DRAKE MEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY RELEASE #11 2008 Drake Men’s Soccer Schedule 11-4-0, 3-1-0 MVC
Aug. 30 Aug. 31 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 12 Sept. 14 Sept. 14 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 26 Sept. 30 Oct. 11 Oct. 14 Oct. 18 Oct. 22 Nov. 1 Nov. 5 Nov. 8 Nov. 12-16 MILWAUKEE! ..............................W, 2-0 SIU-EDWARDSVILLE! ................W, 2-0 vs. Centenary@............................W, 1-0 vs. Cleveland State@...................W, 3-0 at No. 21 Loyola-Chicago.............W, 2-0 at Green Bay ................................W, 1-0 Green Bay ....................................W, 1-0 vs. No. 3 California# ..................... L, 0-2 at Stanford# ..................................W, 2-1 at Oral Roberts .............................W, 2-1 at UMKC ........................................ L, 4-3 MISSOURI STATE* .....................W, 3-2 WESTERN ILLINOIS ......... L, 1-2 (2OT) EASTERN ILLINOIS*...................W, 3-1 BRADLEY*...................................W, 4-1 at Creighton*.................................. L, 0-2 at Wisconsin ................................. 7 p.m. at Evansville*................................ 7 p.m. at State Farm MVC Tournament at Evansville, Ind.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEN’S SOCCER TRAVELS TO WISCONSIN, EVANSVILLE
WHAT’S AHEAD: The Bulldogs will close out their non-conference schedule, facing Wisconsin Wednesday (Nov. 5). Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. Drake will wrap up the Missouri Valley Conference and regular season in Evansville, Ind. Saturday (Nov. 8) for a match-up with the Purple Aces. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Bulldogs are ranked No. 27 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas poll and No. 25 in the College Soccer News Top 30. This marks the first time in school history that the Drake men’s soccer program has been nationally ranked in eight consecutive weeks. NCAA LEADERS: Drake is ranked in the top 50 of three statistical categories according to the latest figures released by the NCAA. The Bulldogs are No. 22 in winning percentage (0.733), No. 47 in shutout percentage (.400) and No. 28 in team scoring offense (1.93). THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS: With one conference game remaining, there are several possible outcomes for the Bulldogs entering the State Farm MVC Tournament Nov. 12-16 in Evansville, Ind. Below are all of the possible outcomes courtesy of the MVC office: Drake (3-1-0, 9 points, One match remaining) --DU can finish as high as the No. 1 seed and as low as No. 4. Will be the No. 1 seed if: --Win at Evansville (Nov. 8) AND CU does not win at EIU Will be the No. 2 seed if: --Three-way tie at 3-1-1 with CU and MSU; CU would have a 1-0-1 composite, DU (1-1-0), MSU (0-1-1). --Two-way tie with MSU at 3-1-1; DU won head-to-head --Win at Evansville AND CU wins at EIU Will be the No. 3 seed if: --Cannot be the No. 3 seed Will be the No. 4 seed if: --Lose at UE; UE would hold first tiebreaker, head-to-head result VICTORY MARCH: Drake looks to top the school record for victories in a season (11) this week. With at least one win the Bulldogs will surpass the mark set in 1987 and 1993. The Bulldogs have already the total number of victories (nine) achieved in the 2007 campaign. FAST STARTS: With two games still remaining, Drake already has eclipsed its entire 2007 total number of goals scored in the first half. The Bulldogs have outscored opponents, 17-4, in the first half this season. Last year Drake outscored opponents, 11-10, for the entire season. Drake also has 119 shots in the first half this fall, surpassing its entire 2007 first-half season output of 97. REGIONAL RANKINGS: Drake remains in third in the latest NSCAA/adidas Midwest Regional rankings released Monday. The Bulldogs final regular-season opponent, Evansville, is ranked No. 8. THE DEFENSE SPEAKS: A strong defense has been instrumental in allowing Drake to reach the 11victory plateau for only the third time in school history. Drake has a record six shutouts, while limiting opponents to an average of 9.6 shots. SPREADING THE WEALTH: Twelve different players have collected at least one point for Drake this season led by junior Garrett Webb (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) with 15 points on five goals and five assists and freshman Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Valley Christian) with 12 points on five goals and two assists. SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Wisconsin is 9-6-2 overall, including a 1-4-1 in the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers, riding a three-game win streak, most recently defeated MVC opponent Northern Illinois, 1-
