DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's soccer team hosts Oral Roberts Friday night in the 2018 season opener at the Cownie Soccer Complex. First kick with the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Following Friday's match, Drake has a quick turnaround as it visits No. 12 Butler Monday night in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
Drake has 28 student-athletes, including 18 letterwinners from 2017, on its roster for the 2018 season. The Bulldogs have just four seniors and 16 student-athletes are freshmen or sophomores. Eight newcomers joined the program, including four Division I transfers that bring significant experience to the young roster. The four returning seniors, Paul Ciszewski (Germantown, Wis.), Steven Enna (Overland Park, Kan.), Nic Jaimes (Olathe, Kan.) and Ryan Merideth (East Moline, Ill.) have a wealth of experience with a combined 212 career matches played.
 
Drake receives a boost with the return of Enna for the 2018 season. Enna, who has scored 12 goals in his career, played in just two matches last season due to injury, and received a medical hardship for 2018. He has played in 53 career matches with 44 starts and received Missouri Valley Conference honorable mention honors in 2016.
 
Sophomore Leroy Enzuguzi had an outstanding freshman campaign, scoring a team-high five goals, and it was capped with MVC honorable mention accolades. Drake scored 19 goals in 2017 with student-athletes back for the 2018 season which scored 14 of those goals.
 
Oral Roberts owned a 4-11-1 record in 2017. The Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles are playing for the ninth time in the series and the first time since 2011. Drake holds a 6-1-1 mark in the head-to-head series. After its match in Des Moines, Oral Roberts plays at MVC member, Bradley, Sunday.
 
Butler opens its season Friday at No. 6 Akron. The Butler Bulldogs and the Drake Bulldogs are meeting for just the second time ever with the first match coming in 2015. Butler won that game, 4-0.
 
Drake returns to Cownie Aug. 31 for a match against UIC. First kick with the Flames is scheduled for 5 p.m. and it will be shown on ESPN+.