nine shots.

BULLDOG BITES

• Brittany Schuling's goal against North Dakota snapped a scoreless draught of nearly 491 minutes for the Bulldogs dating back to Laura Moklestad's goal in the final minute of Drake's 3-1 MVC Tournament victory over Indiana State on Nov. 1, 2009.
• Drake's five-match unbeaten streak was its longest since winning six consecutive road contests spanning the last five road games of the 2006 campaign and first road tilt in 2007.
• Kalena Litch has gotten her collegiate career off to a strong start as the goalkeeper, registering three shutouts in Drake's first six contests and owns a 0.93 GAA. Her 10 saves against Iowa State marked the most for the Bulldogs since recording 11 against Colorado on Oct. 24, 2008.
• Drake's consecutive road shutouts at Iowa State and Green Bay marked the fifth time in program history that the Bulldogs have accomplished that feat (road and/or neutral) and first since 3-0 and 1-0 road wins at South Dakota and Western Illinois last season.
• Drake's Most Valuable Player honoree in the Denver Invitational tournament was Megan Fisher, while Litch, redshirt junior Ali Walsh (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) and Schuling were selected to the all-tournament team.

ON THIS DATE IN BULLDOG HISTORY
Drake will be playing in its third match in program history on Sept. 12 when it squares off with DePaul on Sunday, having earned a 1-1 double-overtime tie with Pacific in 2004 after dropping a 2-0 decision at Air Force in 2003.

LITCH NAMED MVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Missouri Valley Conference announced that Kalena Litch was named the league's Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 23.

It marked both the first time a Bulldog has been recognized this season and the initial honor for Litch in her Drake career.

Turning in a brilliant start to her collegiate career, Litch posted back-to-back road shutouts at Iowa State and Green Bay.

In her collegiate debut, she registered a career-best 10 saves en route to helping Drake earn its second consecutive scoreless draw against the Cyclones on Aug. 20.  Litch followed her effort versus Iowa State with a three-save performance against Green Bay on Aug. 22.  

WINS VERSUS LOSSES
In their three victories, the Bulldogs are registering 11.3 shots, 3.0 corner kicks and 6.0 saves, while their opponent are recording 18.7 shots, 5.3 corner kicks and 4.7 saves.  In its lone loss, Drake recorded 6.0 shots, 2.0 corner kicks and 3.0 saves, while surrendering 16.0 shots and 3.0 corner kicks.

IN OUR LAST MEETING
Drake 0, DePaul 0 (2OT) (Sept. 6, 2009)
DES MOINES, IOWA - On the strength of the first career shutout for goalkeeper Kourtney Arnold (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk), Drake battled No. 20 DePaul to a 0-0 double-overtime draw at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

The Bulldogs earned a result over a ranked opponent for the first time since playing No. 14 Marquette to a scoreless tie on Sept. 1, 2006.

Both sides had their opportunities in regulation to crack the scoring column but each goalkeeper came up with clutch saves.  The Blue Demons outshot Drake in the first 90 minutes, 15-9, before the Bulldogs garnered the advantage in overtime, 5-2, including 4-0 in the second bonus session.

Nearly stealing the victory in the final seconds of the second overtime period was Drake as the Bulldogs pushed the ball into the DePaul box only to be stymied on Lauren Berner's (Omaha, Neb./Westside) attempt at a game-winner.

Arnold pulled in a game-high seven saves in the Bulldogs' first shutout of the season, while her counterpart for the Blue Demons, Claire Hanold, recorded five stops. 

Seniors Crystal Townley and Blair Nelson directed Drake with a team-high four shots apiece.  

MOKLESTAD EARNS PRESEASON ALL-MVC HONOR
Sophomore forward Laura Moklestad was among 15 players tabbed by a vote of the seven Missouri Valley Conference head women's soccer coaches to the All-MVC Preseason squad.

Moklestad was named to the honorable mention team after turning in a breakout rookie campaign, appearing in all 21 games, including 12 starts.  She led the squad in assists (5), while ranking second in goals (5) and points (5) and fourth in shots (26) and shots on goal (12) en route to being named to the All-MVC Freshman unit.  

PRESEASON MVC POLL TABS DRAKE FIFTH
Drake was picked to finish fifth in the MVC Coaches Preseason poll with 19 points.  Pegged ahead of the Bulldogs are Evansville (23 points), Missouri State (36 points), Creighton (37 points) and league favorite Illinois State (46 points).  Rounding out the poll was Indiana State (19 points) and Northern Iowa (16 points).

UP NEXT
After their first seven matches occurring away from home, the Bulldogs open their home slate hosting UMKC and Wyoming on Sept. 17 and Sept. 19, respectively.  The showdown with the Kangaroos is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start at the Cownie Soccer Complex, while the game with the Cowgirls will commence at noon in Drake Stadium.