Home matches in BOLD * Missouri Valley Conference Games ! Drake Classic (Des Moines, Iowa) @ Missouri State Tournament (Springfield, Mo.) # Stanford Nike Classic (Stanford, Calif.) All start times are listed in CST
DRAKE QUICK FACTS Location: ..................................... Des Moines, Iowa Founded:..........................................................1881 Enrollment:......................................................5,668 Nickname:.................................................. Bulldogs School Colors: ....................................Blue & White Facility:............................. Cownie Soccer Complex Capacity:.........................................................1,000 Affiliation: ....................................... NCAA Division I Conference: .....................................Missouri Valley President:..........................................David Maxwell Athletic Director: ....................Sandy Hatfield Clubb Athletic Dept. Phone:...................... (515) 271-2889 Athletic Dept. Website:www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com COACHING STAFF Head Coach:...................................... Sean Holmes Alma Mater, Year:............. Carleton (Canada) 1988 Record at School: .....................85-94-21 / 11 years Career Record: .................... 163-120-23 / 16 years Assistant Coach:.................................... Joe Burger Alma Mater, Year:............................... UMKC, 1995 Holmes’ Office Phone:...................... 515-271-2716 Best Time/Day to Reach Coach: .............. Mornings TEAM INFORMATION 2007 Record: .................................................. 9-6-4 2007 MVC Record/Finish:......................... 2-2-2/4th Starters Returning/Lost:......................................7/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost:...........................11/5 SPORTS INFORMATION Sports Information Director:................. Mike Mahon SID Office Phone: ........................... (515) 271-3012 E-mail Address: ............... mike.mahon@drake.edu Assistant/Men’s Soccer SID: ...........Amy Tagliareni Office Phone ................................... (515) 271-3740 E-Mail.............................amy.tagliareni@drake.edu SID Fax........................................... (515) 271-3015 Web Site .....................www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com Press Box Phone ............................ (515) 208-8295 SID Fax:.......................................... (515) 271-3015 Press Box Phone: ........................... (515) 208-8295
0, October 29 in DeKalb, Ill. Wisconsin is led by junior Scott Lorenz with 21 points on nine goals and three assists. Also in double-figures is junior Brandon Miller with 11 points on three goals and five assists. Junior goalkeeper Alex Horwath has 67 saves, a .798 save percentage and a 0.97 goals against average in 1,573 minutes for Wisconsin. Evansville is 9-6-1 overall and 2-2-0 in the MVC. The Purple Aces, riding a two-game win streak, recorded a home victory against Bradley, 2-1, in overtime November 2 . Evansville is led by sophomore Mike Luttrull with 22 points on nine goals and four assists. Also in double figures is sophomore Tom Irvin (17 p, 3 g, 11 a) and freshman Tyler Crawford (16 p, 5 g, 6 a). In goal senior Alec Dufty leads the Purple Aces with 57 saves, a .740 save percentage and 1.39 goals against average in 1,291 minutes. RPI FACTOR: Drake ranks 34th in the most recent (RPI) Ratings Percentage Index released by the NCAA. The RPI is one of the most important criteria to determine the field for the NCAA Division I Men's Tournament. It is a mathematical formula designed to objectively compare a team’s won-lost record, opponents’ strength of schedule, opponents’ opponents’ strength of schedule and the bonus/penalty system. ROADIE TO CLOSE: Drake is closing out the regular season, playing the last two games of a three-game road trip. The trip began with a Nov. 1 match-up at Creighton. The Bulldogs also play at Wisconsin Nov. 5 and Evansville Nov. 8. Drake owns a 6-3 record away from Cownie Field, having