STORY BY ADAM ROGAN
Every point matters in soccer due to its low-scoring nature. That is what makes simple mistakes so costly, a hard lesson that the Drake Women’s Soccer team learned on the road Friday night against the University of Northern Colorado Bears.
In the 25th minute, the Bears lined up for a corner kick, which led to a misdirected clearance attempt for the Bulldogs that ended up inside the net – the dreaded own goal.
Drake still put up a fight, determined to not let their mistake cost them and were able to tie the match back up in the second half.
In the 77th minute junior Rebecca Rodgers scored her first goal of the season off an assist from senior Rhian Pritchard, bringing the score to 1-1.
Regular time expired 13 minutes later, leading to Drake’s second overtime match of the season.
The first period of extra time came and went as neither team was able to capitalize on the two corner kicks they were each granted.
The second period of extra time continued much as the first did, and the game looked as though it might end in a 1-1 tie.
The Bulldogs were again unable to score on either corner kick they took in that period and the Bears were able to make a surge on goal as the game entered its final minute.
Northern Colorado moved the ball into the Drake box, where Bears midfielder Paige Morris made a header pass to teammate Sydney Schroeder, who scored the decisive goal.
Two days later, facing off with the undefeated University of Wyoming Cowgirls, Drake was met with defeat yet again.
Cowgirl sophomore Shaina Ashouri opened scoring in the 35th minute with an unassisted goal. Just two minutes into the second half Ashouri scored again, unassisted, and the Bulldogs found themselves down 2-0.
A late corner kick for Wyoming sealed the Bulldogs’ fate, as Cowgirl defender Alyssa Murray scored on a rebound to give her team a three-goal lead with just over five minutes to play.
Drake responded quickly as freshman Alyssa Brand picked up her third goal of the season off an assist from Kylie DeHaven, but it was too late.
The most glaring problem for the Bulldogs in the game was a lack of offense. Brand’s goal was one of only two shots on goal for Drake in the game.
Wyoming, on the other hand, tallied 18 shots total, with 10 of them on goal to go along with 10 corner kicks.
Drake’s next contest will be on the road against the University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday followed by a match with Saint Louis University on Sunday
