DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's soccer team lost a 3-1 decision to Big 12 foe Kansas at Drake Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 28. Drake moved to 1-3-0 on the season, while Kansas improved to 3-1-0 overall.
 
"I thought we were very organized and disciplined in our shape," head coach Lindsey Horner said. "It was frustrating to concede the first goal the way we did because I thought we did a good job of being difficult to break down."
 
In the 10th minute, the Jayhawks scored the game's first goal after an unlucky Bulldog bounce landed the ball right in the middle of the six-yard box and led to a goal by junior forward Shira Elinav that she punched into the bottom right corner. 
 
Drake's offense continued to push down the pitch in the 12th minute as freshman forward Layla Kelbel went one-on-one with great footwork and control of the ball. Kelbel ripped the lone Bulldog shot on goal of the first half and it was saved by the Kansas goalkeeper Melania Pasar. 
 
Horner's squad kept up with the athleticism and speed of the Jayhawks. Drake executed corner kicks, passes and took smart shots, but failed to see anything go into the back of the net. 
 
In the previous two matches, the Bulldogs did not maintain possession of the ball in their opponents territory often. Drake flipped the script in the first half on Sunday and controlled the pace of play by keeping the Jayhawk defense guarding deep into their half of the field. Kelbel and the Bulldogs had plenty of opportunities to score in the first 45 minutes with accurate crosses, three shots, one shot on goal and three corner kicks. 
 
Despite being on the defensive for most of the half, Kansas took advantage of select Bulldog mistakes. In the 35th minute, the Jayhawks increased their lead to 2-0 after a corner kick when Drake's defense lost track of defender Olivia Winter, who found Assa Kante in the middle for Kansas' second goal of the day. This replicated a preceding corner kick play that was blocked by Kelbel. 
 
At the end of the first half, Kansas led Drake by a 2-0 margin.
 
Drake's streak of unlucky bounces continued into the second half. In the 57th minute, Elinav scored her second goal of the game after the ball slipped off of junior goalkeeper Kelti Wise's hands. Kansas' Saige Wimes was credited with the assist. 
 
The Bulldog offense got a burst of energy from their junior forward Emma Nagel in the 61st minute after rebounding a corner from Rachel Panther that hit the top of the goal post. Nagel reached the ball and kicked it into the back of the net for a Drake goal as the Jayhawks led 3-1. 
 
Kansas won the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools by a final score of 3-1. Mark Francis' squad had 15 total shots with seven shots on goal compared to six shots and three shots on goal for Drake.
 
"We competed and worked quite intelligently for each other today," Horner said. "While it wasn't the result we wanted, we got better from this game."
 
The Bulldogs will start their five game road stretch starting in Minneapolis for a Thursday, Sept. 1 match at 1 p.m. against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 
 
NOTES

• Drake head coach Lindsey Horner was a member of the Kansas women's soccer team from 1997-2000, including her final two seasons playing for current Jayhawk head coach Mark Francis. 
• Emma Nagel continued her dominant start in 2022 leading the Bulldogs and the Missouri Valley Conference in total goals with three. Nagel has scored three out of Drake's four goals. 
• Rachel Panther recorded her first assist of the season off a corner kick in the 61st minute on the Nagel goal. 
• Kelti Wise made her first NCAA Division-I start in goal and recorded two saves. The last time Wise started was on May 1, 2021, for Findlay (NCAA Division-II school in Ohio) against Cedarville.
• Senior goalkeeper Vianey Lopez served a one-game suspension after receiving a red card in the match at St. Thomas on Thursday (Aug. 25).
• Kansas leads the head-to-head series, 4-0-1.