The Basics
Drake men's soccer is seeking to get back in the win column as they split their next two matches. The Bulldogs will travel to Tulsa this weekend for a match with the Golden Hurricane. Drake and Tulsa will square off on Saturday, Sep. 9 at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs will then return to Des Moines for their first of two-consecutive home matches. Drake is set to host Omaha on Wednesday, Sep. 13 at 7 p.m.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake enters the weekend with a 1-3 overall record after trips to Marquette, Wisconsin, and Kansas City. The Bulldogs' lone win came in their only home match to date, a 1-0 result over Western Illinois (9/1).
Deng Deng and
Austin Holtebeck lead the Bulldogs with three total points while a trio of Drake players have posted two points. Both Deng and Holtebeck are also two of six Bulldogs to log one goal this season. Deng has also been the only Bulldog to be nominated for an MVC Player of the Week award after scoring his first Drake goal in the Bulldogs' last match at Kansas City.
Elsewhere,
Damian Segura's two assists are the top total in that category for Drake. Forwards
AJ Franklin and
Eloge Iradukunda have been the most aggressive offensive players with 13 combined shots and 11 combined shots on goal.
Scouting Tulsa
Tulsa brings a 1-2-1 record into the weekend and is currently 1-0-1 at home. The Golden Hurricane's home victory came over UTRGV (8/27). Tulsa is coming off a 1-1 draw with fellow Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State (9/5).
Sergio Baena leads Tulsa with five points on two goals and an assist while Malik Henry-Scott is just behind with four points on a pair of scores. In goal, Alex Lopez has played every minute for the Golden Hurricane, tallying 12 saves and allowing four goals.
Drake trails Tulsa in the all-time series, 8-1, dating back to 1998. The Bulldogs' lone win over Tulsa came on the road in 2018, the most recent installment in the series.
Scouting Omaha
The Mavericks also currently hold a 1-3 record to start the 2023 season. Omaha opened the year with three-straight losses and notched their first win of the season with a 2-1 triumph over Grand Canyon (9/4). Omaha will take on Chicago State on Saturday, Sep. 9 before traveling to Des Moines next week.
Sokol Ymeraj's five points pace the Omaha roster. He has logged two goals on six shots while also dishing out one assist. Theo Klein leads the Mavericks with nine shots while Martin Lago's two assist lead the team.
The all-time series between Drake and Omaha has been as even as possible. Dating back to 2013, both sides are an even 2-2-2. The two teams played to a 2-2 draw in Omaha last season after Drake took down the Mavericks at home in 2021.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will begin Valley play with their second-straight home tilt as Evansville comes to town on Saturday, Sep. 16.
