ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The defending Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion Drake women's soccer team will again enter the 2024 season with high expectations. The Bulldogs finished second with three first-place votes in the MVC Preseason Poll, the league announced this morning.
Missouri State was picked to win the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference crown. The Bears earned seven of 11 first-place votes, finishing with 116 points, to edge Drake, which tallied 109 total points.
UIC (3rd, 87 points), UNI (4th, 85 points), Valparaiso (5th, 83 points), and Murray State (6th, 73 points) fill out the remaining top six spots. Belmont (7th, 54 points), Indiana State (8th, 42 points) Evansville (9th, 32 points), Illinois State (10th, 23 points), and Southern Illinois (11th, 22 points) round out the poll.
The Bears claimed four of the 11 first-team spots on preseason all-conference squad while UNI and UIC both had two student-athletes make the team.
Among the Bulldogs' veterans is
Angela Gutierrez, the second-leading point scorer for Drake a year ago. Gutierrez earned five MVC Freshman of the Week awards in 2023 and was named the MVC Freshman of the Year. She notched 17 points on six goals and five assists. She is Drake's lone representative on the Preseason All-MVC list.
Last year's regular season crown was the seventh in program history for Drake as head coach
Lindsey Horner led the Dogs to a 13-4-3 record, tying the team record for wins in a single season.
Other key returners include primary goalkeeper
Addie Ford, a 12-game winner in goal and MVC All-Freshman Team member last season, 2023 Second-Team All-MVC selection and 2024 Preseason All-MVC Honorable Mention
Layla Kelbel, 2024 Preseason all-MVC Honorable Mention
Avery Mertz, and another 2023 All-Freshman player in
Zoey Mahoney.
Women's Soccer Preseason All-MVC Team
Jenna Anderson – D – Sr. – Missouri State
Camielle Day – GK – Gr. – Missouri State
Yulexi Diaz – M – Sr. – UIC
Angela Gutierrez – M – So. - Drake
Mary Hardy – F – Jr. – Murray State
Lauren Heinsch – F – Sr. – UNI
Addy Joiner – F – Sr. – Valparaiso
Olivia Knoepfle – M/F – RJr. - UNI
Makenna Maloy – M – Jr. – UIC
Carly Raunig – D – Gr. – Missouri State
Grace O'Keefe – F – Sr. – Missouri State
The 2024 regular-season campaign begins Thursday, Aug. 15, with 10 of 11 MVC teams in non-conference action. Drake will travel to St. Paul, Minn. for a date with St. Thomas tomorrow afternoon.
