DES MOINES, Iowa – Emma Nagel's lone goal proved to be the deciding factor in the Drake women's soccer team's 1-0 victory over the Belmont Bruins on Thursday, Oct. 20 at Drake Stadium. The Bulldogs improved to 4-7-6 (3-2-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play) in the crucial decision to leapfrog over Belmont 5-5-5 (3-4-2) in the MVC standings with 13 points. 
 
Drake's stout defense and domination in time of possession led to a 1-0 halftime advantage. The Bulldogs forced the Bruins to play on their own side of the field with Drake hustling towards every loose ball. 
 
The first shot of the match occurred in the ninth minute when senior Rachel Panther notched her seventh shot on goal this season. The shot was saved in the lower middle of the goal by Belmont goalkeeper Sarah Doyle. 
 
The defensive pressure contributed to the Bulldogs' offensive momentum as Belmont only registered one shot in the first half. Freshman Addy Pitts fired off a shot after sprinting down the sideline, but the shot sailed over the top of the crossbar in the 30th minute. 
 
Belmont's Natalie Haverland fouled Nagel just outside of the 18-yard box in the 35th minute, to set up a free kick. On the ensuing free kick, Nagel nailed her fifth goal of the season into the top left corner of the net over the outstretched hands of Doyle. 
 
"Emma has worked on that free kick countless times in training," head coach Lindsey Horner said. "To see it be the difference in the game is rewarding for her." 
 
Drake finished the first half with three total shots and held Belmont to just one
 
Belmont began applying pressure to Drake right away in the second half. The Bruins' first two shots came in the 55th and 59th minutes from two of their three goal scorers Leah Firsdon and Anna Sweeney, but both shots were saved by the MVC saves leader Vianey Lopez. 
 
The Bulldogs embarked on a run of their own in the 65th minute with a pair of shots by junior Amelia Crabtree and Panther. Crabtree's shot missed high after a precision corner kick by redshirt freshman Madelyn Smith, while Panther's second shot of the night was blocked. 
 
A defensive battle for Drake continued as Belmont surged down the pitch. The Bruins outshot the Bulldogs five to three in the second half, but the 'Dogs were able to combat all of the attempts. 
 
"We weathered a push by Belmont there in the second half and held strong while defending corners," Horner said. "That was our Achilles heel earlier in the season."
 
Drake is now locked into the MVC Tournament with their second consecutive shutout victory. 
 
"We didn't go deep in our roster tonight," Horner stated. "We have to focus on recovery and preparation for Sunday as there's so much on the line for the MVC standings."
 
The Bulldogs will welcome Murray State to Drake Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 12 p.m. for Senior Day. Seniors Vianey Lopez, Chloe Jones, Rachel Panther and Meghan Brown will be recognized prior to the game. 
 
NOTES

• Tonight, marked the first time during the 2022 season that the Bulldogs have won consecutive games. 
• The last time Drake women's soccer had back-to-back shutout victories was Sept. 12-17, 2021, when Drake beat Kansas City, 2-0 after upsetting No. 15 Memphis in Des Moines, 2-0. 
• Drake won the first-ever meeting against the Bruins. 
• The Bulldogs defense held the trio of leading Bruin goal scorers (Maci Pekmezian, Firsdon, and Sweeney) to just two shots. Pekmezian leads Belmont with 19 total shots this year and was held without a single attempt for the first time since Oct. 2. 
• Nagel is tied for second in the Valley and is with a team-high five goals.
• Panther's two shots in the ninth and 66th minute put her in a tie for sixth in the MVC with a team-high 28 shots.
• Lopez continued her strong season with another clean sheet adding three more saves, to her MVC-leading 73.