SOPHOMORE FORWARD HUNTER KENNEDY charges down the field on an offensive effort during yesterday’s game against the Evansville Purple Aces. The Bulldogs went on to win the game along with the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and will compete in the NCAA championships Nov. 20. Photo: Sarah Andrews
Drake won the Missouri Valley Conference, beating the Evansville Purple Aces 2-1 Sunday at Cownie Soccer Complex.
Sunday’s match up was the second nationally televised game against Evansville, with Evansville topping the Bulldogs 1-0 in their last encounter.
“The guys are really motivated to go out and perform on national TV again,” Holmes said.
Senior Garrett Webb also had confidence in the Bulldog squad before the game.
“We know we can play with anyone in the country,” Webb said. “We have to come out ready to fight and put in the work to get the result.”
The championship game was categorized by constant attacks from the opposing team in the first half. Senior defender Calvin Clark led the back line as they stopped a strong Evansville attack coming near the 20th minute, as the Purple Aces were granted two corner kicks in only a few minutes. Drake would respond in the 27th minute as sophomore Michael Noonan curved a shot in from over 10 yards out for the Bulldogs to take a 1-0 lead.
Evansville once again responded with a tenacious attack, but junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd made three fantastic saves until Evansville forward Mike Luttrull kicked a low ball past Drozd from 10 yards out near the 34th minute to even the game at one-all.
Drake’s defense kept the Purple Aces out of the goal to keep the score even at the half.
The Bulldogs came out much more balanced in the second half as Evansville spent less time in Bulldog territory. Evansville’s Luttrull continued to pepper the goal but Drozd continued to make a multitude of saves. Kevin Shrout scored off a free kick for the Bulldogs near the 63rd minute pushing the Bulldogs to a 2-1 lead. Evansville earned a penalty kick with two minutes remaining but the Drake defense stood strong and kept the Purple Aces out of the goal. Drake held out for the remaining two minutes and went on to beat the Purples Aces for the Bulldogs’ first-ever MVC Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
This year, the Bulldogs are looking to go deep in the tournament in search for their first NCAA title.
Leading up to the Evansville match, Drake beat Creighton 3-1 Friday, making this the first season the Bulldogs went undefeated against the Bluejays.
Thirty-nine minutes had passed with no scoring by either team. The two zeros on the scoreboard burned brightest as the soft, white light covered the pitch at Cownie. The stands were beginning to grow quiet. The Creighton Bluejays had been able to keep Missouri Valley Conference player of the year Garrett Webb in check for over 30 minutes. To go into the second half tied at zero is not what Head Coach Sean Holmes was hoping for. Any spark or momentum to take into the half would give the Bulldogs confidence to finish the game strong.
Suddenly, with 5:30 remaining in the half, the ball entered Creighton territory. Junior defender Nick Foster lobbed the ball up toward the goal. It was clearly not strong enough to get past the goalie, but that wasn’t Foster’s intention. Pushing through the defense, Garrett Webb’s muscular 6-foot-2-inch frame propelled into the air. Webb’s header flew past Creighton goalkeeper Brian Holt.
“Garrett understands what his role is now,” Holmes said. “He understands his potential.”
With less than a minute left in the half, the Bluejays would answer back. Creighton had outshot the Bulldogs 10-6 at that point and Creighton forward Ethan Finlay was able to fire shot number 11 past junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd.
The fans in the stadium now looked up at the scoreboard to see a tied score of 1-1 with 37 seconds left in the first half. With the 3-3 double-overtime tie fresh in everyone’s memory, the score was not at all comforting. Nobody in the stands was thinking of a tie, let alone a loss on this night. It didn’t matter that the Bulldogs had been in Creighton’s shadow for over a decade. It didn’t matter that Creighton had reached the NCAA tournament every year since 1992. This night Drake was the better team, and they knew it. It was Drake’s night; their game to win.
“We’re over the hump of being scared of those guys, Holmes said. “We’re not intimidated anymore.”
The Bulldogs took no time in striking first in the second half. All-conference senior Kevin Shrout would be granted a free kick in the corner of the box in the 49th minute. Shrout and fellow all-conference senior Luke Gorczyca read the defense. Much like Webb did in the first half, Gorczyca was able to cut through the Creighton defense and meet the ball as it fell to knock in the second header of the night.
Trying to repeat the first half’s theatrics, the Bluejays assaulted the Drake goal with 10 more shots in the second half of play.
“In the second half, we didn’t make those mistakes and our back line showed their potential tonight,” Webb said.
While Drozd kept the Bluejays out of the goal, senior defender Brian Wurst stopped a vicious Creighton onslaught near the 65th minute. Streaking down the sideline, Wurst crossed the ball through multiple defenders to sophomore Michael Noonan. Noonan then connected to Webb with a perfect pass, as Webb netted his second goal of the night and fourth goal against Creighton in the last week.
The Bulldog back line held strong for the rest of the half. As time expired, cheers of Drake fans filled the complex, and everyone was eager to see the Bulldogs in action against the Evansville Purple Aces, who beat the No. 19 Missouri State Bears by a score of 2-1 at Cownie Friday.
and still no one cares!