The Basics
Drake men's soccer will continue their 2022 campaign with a pair of road contests. The Bulldogs will take on Bradley in Peoria, Ill. for their third Valley battle of the year on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Drake will then travel to Madison, Wis. for a match against the Badgers on Monday, Oct. 10.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake currently owns a 4-1-2 overall record and a 2-0 record in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Bulldogs have won their last three games, all of which by one goal.
Drake is off to their best start in conference play since also beginning the 2019 MVC slate at 2-0.
AJ Franklin continues to lead the Drake offensive attack. The grad transfer now tops the Bulldog roster with 11 total points, five goals, 22 shots, and 10 shots on goal. Three of Franklin's scores have been game-winners.
Declan Watters and
Jonathan Burke have been tone-setters for the Drake defense. Burke has been the lone goalkeeper to see action for the Dogs with 630 minutes of action. He has allowed just five goals and recorded 38 saves on the season.
Return to the Pitch
Drake's most recent contest marked the end of an incidental two-week hiatus. The Bulldogs hosted SIUE in an MVC match on Saturday, Oct. 1. Drake fought the Cougars to a 1-0 win with an
AJ Franklin goal in the first half being the difference.
Scouting Bradley
Bradley is currently 2-6-1 overall and 0-3 in conference play. The Braves are riding a three-game losing streak, all of which coming against Valley opponents. Bradley's most recent win came on Tuesday, Sept. 13 in a 1-0 shutout of Southern Indiana.
Pepe Mellado and Kaloyan Somov are tied for the team-lead with five total points. Somov leads the Braves with 10 total shots, followed by Mellado's eight. Both players, as well as senior Patrick Fishburne, have netted two goals this season. Nick Burke, a native of New Zealand, has been the primary goalkeeper for Bradley. He has allowed 15 goals while recording 38 saves.
Jim DeRose is in his 27th year of NCAA men's soccer coaching, all of which at Bradley. DeRose has logged a 259-216-58 overall record while leading the Braves.
The all-time series between Drake and Bradley is currently even with an 18-18-3 record. Despite the all-time stalemate, Drake has won the last four matches in the series with two home games and two road games.
Scouting Wisconsin
Wisconsin sits at 3-5-1 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play. The Badgers have lost three of their last four, all of which in conference, and their only non-loss ended in a scoreless draw versus Northern Illinois. Wisconsin last won on Monday, Sept. 12 against in-state rival Marquette. The Badgers will host another Big Ten battle against Michigan prior to taking on the Bulldogs.
Maxwell Keenan has been the Badgers' best offensive player this season with 10 total points. Keenan also leads Wisconsin with four goals scored. Inaki Iribarren and Aron Eli Saevarsson have a team-high three assists each. Iribarren has also been the most aggressive attacker with 15 total shots. Carter Abbott has been the only goalie to be featured by the Badgers this season. He has allowed ten goals while saving 22 shots.
Wisconsin is led by first-year head coach Neil Jones. Jones is familiar with the Drake program as he previously coached Loyola Chicago for nine seasons dating back to 2013. Jones has coached both teams to an 81-54-26 overall record.
The Badgers lead Drake 6-2 in the all-time series with Drake. The Bulldogs' two wins over Wisconsin came in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Wisconsin won the most recent match by a 3-2 score in Madison.
Up Next
Drake will return home for their next pair of contests. The Bulldogs will host Belmont on Saturday, Oct. 15 and Bradley on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
