SEPTEMBER 24, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake
men's soccer team fired salvo after salvo against No. 20 Northern Illinois
(7-1) but in the end the Bulldogs (5-4-1) couldn't erase a first-half Huskies'
goal en route to dropping a 1-0 setback on Saturday (Sept. 24).
"I thought we played with a lot of heart and intensity but our mental
breakdown was our undoing," Drake head coach Sean Holmes commented.
"We created a lot of chances, but only after we were down a goal and
forced to play with some urgency."
"Northern Illinois is probably the most physical and competitive team we
will play all year and we have to be prepared to compete with that. Sports falls somewhere on the art
versus war continuum and tonight it looked more liked a pitched battle."
Drake was shutout in a home setback for the first time since Sept. 29,
2006, a 2-0 loss to Central Arkansas.
"I can't remember the last time we were shutout at home and this is a
team that I think is always capable of scoring, but at some point we have to
stop giving up soft goals," said Holmes.
The "Greenest Game on Grass" contest proved to be a back-and-forth
affair as Drake registered a 13-10 advantage in shots, including holding
Northern Illinois without a second-half attempt until the 78th minute (77:04).
The initial stanza began in stark contrast as Northern Illinois recorded
the game's first four shots before senior Charles Schwartz (Bettendorf, Iowa) was credited with the Bulldogs' first shot at
the 25:40 mark.
A defensive misplay allowed James Stevenson to net what proved to be the
game-winning tally in the 26th minute (25:30).
Drake had several solid scoring opportunities in the final 45 minutes,
with the strongest coming on a header by senior Thomas Ostrander (Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond Catholic) at the
68:36 mark that only a sprawling save by NIU goalkeeper Jordan Godsey prevented
a tie contest.
Schwartz and fellow senior Matt Kuhn (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) followed with outstanding scoring
chances in the 78th (77:54) and 83rd minutes (82:18), respectively, but both failed
to deliver goals.
"We had lots of good work from a lot of different guys and when we
eventually fire on all cylinders for a full 90 minutes, we'll get the results
we want," Holmes stated.
Drake was paced by four shots from Schwartz, while Ostrander, Kuhn and
sophomore Bryan Jantsch (Mission
Hills, Kan./Rockhurst) added three, two and two shots, respectively. The Huskies were sparked by a game-high
seven shots courtesy of Isaac Kannah.
Godsey pulled in seven saves for Northern Illinois, while senior Jordan Kadlec (Hiawatha, Iowa/Kennedy)
had five stops for the Bulldogs.
Drake will now have a full week off before welcoming Saint Louis,
10-time NCAA champions, for the Ralph Gross Classic at the Cownie Soccer
Complex next Saturday (Oct. 1). The game will mark the Billikens first-ever road appearance against the Bulldogs.
"I'm excited we now have seven days for the first time all season to
prepare for an opponent and I imagine we'll be ready for Saint Louis next
Saturday night," Holmes explained.
