DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake and Missouri State battled to a scoreless draw in the Missouri Valley Conference regular season finale for both teams on Saturday night at the Cownie Soccer Complex.
 
Missouri State (9-4-2, 5-2-1 MVC) clinched the outright MVC regular season title with the draw. Drake (5-10-2, 2-4-2 MVC) will be No. 7 seed for the upcoming MVC Tournament, Nov. 7-8-10-12 hosted by Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. The Bulldogs will play No. 6 seed, Valparaiso, on Tuesday at noon in the tournament's play-in game. The match will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3. The Crusaders, who are in their first year in the MVC, rallied to beat the Bulldogs, 3-2, in double overtime on Sept. 16 at Cownie.
 
"Proud of our effort and application this evening," said head coach Gareth Smith. "We invested a lot and created enough chances to win it, but just lacked that finishing touch to take all three points. It is a great indication of our capability and potential when you consider we have beat the league champions and probably should have taken more from the game tonight. We showed great commitment to both sides of the game tonight and displayed great desire to win the match. Congratulations to Missouri State on being league champions, they are worthy of the title and defended very well this evening."
 
"We look forward to the conference tournament play next week against Valpo," Smith said. "Anything can happen in tournament play so it is all up for the taking!"
 
Against the Bears, junior Nic Jaimes (Olathe, Kan.) recorded a game-high five shots, including three on goal. Jaimes had a dangerous left-footed attempt from the top of the 18-yard box late in the second period that just missed left. In the first extra period, freshman Stafford Dowling (Hamilton, New Zealand) nearly headed in a golden goal off a corner kick by Aleksi Tuominen (Helsinki, Finland), but Missouri State goalkeeper Liam Priestly saved it. Tuominen nearly scored on a long free kick late in the first half, but Priestly made a nice save.
 
Missouri State outshout Drake, 18-9, in the match with Dowling's shot the only attempt be either team in the two overtimes. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs upset the Bears, 2-1, in Springfield, Mo. As the top seed for the MVC Tournament, Missouri State receives a bye to the semifinals on Nov. 10.
 
Drake freshman goalkeeper Caden McCullough (Evansville, Ind.), who earlier this week was named MVC Defensive Player of the Week, made five saves against the Bears.