Drake Advances To MVC Championship Semifinals With 3-2 Win Past Loyola

DES MOINES, Iowa - Senior Ashlie Stokes (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North) registered two goals, including the game-winning tally in the 62nd minute (61:11), to lift the Drake women's soccer team to a 3-2 victory past Loyola (5-13-1) on Sunday (Nov. 2) in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

With the triumph, the Bulldogs (9-8-2) advance for the second consecutive campaign to the semifinal round where Drake will battle second-seeded Evansville on Friday (Nov. 7) at 3:36 p.m. in Normal, Ill.

The Bulldogs garnered the early momentum in the affair as sophomore Kayla Armstrong (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) netted her fourth goal of the season only 44 seconds into the contest to give Drake a 1-0 lead.

Stokes stretched the margin to 2-0 at the 21:46 mark capitalizing on a shot from Armstrong outside of the box that was deflected by sophomore Rebecca Rodgers (Peotone, Ill./Peotone) to Stokes, who flicked in the feed for her third goal on the year.

The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead into the intermission on the strength of a 10-6 shot advantage.

The Ramblers proved to be the aggressors in the second half as Loyola outshot Drake over the final 45 minutes, 14-2, and 20-12, including 9-8 on goal, for the game.

The offensive resurgence for the Ramblers resulted in a goal by Moriah Schwartz in the 57th minute (56:57) to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 2-1.

Just over four minutes later (61:11) Stokes garnered what proved to be the game-winning tally off an assist from junior Alex Freeman (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East).

Valerie Gonyo edged Loyola back to a one-goal differential netting her fifth goal of the season at the 88:03 mark.

The Bulldogs though kept the Ramblers at bay over the final two minutes to secure the triumph.

A game-high six-shot effort by Gonyo led Loyola. Stokes registered a team-best five shots, including four on goal, to pace Drake's offensive attack. With her five shots, Stokes moved past Elizabeth Woerle (2006-2009) into third place all-time at Drake in shots with 170.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kylynn Moyer (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) collected a game-high seven saves for the Bulldogs, while Monica Gonyo pulled in five stops for the Ramblers.