MILWAUKEE, Wis. – After a lengthy weather delay prior to the kickoff of Thursday's tilt, the Drake men's soccer team (0-1-0) started their 2023 season with a thrilling road match at Marquette of the Big East Conference (1-0-0). The host Golden Eagles delivered a pair of late goals to regain a swaying lead and secure the season-opening decision.
Marquette drew first blood in the 19th minute when Edrey Caceres fired a penalty kick goal past Drake goalkeeper
Kevin Qi. The Golden Eagles took their 1-0 lead into the half.
After the break, Drake came out firing. A little over 10 minutes into the second half,
J.P. Pascarella corralled a loose ball and delivered a rope into the corner of the net (57') to even the score.
Drake later took their first lead of the year when
Austin Holtebeck collected a free kick in the Golden Eagles' box and dished the ball to true freshman
Jackson Kirsch. The first-year player blooped a shot over a group of Marquette players and the Golden Eagles' keeper to give the Dogs a 2-1 advantage.
The remaining 15 minutes proved crucial for both sides as Drake strained to maintain their lead and Marquette amped up their pressure looking to knot the tally again. The Golden Eagles did just that in the 79th minute when Brooklyn Merl was assisted by Mitar Mitrovic to even the score at 2-2.
Less than 60 seconds later, Caceres logged his second score of the night on a free kick to put the Golden Eagles on top, 3-2. Drake did their best to find another score, but any offensive push was thwarted by the hosts' sturdy defense.
"On one hand, I'm gutted." Drake head coach Pat Flinn said after the loss. "We gave a result away tonight. On the other hand, I am excited because we took a quality Big East side on their field and put ourselves in position to win the match. We'll learn from the last 15 minutes [of the match] and be better for it."
The Bulldogs will not be far from Milwaukee for their next contest as they travel to Madison, Wis. on Sunday, Aug. 27. Drake will face off against the Badgers of Wisconsin at 1 p.m.