Bulldogs looking ahead to next season
Photo: File photo
With a 1-0 loss to Evansville in the first round of the State Farm MVC Championship on Oct. 30, the Drake women’s soccer team’s season came to a close.
The Bulldogs finished with a 4-11-4 record. They won their final regular-season match 1-0 against rival Northern Iowa on Oct. 27 to finish 2-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference and to earn the fifth seed in the conference tournament.
Drake lost a total of seven games by one goal, including the loss to the Purple Aces to end the season.
“This game was a lot like the six other games we lost by one goal,” head coach Lindsey Horner said after the loss to Evansville in a Drake athletics press release. “We got punished for a series of mistakes, dug ourselves a hole and ultimately we couldn’t get out of it.”
On the season, Drake was outscored 28-14 by opponents. Opponents also outshot the Bulldogs by an astonishing 83 shots. The fact that Drake was competitive with teams much of the season is a testament to sophomore goalkeeper Kalena Litch.
Litch had a historic season in goal. She recorded 132 saves to finish second in the MVC, and she set the school record for most saves in a season.
Litch finished with two shutouts and owned a 1.34 goals against average per game.
Junior Laura Moklestad led the Bulldogs in scoring with nine points (four goals, one assist). She also had a team-high 47 shots. Of those, 24 shots were on goal. She was also named to the State Farm MVC Women’s Soccer All-Tournament Team for her performance against Evansville.
Senior Danielle Figliola also had a productive season. She ranked second on the team with seven points (two goals, three assists) and ranked second in shots with 36. Of those, 16 shots were on goal.
Last Thursday, four Drake players were recognized at the MVC tournament banquet in Springfield, Mo.
Sophomore defender Megan Fisher earned first team All-MVC honors for the first time in her career. She was involved in the Bulldog defense that recorded two shutouts and scored one goal on 12 shots. Fisher earned All-Freshman honors last season.
Litch and Moklestad garnered second-team honors. Moklestad finished seventh in the MVC in goals. Moklestad was named to the first team last season and the All-Freshman squad two years ago. It was the first time Litch was named to an MVC team in her career.
Freshman Tori Flynn earned MVC All-Freshman honors. The defender helped form the backbone of Drake’s defense.
The Bulldogs also earned a share for the MVC Fair Play award with Illinois State. This award is given to the team who earns the least amount of cards during league play.
“We have a lot of work to do this offseason to transition from a young team with loads of potential to an experienced team that can execute,” Horner said.
