DES MOINES, Iowa – Coming off a pair of wins to open its home slate, the Drake University women's soccer team will host No. 16 Wisconsin on Thursday at 7 p.m. A noon matinee on Sunday against South Dakota State ends the weekend.
 
Drake (3-2) rallied for a 2-1 victory over UMKC and then shutout North Dakota State, 2-0, last weekend at the Cownie Soccer Complex. It was the first home action for the Bulldogs, who played both their exhibition contests and first three regular season matches on the road.
 
In the comeback over the Kangaroos, redshirt senior Rebecca Rodgers (Peotone, Ill.) scored her first goal since 2015 and senior Ali Smith (Lenexa, Kan.) scored her first career goal. In the win over the Bison, freshman Olivia Bruce (Lakeville, Minn.) recorded her first goal and sophomore Shelley Lyjak (Bartlett, Ill.) added her first goal of 2017 in the team's second shutout. Senior goalkeeper Haley Morris (Clive, Iowa) started the second half against UMKC and played the entire match against NDSU. Morris finished with six saves in the two wins.
 
Wisconsin (5-1) travels to Des Moines coming off one of the most historic weeks in program history after it upset then No. 3 Virginia, 1-0, on the road. The program's highest ranked win helped the Badgers move to No. 16 in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll. Wisconsin's trio of Caitlyn Clem, Dani Rhodes and Lauren Rice swept the Big Ten Conference's weekly awards. Clem, a goalkeeper, was Defensive Player of the Week while Rhodes was co-freshman of the week and Rice was co-offensive player of the week. Drake and Wisconsin met for the first time ever in 2016 as the teams battled to a scoreless draw in Madison, Wis.
 
South Dakota State (2-3) beat Creighton, 3-2, in its last game behind a golden goal by sophomore Leah Manuleleua in the 93^rd minute. Manuleleua's golden goal earned her Summit League co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Jackrabbits will play at UNI on Friday night before making the short trip to Des Moines. SDSU beat Drake, 3-0, last season in Brookings, S.D., and hold a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series.
 
Following this week's home matches, Drake travels west to Omaha, Neb. to take on former MVC rival, Creighton, on Sept. 13.