played eight straight matches on the road during the entire month of September. UP THE CHARTS: Sophomore Michael Drozd (Hartwood Heights, Ill./Loyola Academy) moved into a tie for the No. 2 spot on the Drake single season victory list by a goal keeper with a 4-1 victory against Bradley last Wednesday to earn his 10th win. THE SERIES: Wisconsin leads the series against the Bulldogs 7-1-0. Drake’s only win over the Badgers was last season, a 3-1 mark on September 16 in Madison, Wis. Evansville has a 9-7-1 series lead, but the Bulldogs have won the last three meetings. A LOOK BACK: Here’s a recap of Drake’s matches last week: Creighton 2, Drake 0 (Nov. 1, 2008; Omaha, Neb.) -- Andrei Gotsmanov scored the game's only two goals to lift No. 3 Creighton past the No. 24 Drake with a, 2-0, Missouri Valley Conference victory. Gotsmanov scored on a free kick at the 13:59 mark. He added the second goal on a touch-in from eight yards out off assists by Ethan Finlay and Jeff Thayer. The Bluejays outshot the Bulldogs, 14-11, including a 6-3 shots on goal advantage. Sophomore Nick Foster (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and senior Ryan Moylan (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) had two and one shots on goal for Drake, respectively. Sophomore Michael Drozd (Hartwood Heights, Ill./Loyola Academy) collected four saves in goal for Drake. HOME STATE TEAM: Drake’s rise to the national rankings is even more impressive considering that the Bulldogs have eight native Iowans on their team. Drake fields the only NCAA Division I program in the state of Iowa. YOUTH MOVEMENT: Of the 31 players on the Drake roster this season the freshman class has the highest numbers with 11. They are followed by 10 sophomores, seven juniors and three seniors. PRESEASON ALL-MVC TEAM: Drake’s Luke Gorczyca, (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) Kevin Shrout (Verona, Wis./Middleton) and Garrett Webb (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) were all selected to the preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team. Webb ranks fourth among active career scoring leaders in the MVC with 34 points, while Shrout is ranked seventh with 24 points. Webb also is ranked No. 4 among active MVC career leaders in goals with 13, while being ranked No. 6 in assists with eight. MVC PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Drake received a fourth-place ranking in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, registering 19 points. Perennial MVC powerhouse Creighton earned the top spot in the poll, receiving five of a possible six first-place votes and 35 points. Evansville was tabbed to finish second, with 27 points. Bradley came in third with 20 points. Eastern Illinois ranked fifth (14 points), while Missouri State was tabbed sixth (11 points), while receiving the final first-place vote. HEAD COACH SEAN HOLMES: Sean Holmes was named head coach at Drake in 1998. Holmes is in his 11th season at the helm of the Drake men’s soccer program. Under Holmes, the Bulldogs have posted a 76-90-21 record and have built a legacy of excellence on Drake’s campus and in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 2007, the Bulldogs posted a 9-6-4 record, knocking off highly touted opponent Wisconsin, 3-1, and forcing then-ranked No. 8 Creighton to a double overtime 1-1 tie. Holmes led Drake to a 6-7-6 record in 2006,
2008 Drake Leaderboard Points Garrett Webb.................................................. 15 Hunter Kennedy ............................................. 12 Ryan Moylan................................................... 11 Matt Kuhn ....................................................... 10 Goals Hunter Kennedy ............................................... 5 Garrett Webb.................................................... 5 Several Players ................................................ 3 Assists Garrett Webb.................................................... 5 Ryan Moylan..................................................... 5 Matt Kuhn ......................................................... 4 Shots Kevin Shrout................................................... 30 Luke Gorczyca ............................................... 30 Hunter Kennedy ............................................. 28 Saves Michael Drozd................................................. 39 Jordan Kadlec................................................... 