DES MOINES, Iowa – Defense ruled most of the night in Drake men's soccer's meeting with Belmont on Saturday. The Bulldogs scored a late goal of their own in between two Belmont goals as Drake dropped a chaotic 2-1 affair.
The two teams played through a scoreless first half as Belmont attempted six shots to Drake's three.
Jack Dancer fired off the first of Drake's attempts in the 11th minute.
Crew Alvarez and
Barrett Kitts later put a shot on goal each, both of which were saved by Belmont keeper Brody Sucher.
Tomas Butkovic made a save in Drake's net with just 20 seconds left in the first period as Nzuhri Biggar took a shot. The opening 45 minutes came and went without a score.
The second half featured a much more energized offensive display, especially on the Bulldogs' side of the pitch. Drake connected on 13 shots while Belmont had the same half dozen. Kitts, Alvarez,
Chase Wakefield, and
Cole Schrage all took shots in the first half of the second stanza.
Eventually, shortly after the 75th minute expired, Belmont scored the game's first goal. Wakefield was whistled for a foul in the box, which was confirmed after a video review. John McDowell lined up the penalty kick and laced it past Butkovic, breaking the scoreless stalemate.
Drake turned up their tenacity even more after the Bruin goal, applying an unrelenting pressure to the Belmont defense. The Bulldogs were eventually on the receiving end of a foul just outside the box.
Jonathan Mendez stepped up to attempt the free kick, which sailed by Sucher to equalize the score.
A 1-1 draw was on the horizon after the Mendez goal, but neither team slowed the pace down. Just a few moments later, Paul Claes Nielsen wiggled his way by a pair of Drake defenders to track down a pass from Elijah John and Nate Mefford. Nielsen finished off the play with a strike to into the net to propel Belmont back in front.
Drake managed to take two more shots in the final two minutes, but to no avail. Belmont's 2-1 result went final as the Bulldogs slipped up in their second MVC loss of the season.
"It's a game of moments and we were weak in the moment that led to their game-winner," Drake head coach
Pat Flinn said. "We have a way to go in terms of where this season ends. We just need to move forward and play with more desperation for league points. Next action. Go Dogs."
Crew Alvarez came off the bench to lead Drake with five shots, three of which were on target. Schrage was the only other Bulldog to take more than two as he had three shots to his credit. Butkovic made four saves for the Bulldogs while Sucher had five on the other end.
Drake will visit Bowling Green in a week for its next match. The Bulldogs and Falcons will kick off at 6 p.m. CT.
