The Basics
Drake men's hits the road this week for its non-conference finale before 2025's penultimate road match at Belmont. The Bulldogs will battle former MVC rival Missouri State on Oct. 21 in Springfield, then head to Nashville for a date with the Bruins on Oct. 24.
 
Bulldog Breakdown
Drake had just one game last week which resulted in a 2-0 victory over Bowling Green in Des Moines. The victory extended Drake's unbeaten streak to 12 games, adding to the longest such stretch in program history. 

The Bulldogs' defense has ruled the pitch thus far, leading The Valley with a .58 opponent scoring average. Drake is also tied with Maryland for 16th nationally in goals against average.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Tomas Butkovic is also tied for 16th in the nation with his six shutouts. He leads the MVC in that category and a .593 goals against average. Butkovic also ranked second in save percentage (.811), fifth in saves (30), and sevent in saves per game (2.50).
 
Key Players
Jackson Kirsch – 9 PTS, 3 G, 3 AST
Preston Kipnusu – 7 PTS, 3 G, AST
Crew Alvarez - 4 PTS, G, 2 AST
Eskil Gjerde – 4 PTS, G, 2 AST
Damian Segura - 4 PTS, 2 G
Tomas Butkovic – 30 SV, .811 SV%
 
Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State has faced a challenging non-conference slate and entered its first year in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) after departing the Missouri Valley Conference. Their schedule includes four opponents from the 2024 NCAA Tournament field. The Bears currently sit at 4-5-2 overall and are 1-4-1 in their last six matchups. Most recently, Missouri State defeated South Florida on the road by a 3-1 margin.
 
Drake and Missouri State have a rich history as the Bears were formerly a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Tomorrow's meeting with be the first for the two teams as non-conference opponents. Missouri State leads the all-time series by a 19-8-8 margin. The Bulldogs are winless in their last 12 contests versus Missouri State and will be seeking their first victory in the series since a 2017 dub in Springfield.
 
Michael Seabolt is in his fourth season leading Missouri State's program. He has posted a 40-15-11 record during his tenure as a Bear. Seabolt has won 70 total games as a collegiate head coach including a 3-year stint at West Virginia.
 
Key Players
Fumiya Shiraishi – 18 PTS, 8 G, 2 A
Diego Real – 6 PTS, 3 G
Ollie Bate – 5 PTS, G, 3 A
James Jennings – 4 PTS, 2 G
Will Lowry – 20 SV, .741 SV%
 
Scouting Belmont
Belmont's record stands at 6-16 overall and 1-1-2 in MVC play, putting them at 4th in the conference with four points. The Bruins began their season with three straight victories before three straight ties. They swapped a couple more wins and draws before suffering their first loss against UIC in Nashville. Most recently, Belmont drew with Northern Illinois, 2-2.
 
Drake leads the all-time series with Belmont, 4-1. Drake is looking for its first-ever win over the Bruins in Nashville while a Belmont win would be its first since 2023.
 
David Costa is in his seventh season at the helm of the Bruins' men's soccer team. He is 51-40-25 all-time at Belmont.
 
Key Players
Brock Kiper – 10 PTS, 4 G, 2 A
Jaxon Stokes – 8 PTS, 4 G
Brad Dildy – 6 PTS, 2 G, 2 A
Grant Calvert – 42 SV, .808 SV%
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will conclude their road slate on Oct. 31 with a Halloween trip to Western Michigan before returning home to finalize their regular season slate against Bradley.