8 Goals Against Average Michael Drozd.............................................. 1.05 Minutes Michael Drozd........................................ 1199:57 Shutouts Michael Drozd................................................... 5 2008 Player Plaudits Julien Edwards Drake Classic All-Tournament team Missouri State All-Tournament team MVC Defensive Player of Week Sept. 15 Luke Gorczyca MVP, Drake Classic All-Tournament team Missouri State All-Tournament team Matt Kuhn MVC Offensive Player of Week Oct. 27 College Soccer News Team of the Week Oct. 27 Hunter Kennedy Drake Classic All-Tournament team Ryan Moylan Missouri State All-Tournament team MVC Offensive Player of Week Oct. 20 Kevin Shrout Drake Classic All-Tournament team Garrett Webb Missouri State All-Tournament team 2008 MVC Standings as of Nov. 4 Creighton Missouri State Drake Evansville Bradley Eastern Illinois MVC 3-0-1 3-1-1 3-1-0 2-2-0 1-4-0 0-4-0 Overall 11-1-2 6-8-4 11-4-0 9-6-1 6-10-1 5-9-3
MVC Schedule Wed., Nov. 5 Drake at Wisconsin Thurs., Nov. 6 Tulsa at Missouri State Sat., Nov. 8 Bradley at Central Arkansas Creighton at Eastern Illinois
advancing to the semifinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference championship, which ended in a tie with eventual runner-up Bradley. Drake lost, 5-3, in penalty kicks but showed the grit and determination that Holmes had instilled in his players. Holmes led the Bulldogs to a school-record three victories over top 25 ranked teams in 2005, including Drake’s first win over then No. 16 Creighton to end a 22-year drought against the Bluejays. That victory sparked a four-game winning streak to the end of the season that saw Drake win its first MVC Tournament game since 1997 with a 1-0 victory against Missouri State in the quarterfinal round. Those wins vaulted Drake to a 9-9-2 mark, giving the Bulldogs a winning percentage of .500 or better in three of the previous four seasons after a six-year stint of losing seasons. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America also has noticed Drake’s progress, ranking the Bulldogs No. 22 nationally in the NSCAA/adidas poll the week of Oct. 27, 2003, for the first time in the team’s 18-year history. Holmes then led Drake to a No. 25 ranking the opening week of the 2004 season. Drake posted a 10-6-3 record in 2003, which were the most victories since a school record 11-win season in 1993. The 10 wins marked the most for a Holmes-coached team, with the previous high at nine in 2002 In 2002, Drake finished fourth in the MVC regular season standings to host the quarterfinal round of the MVC Tournament for the first time in school history. It also marked the highest conference finish in Holmes’ career at Drake, rising from 10th place the previous season. It also was the first of four post-season berths as the Bulldogs finished fifth in the MVC in 2003 and 2004, before finishing fourth in 2005. Holmes served as the top assistant at conference-rival Evansville from 1995-98 with the Purple Aces, compiling a 47-30-6 record, winning the 1996 MVC championship. The team, which he helped build, garnered an NCAA Tournament berth and a top 20 ranking. Holmes was born in Switzerland and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. An all-Ontario sweeper at Carleton University from 1983-87, Holmes was a 1983 Lisgar Collegiate Graduate and a CIAU Men’s Soccer Finalist in 1984. Holmes also won the Jack Vogen Award as the school’s outstanding senior studentathlete in 1987. He played professionally for the Ottawa Pioneers of the Canadian Soccer League in 1987, and began his coaching career with the University of Kansas soccer club in 1988. Holmes was head coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., from 1989-93, compiling a 78-26-2 record, leading the 1991, 1992 and 1993 teams to NAIA District 10 championships. Holmes also served as director of the Olympic Development Program in Kansas for two years. He was named NAIA Midwest Coach of the Year in 1992, and NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1993. He was the Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991. Holmes holds a USSF ‘A’ level coaching license and is a member of the Region II staff for the Olympic Development Program. He serves as a staff coach for the Iowa Soccer Association, and also served as age group coach for both the 1978 and 1984 Region II teams. He was an assistant coach at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in St. Louis, Mo.