DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake men's soccer hosted Bradley in its regular season finale on Wednesday night with major Missouri Valley Conference title and tournament seeding implications at stake. The Bulldogs battled back after a jolting start to outscore Bradley and secure team's first regular season crown in program history.
Bradley catapulted out in front early with two scores on its first two shots. DJ Koulai was assisted by Luke Knotts and Mitch Coughlon in just the ninth minute, giving the Braves a quick 1-0.
Stephen Saladin added to the visitors' advantage in the 39th minute with an assist from Koulai. The two first half goals provided a daunting challenge for Drake, but the shorthanded Bulldogs went to work.
Evan Carlson finally got the Bulldogs on the board with a titanic strike off his right foot in the 42nd frame. The ball lasered by Bradley keeper Drew Berry to cut the Braves' lead in half. Drake went into the mid-game break trailing, 2-1.
The early deficit forced Drake to ramp up its offensive attack and the increased aggression paid off in the second half. Carlson found the back of the net not once, but two more times with a goal off assists by
Cole Schrage and
Noah Corrigan in the 54th minute, and a penalty kick following a Bradley handball in the 58th minute.
The flurry of Carlson connections energized the Bulldog bunch as Drake maintained control from then on.
Snorre Espersen, who entered as a substitute in the late stages, provided the final blow just moments after stepping on the pitch.
Espersen made it 4-2, the eventual final score, after assists by
Jonathan Mendez and
Sam DeLong.
"I am so happy for the team," Drake head coach
Pat Flinn said. "Down 2-0 it felt like it was just destined to be a disappointing night, but the players refused to give up. This group deserves to be celebrated for what they've accomplished and who they are as young men.
Evan Carlson bleeds blue and he put us on his back tonight. We want to keep going, to win the tournament, and that is our focus right now. We will reflect on this accomplishment when the season concludes. All credit to the players, they are the first MVC regular season champions in program history. Go Dogs."
Drake officially shares the 2025 regular season MVC title with Evansville and Northern Illinois. Evansville earned the league's top seed in next week's bracket due to the tiebreaker, while Drake slots in at No. 2 and NIU at No. 3.
The Bulldogs will take on the winner of Northern Illinois sixth-seeded Western Michigan at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 in Mediacom Stadium. The winner of that semifinal match will advance to the league title tilt on Saturday, Nov. 15 with the higher seed hosting.
