WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's soccer team improved to 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play with its 2-0 victory over Illinois State Saturday, Sept. 29 night at Tiger Field in West Des Moines, Iowa in cold and wet conditions. The match was moved from the Cownie Soccer Complex due to unplayable field conditions from the heavy rain in the metro area the past two days.
 
Drake (5-7-0, 2-0-0 MVC) and Illinois State (6-5-2, 1-1-0 MVC) were scoreless at halftime as neither team was able to generate much offense. The Bulldogs and Redbirds swapped shots early in the second half before freshman Alison Walls (Kansas City, Mo.) scored her third goal of the season in the 65^th minute (65:06) off an assist from Vanessa Kavan (Lincoln, Neb.). Minutes later, sophomore Olivia Bruce (Lakeville, Minn.) sealed it with her third goal this year after she collected a loose ball off a shot by freshman Halie Reznik (Cumming, Iowa) that Illinois State goalkeeper, Haley Smith, saved but couldn't hold on to as Bruce rushed in and hammered it home. Bruce and Walls are tied for the team lead in goals with three.
 
"This was an exciting game with moments when we had the run of play and moments when we were absorbing pressure," said head coach Lindsey Horner. "I was pleased with our ability to translate our week of training on to the field tonight. For the most part we were organized defensively and were a collective block. Our defensive errors were erased by Kelsie Stone, as she showcased how good she is at shot stopping tonight."
 
Drake sophomore goalkeeper Kelsie Stone (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) finished with five saves in the Bulldogs' second-straight shutout and third clean sheet of the year. The Bulldogs have beat the Redbirds in back-to-back campaigns for the first time since 2004 and 2005.
 
"Illinois State is a good team, and the pace of the slick turf made for a fast-paced game. Our midfield was very good at putting their stamp on the game. Sam Nosler (Westfield, Ind.) was superb in the air and Cassie Rohan (Palatine, Ill.) and Hannah Bormann (Amana, Iowa) were not only workers but clever on the ball.  Alison Walls' goal was special and a well-deserved point for Vanessa Kavan who is a big part of our attack.  We were looking to be aggressive on the flank, so very pleased with Halie Reznik's and Annie Schmitz's (St. Louis, Mo.) mindset to get after their outside back and run at her.  When Olivia Bruce is active in the box, she can be a handful, so that's great for her to get rewarded with a goal. The energy level and focus to perform was very high from our team, as it will need to be when we go to Loyola. This will be an important week in training for us to continue to build on our last two MVC games."
 
Following Saturday's home game, Drake plays at Loyola Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. The game at Loyola Soccer Park will be streamed on ESPN3. The two teams are tied for first place in the MVC standings.