The Basics
Drake men's soccer continues to roll through the 2023 MVC slate with two more matchups in conference play. The Bulldogs will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a match with Western Michigan this Saturday, Oct. 14 and then return home to Mediacom Stadium for a clash with Bradley on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake is currently 3-6-1 overall and 1-2-1 in league play. The Bulldogs are unbeaten at home with a 3-0-2 mark in Des Moines, including a 2-0 win over St. Thomas in the opening match at Mediacom Stadium. They hold an 0-6 record on the road. Drake is an even 1-1-1 in their last three matches with a loss at Belmont (10/1), a draw with Northern Illinois (10/7) and a win over St. Thomas (10/10).
AJ Franklin leads the Bulldogs in multiple categories including points (13), goals (6), shots (29), and shots on goal (18).
Damian Segura has lent a major helping hand with a team-high four assists on the season to date.
In goal, Drake has featured three different keepers.
Tommy Williams has been Drake's horse with four starts and five appearances. He has allowed 12 goals and made 13 saves.
Kevin Qi began the year as Drake's top goalkeeper and has logged 10 saves with eight goals allowed.
Quinn Millerd has also come on in four matches with three starts while racking up 11 saves and allowing three goals.
Scouting Western Michigan
One of three newcomers to the Valley this season, Western Michigan currently sits at second in the conference standings with a 8-1-3 overall record and a 2-0-1 mark in MVC action. The Broncos are riding an 11-match unbeaten streak, last falling on Aug. 24. They've earned a 3-0-1 mark in their last four, including wins over Wright State (9/26), UIC (9/30), Oakland (10/11) and a draw with Evansville (10/7)
Dylan Sing leads the Broncos with 22 points on 10 goals and two assists. Additionally, Carson Hodgson and Charlie Sharp have each earned 15 points, with the former leading the team in assists at 7.
In goal, Ethan Brandt has started all 12 of the Broncos' matches, allowing just 11 goals with 39 saves.
Drake has not yet beaten the Broncos in three all-time matchups. Most recently, Western Michigan bested Drake 2-1 on Sept. 9, 2018 in Kalamazoo.
Scouting Bradley
Bradley currently sits at 4-3-5 overall and 0-3 in MVC play. The Braves are currently on a 7 game winless streak, going 0-3-4 in that stretch. Their last win came by way of a 4-0 score over Western Illinois (9/8).
Kevin Mejias leads the Braves with seven points in seven starts, which includes a team-high three goals on the season. DJ Koulai has added to Bradley's attack with five points, including a team-high three assists. He's also led the way with 22 shots for the Braves.
Drew Berry and Alex Grow have shared the net as each have started and appeared in six games. Grow has racked up 22 saves to lead the way.
Bradley holds a slight 20-19-3 edge over Drake in the all-time series. The two split the season series in 2022, with Drake taking the regular season matchup by a 2-0 score and Bradley taking the postseason edition by a 2-1 edge.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will split their following two matches with a home matchup with Bowling Green on Sun. Oct. 1 and hit the road to face the Big Ten's Michigan State on Friday, Oct. 27.
