The Basics
Drake men's soccer is set for their final two road contests of the 2022 regular season. The Bulldogs will travel to Evansville on Sunday, Oct. 23 for a 2 p.m. contest and then visit Missouri State on Friday, Oct. 28.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake currently owns an overall record of 6-2-3 and a 4-1 record in the Valley. The Bulldogs are alone in second place in the current MVC standings, just one game behind league-leader Missouri State. Drake was victorious in their two most recent matches with a pair of 2-0 wins over Belmont (10/15) and Bradley (10/19).
The Bulldog offense is led by graduate transfer
AJ Franklin with 13 points on six goals and one assist. Franklin also leads the Bulldogs with 32 total shots and 13 shots on goal. Other key offensive contributors include grad transfer
Sam Thornton with four goals and two assists and
Louis Yuill with two goals and an assist.
Defensively,
Declan Watters,
Ryder Barrett, and
Bradan Allen have been solid one the Bulldogs' back end. In goal,
Jonathan Burke has been stellar with 45 saves and just seven goals allowed while logging five shutouts.
Scouting Evansville
Evansville holds a 5-3-4 overall record and a 2-1-1 mark in MVC play. The Purple Aces have split their last two games with a non-conference loss at Louisville (10/11) and a win over SIUE (10/15) after playing to two-consecutive draws.
Nacho Diaz leads the Purple Aces with 15 total points on a league-high seven goals and an assist. Diaz has attempted 33 total shots with 20 reaching the target. Kai Phillip is second on the club with four goals followed by both Carlos Barcia and Jose Vivas with three. Alex Vidizzoni has been the primary goalkeeper for Evansville with just over 980 minutes in goal. Vidizzoni has allowed 12 goals while recording 45 saves.
Evansville head coach Marshall Ray is in his eighth year leading the Purple Aces' men's soccer team. During his time at Evansville, Ray has posted a 39-78-20 record and has earned a 45-104-22 record in his 10-year head coaching career.
Drake leads the all-time series with Evansville by a 20-12-2 margin. The Purple Aces have won the two most recent matches after Drake rolled through five-straight victories from 2019-2021.
Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State enters the weekend atop the Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer standings with a 9-1-2 overall record and an undefeated 5-0 tally in league action. The Bears haven't lost since dropping a 3-0 match against Tulsa on Sept. 20. Missouri State has rattled off five-straight wins in MVC play including three shutouts.
The Bears boast five individuals with double-digit points this season. Nicolo Mulatero leads MSU with six goals followed by Lewis Green with five. Jesus Barea and Aadne Bruseth have added four goals apiece. Kian Yari has dished out the most assists on the team with four while a handful of other players have posted three. Goalkeeper Harry Townsend has allowed just eight goals and made 25 saves while posting 8 shutouts.
Michael Seabolt is in his first season in charge of the Bears' program. Seabolt previously led the West Virginia men's soccer team from 2003-06 and has recorded a 39-26-8 overall record.
The Bears lead the all-time series with Drake by a 17-8-7 difference. Missouri State has won the last seven matches over the Bulldogs. Drake's last win came in 2017 between a pair over double overtime draws.
Up Next
Drake will return home for their next match on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The Bulldogs will host UIC at 6 p.m. for the 2022 regular season finale.
