STANFORD, CALIF. - The No. 19 ranked Drake men's soccer team was the beneficiary of an own goal by Stanford with 21 seconds left to earn a 2-1 victory Sunday in the Stanford Nike Classic.

In the 90th minute Drake goalkeeper Michael Drozd booted a long free kick into the Stanford end. The ball glanced off the head of Stanford defender Kevin Huang and inside the Cardinal goal to lift Drake to its seventh victory in eight outings this season.

"The last time I saw that happen was a couple years ago but we were the victims," said Drake coach Sean Holmes, whose team was playing its sixth straight match on the road. "So, it was nice to win with a little piece of good luck today."

Drake welcomed the return of Drozd back to the starting lineup. The redshirt sophomore had to sit out the Bulldogs' contest against No. 3 California Friday after receiving a card in Drake's previous outing against Green Bay Sept. 14.

Drozd matched a career high by recording seven saves including a penalty kick by Stanford's Bobby Warshaw in the first half. Drozd entered the match with five consecutive shutouts this season.

"Michael (Drozd) was tremendous in goal, " said Holmes. "He saved five game-winning shots. He had a MVP type of game."

Stanford tied the match in the 84th minute at 1-1 on a goal by Tom Montogmery.

Drake had nine shots in the match, including three by junior Kevin Shrout (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit).

"They (Stanford) were better in the first part of the match," said Holmes. "We were better in the middle and then they were better at the end. I really thought it would end in a tie and go into overtime."

Warshaw had a chance to give Stanford the lead after Montgomery was fouled in the box in the 23rd minute. Drozd guessed correctly to make the save, and stopped Warshaw's rebound, before another Stanford follow, by Thiago Sa Freire, was blocked by a defender.

Instead, Drake struck first when sophomore Evan Harrison (Evansville, Ind./Reitz Memorial) scored in the 44th minute from eight yards inside the penalty box off a feed from sophomore Matt Kuhn (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South).

"That was his (Harrison) first goal in college off his first touch of the match," Holmes added.

Holmes said the victory was especially satisfying because freshmen Thomas Ostrander (Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond) and Michael Thaden
(Clive, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley) made their first college starts.

Junior Luke Gorczyca (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas), a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference performer last year, did not start for Drake while recovering from an ankle injury. Holmes did insert him in the lineup for the last 10 minutes of the match.

"Luke (Gorczyca) has been our most consistent midfielder all year," said Holmes. "But he hurt his ankle at the end of the match Friday against Cal. He did hobble around the last 10 minutes today. There was a big learning curve for Thaden. But he responded well."

Drake will close out its non-conference campaign with road matches at Oral Roberts Friday (Sept. 26) and UMKC Sept. 30.

Stanford fell to 2-3-1.