DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's soccer program will have a challenging 17-game schedule for the 2017 season, head coach Gareth Smith announced Monday, July 24.
 
"We are pleased with our 2017 schedule," Smith said. "As a coaching staff, we worked hard to build a demanding schedule against some of the top teams in the country, at Denver and Creighton as well as hosting Notre Dame in an exhibition. We also have very strong teams within our conference that will bring the best out in us. We are eager to get the ball rolling on report date (Aug.8). We have a good balance of youth and experience in the squad and our guys are hungry to push themselves to be the best version of themselves."
 
Drake will prepare for the regular season with a home exhibition contest against Notre Dame on Aug. 16 at Cownie Soccer Complex. The Irish advanced to the third round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Northern Illinois will be the Bulldogs' final exhibition opponent on Aug. 20 at Cownie.
 
Drake opens the season with four road matches, beginning Aug. 27 at Xavier in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Bulldogs then travel to Denver, Colo. for a pair of matches, starting first with a neutral contest versus Air Force on Sept. 1, before taking on Denver on Sept. 3. The Pioneers lost to Wake Forest in the semifinals of the 2016 NCAA College Cup. Drake's final away match in the road trip will be at DePaul on Sept. 8.
 
Western Michigan visits Cownie on Sept. 10 in the Bulldogs' home opener. Drake then travels to Green Bay on Sept. 13 before staring Missouri Valley Conference play with newcomer, Valparaiso, on Sept. 16 at Cownie. The Crusaders matched a program record with 10 wins in 2016. Drake then visits Western Illinois on Sept. 20 before returning home to host UMKC on Sept. 23. 
 
The Bulldogs next have two MVC road matches, at Central Arkansas on Sept. 26, and at Bradley on Sept. 30. Drake starts the month of October with a home match against Loyola on Oct. 7. The Bulldogs play at former MVC rival, Creighton, in their final non-conference match on Oct. 10. The Bluejays advanced to the third round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
 
Drake's remaining four regular season matches will be against two different MVC opponents in Evansville and Missouri State. The Bulldogs visit Missouri State on Oct. 14, host Evansville on Oct. 21, travel to Evansville on Oct. 28 and welcome Missouri State on Nov. 4 to close the regular season.
 
"The early season back-to-back road games against Xavier, Denver, Airforce, and DePaul will test our resilience and resolve, but these will be good opportunities to set the foundation for conference play later in the season, Smith said. "We are excited about the changes in the league and the addition of Valparaiso who are a very strong program and will bring a fresh challenge to the conference."
 
The 2017 MVC Tournament will be held Nov. 7-12 in Peoria, Ill.
 
2017 Drake Men's Soccer Schedule
Date                Opponent                 
Aug. 12           Iowa Western (exhibition)
Aug. 16           Notre Dame (exhibition)
Aug. 20           Northern Illinois (exhibition)
Aug. 27            at Xavier
Sept. 1             vs. Air Force (Denver, Colo.)
Sept. 3             at Denver
Sept. 8             at DePaul
Sept. 10          Western Michigan
Sept. 13           at Green Bay
Sept. 16          Valparaiso*
Sept. 20           at Western Illinois
Sept. 23          UMKC
Sept. 26           at Central Arkansas*
Sept. 30           at Bradley*
Oct. 7              Loyola*
Oct. 10            at Creighton
Oct. 14            at Missouri State*
Oct. 21            Evansville*
Oct. 28            at Evansville*
Nov. 4             Missouri State*
Nov. 8-12        MVC Tournament!
 
Home games in bold (Cownie Soccer Complex, Des Moines, Iowa)
* MVC match
# Held in Peoria, Ill.