LOVES PARK, ILL. -- The Drake men's soccer team opened its season with a scoreless draw against Loyola Sunday afternoon at the Sportsscore Two Complex in Loves Park, Ill.  

In 110 minutes of play, Drake took six shots with three on goal. Jaffer Murphy ended with two shots on goal for the Bulldogs and senior Leroy Enzugusi tallied one.  

"As always a very good competitive battle when we visit Loyola. Overall a very strong performance," said head coach Gareth Smith. "I thought we could and should have pushed on to win it as we created enough moments over the course of the game to take the 3 points."

In the 39th minute, Murphy put a shot on goal for the Bulldogs that was turned away by Loyola goalkeeper Marcel Kampman. Two minutes later, the Ramblers generated their own attempt from Oscar Dueso, but Drake's Jared Brown made the save to preserve a scoreless first half. 

Both teams had chances in the final minutes as Drake's Murphy attempted a header in the final minute of regulation, but the shot was stopped again by Kampman to force extra time. 

Minutes earlier, Loyola's Fabian Becerra attempted a shot on goal in the 96th minute but was stopped by Brown. Brown finished the match with three saves to earn the clean sheet.  

Brown successfully defended the one shot he faced on goal in the overtime periods while Drake's offense generated one opportunity in the 109th minute that was blocked. 

Smith said, "Collectively a good performance both with and without the ball. We started the game very well and had a large portion of the possession and territory for the first half but just couldn't quite capitalize on the chances we created. From a defensive perspective, I was pleased with our commitment and organization collectively, especially our back line which was led exceptionally well by our captain Lucas Bartlett."

The Ramblers outshot the Bulldogs 8-6, but both teams had three shots on goal. 

The Bulldogs head west to take on Missouri State March 4, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. at Drake Stadium.