BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Senior
James Wypych (Wellington, New Zealand) scored a golden goal with less than two minutes remaining in the first overtime session to lift the Drake men's soccer team past CSU Bakersfield, 1-0, late Sunday, Aug. 28 in Bakersfield, Calif.
Drake (1-1) and CSU Bakersfield (1-1) finished with nearly identical statistics in the non-conference match. However, it was Wypych's header five yards out off a cross from freshman
Antonio Sanchez (Coralville, Iowa) that provided the game winner and gave the Bulldogs their first win of the season.
"Tonight was an excellent performance and win," said head coach
Gareth Smith. "We purposely kicked off the season with two tough games on the road to challenge ourselves and that is what this weekend accomplished. We showed tremendous character and mental toughness to beat a good Bakersfield team, especially when playing with ten men most of the second half and in overtime."
Drake's defense was led by senior goalkeeper
Darrin MacLeod (Waterloo, Ontario), who finished with three saves and posted his first shutout on the season and the 16
th in his decorated career. MacLeod is now the all-time leader in program history in shutouts for a goalkeeper.
"Congratulations to Darrin on the all-time record for most career shutouts," Smith said of his senior goalkeeper's record night. "This is a remarkable achievement from a very talented young goalkeeper who has a very bright future in the game."
Wypych and junior
Steven Enna (Overland Park, Kan.) led the Bulldogs with three shots and each had one shot on goal. It was Sanchez's first-ever career assist.
The Bulldogs played the final 25 minutes of regulation and the first overtime session a man down after senior
Andre Heine (Furtwangen, Germany) earned two yellow cards for a red card and automatic ejection.
Drake returns to action later this week when it plays at Omaha on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
