The Basics
Drake women's soccer is heading into the homestretch of a five-game road swing with a 6 p.m. match at South Dakota on Thursday, Sept. 8 before venturing to North Dakota State on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.
 
Heading in the Right Direction
Following a 1-1 draw with South Dakota State on Sept. 4, Drake now holds a 1-4-1 overall record. The Bulldogs snapped a 12-game home winning streak by the Jackrabbits dating back to March 12, 2021. The last time that SDSU did not win at Fishback Soccer Park was a 3-1 loss to Omaha on Nov. 1, 2018, during the Summit League Tournament.
 
After giving up four goals to Minnesota on Thursday, Sept. 1, the Bulldog defense stepped up against the reigning Summit League champions. Senior goalkeeper Vianey Lopez has recorded 14 saves over the past two games. Her nine saves against the Jackrabbits on Sunday, was a career high and a single-game high as well as tops for a single game in the Missouri Valley Conference so far this season. Lopez ranks second in the MVC with 23 saves. 
 
Emma Nagel leads the MVC with three goals and is in the top-15 for shots on goal with four. Helping Nagel keep pressure on opponents defense is freshman forward, Layla Kelbel who leads the Bulldogs with eight shots while contributing one goal. 
 
Scouting South Dakota 
The Coyotes are also looking to bounce back after dropping two of their last three matches. South Dakota enters the game with a record of 1-5-1 with their lone win an 8-0 blowout against Dordt on Aug. 30. South Dakota has been outscored 15-12 by its opponents this season. 
 
Leading the Coyotes out of the locker room will be head coach Michael Thomas. This is Thomas' fifth year as head coach and he owns a career record of 36-27-9 with an outstanding home record of 24-10-1 over the past three seasons. 
 
Senior forward Shaylee Gailus ranks third in the Summit League with three goals and fourth in points with seven. South Dakota's offense does not solely run through Gailus, as fifth year forward Taylor Cotter has put together a strong 2022 resume. Cotter ranks in the top five in the Summit League with seven shots on goal and has 12 total shots which is seventh most in the Summit. 
 
Series History vs. South Dakota
Thursday's match marks the first time since Aug. 18 that the Bulldogs will go into a match with a series lead. Drake leads the all-time series with a record of 7-4-0. The previous three matches have all gone South Dakota's way with the Coyotes outscoring the Bulldogs 7-2 in that span. Drake is 3-1 when facing South Dakota on the road and has outscored USD in the all-time series, 21-13. 
 
Scouting North Dakota State
North Dakota State heads into the week with a .500 mark of 2-2-2. The Bison are coming back from consecutive losses to Northern Colorado and Wyoming. Interestingly enough, this will mark the Bison's first week of the season on their home pitch as their victories have come on neutral sites in St. Paul, Minn.
 
North Dakota State's record may be deceiving as the Bison have a balanced offensive attack. Six different players have scored a goal with nine players recording five or more shots thus far. The Bison have a dynamic duo at their disposal with junior forwards, Paige Goaley and Olivia Lovick. The forwards lead the way, both scoring two goals this season. Goaley and Lovick have also combined for 11 total shots and seven shots on goal. 
 
At goalkeeper, the Bison have moved around three different players, but it has been the two underclassmen stepping up in goal. Freshman Payton Mulberry (.667 save percentage) and junior Abby Wilkinson (.750 save percentage) have combined for 22 total saves, five goals allowed and a 1-2-1 record. 
 
The Bison have allowed seven goals in the first half this season. The Bulldogs have been more aggressive early when it comes to shots with 15 shots in the first half this year.
 
Series History vs. North Dakota State
Going into their 12th all-time matchup, the Bulldogs lead the series, 9-2-1. Drake women's soccer is currently on a six game winning streak against NDSU, the longest in series history. During that span, the Bison have only scored a goal on two occasions and have been outscored by the Bulldogs 11-2.