The Basics
Drake men's soccer will look to win their fourth game in a row tomorrow evening with another MVC contest. The Bulldogs are set to host SIUE on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake enters the weekend with a 3-1-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the early stages of the Missouri Valley Conference season.
 
AJ Franklin has been a stellar addition for the Bulldogs this season. The grad transfer leads Drake with nine total points, four goals, eight shots on goal, and is one of six players to record an assist. Other key offensive players include Sam Thornton with two goals and an assist, and Louis Yuill with a goal of his own.
 
Defensively, Jonathan Burke has been the lone goalkeeper to see action for the Dogs. Burke has allowed just five goals while saving 87% of opposing shots. In total, Burke has snagged 33 saves on the season.

MVC Opener Recap
Drake's last time on the pitch ended with a key 1-0 triumph in the 2022 Valley opener. The Bulldogs held on after Franklin delivered the go-ahead goal in the first half at UIC.
 
Back in Action
Drake's match on Saturday will mark exactly 14 days since their last competition. The Bulldogs' current hiatus was caused by an NCAA scheduling conflict that resulted in a non-conference cancelation earlier in the week.

Scouting SIUE
SIUE brings a 3-4-2 record into this weekend. The Cougars played to a 1-1 draw against Memphis in their last time on the field. Prior to the tie, SIUE dropped a pair of MVC games against Evansville and Belmont as well as a non-league match versus Saint Louis. The Cougars' last win came on Sept. 9 at Western Illinois.
 
Sophomore Spaniard Pau Palacin leads the Cougars in multiple categories including points (10), goals (five), shots (22), and shots on goal (10). Jacob Bilyeu, Jack Edwards, and Mitchell Murphy have all recorded multiple assists this season.
 
SIUE's goalkeeping has been split between a pair of upperclassmen. Senior Eric Bauche has been the primary player in goal with 18 saves and six goals allowed. Graduate student Sam Gomez has recorded nine saves himself.
 
Cale Wassermann is in his fourth season at the helm of the Cougar men's soccer program. Wassermann has posted a 22-24 record at SIUE after coaching five years in the Division II ranks.
 
Drake currently trails SIUE in the all-time series by a 7-4 margin. The Cougars have won the last three bouts including an overtime classic in 2016. Drake's last win over SIUE came on the road in 2015.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will hit the road again in their next time out. Drake will continue their MVC slate at Bradley before taking on Wisconsin on Monday, Oct. 10.