DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake men's soccer won their third-consecutive contest this evening in a 1-0 shutout victory over SIUE. The Bulldogs improved their record to 4-1-2 overall and 2-0 in league action while SIUE dropped to 3-5-2 overall and 0-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Both teams felt each other out in the opening stages of the game with very little aggressive action. Despite SIUE owning the time of possession battle in the first half, Drake was able to strike first.
Damian Segura delivered a long pass to
AJ Franklin who corralled the pass and fired it past the Cougar keeper for the game's lone score. Franklin's goal came in the 28th minute.
Trailing 1-0 after halftime, SIUE amped up their offensive pressure in the second period. The Cougars outshot Drake 15-2 in the second half and attempted four corner kicks to the Bulldogs' zero. The Drake defense was up to the challenge, however, and matched every SIUE attack.
Franklin's first-half goal was eventually the difference as Drake's defense, led by goalkeeper
Jonathan Burke and defender
Declan Watters, kept the Cougars off the board for the 1-0 win.
Franklin not only scored the contest's only goal, but also led the Bulldogs with three shots and two shots on goal.
Jonathan Burke recorded five key saves in the win.
"Tonight was difficult," Drake head coach
Pat Flinn expressed. "SIUE is very good and caused a lot of problems, especially in the second half. I'm so proud of our team's willingness to compete and battle. We have to continue finding ways to improve, but it was a big result coming off a long break between games. Jon Burke and
Declan Watters were especially big in defensive moments."
Drake will hit the road for their next two contests with an MVC tilt at Bradley on Wednesday, Oct. 5 and a non-conference battle with the Badgers of Wisconsin on Monday, Oct. 10.
Notes
- Declan Watters and Valdemar Nambo were the only two Bulldogs, other than Franklin, to attempt a shot.
- Saturday's win came in Drake's first contest in exactly two weeks.
- AJ Franklin is now tied for the third-most goals in The Valley this season with five.
