For the first time in program history the Drake men's soccer team will host an NCAA Tournament contest as the Bulldogs welcome Summit League champion Western Illinois to the Cownie Soccer Complex on Thursday (Nov. 19) for a 7:00 p.m. tilt.  The match will mark the first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament men's soccer game played in the State of Iowa.

The winner of the match advances to the second round for a meeting with fourth-seeded Ohio State on Sunday (Nov. 22).  Game time in Columbus, Ohio, is slated for 12:00 p.m. CT.

SCOUTING THE LEATHERNECKS
Western Illinois (8-9-2) comes into tournament play unbeaten in its last five contests, posting a 4-0-1 mark.  Senior Martin Browne Jr. paces the Leathernecks in goals (6), points (12) and shots (18).  Senior Stephen Paterson has logged the majority of minutes in net for Western Illinois and has responded by recording 81 saves.

SERIES HISTORY
Drake will be squaring off against the Leathernecks for the 20th time in school history, owning a 12-7 series advantage.  Earlier in the season, the Bulldogs netted a 1-0 decision at Western Illinois on Oct. 7.

THE COACHES
Western Illinois: Eric Johnson is in his 13th campaign leading the Leathernecks and maintains a 112-126-19 record (.473) and is 155-176-23 (.470) in 17 years as a head coach.

Drake: In his 12th season on the Drake sidelines as head coach is Sean Holmes, who owns a 100-101-24 mark (.498), including 178-127-26 (.577), overall in his 17th year as a head coach.

DRAKE HEAD COACH SEAN HOLMES
Sean Holmes was named head coach at Drake in 1998 and is in his 12th season at the helm of the Drake men's soccer program. Under Holmes, the Bulldogs have posted an 100-101-24 record and have built a legacy of excellence on Drake's campus and in the Missouri Valley Conference. Holmes is dedicated to the ideal of developing the whole student-athlete.

Holmes led the Bulldogs to a school-record 13-5-1 mark in 2008, including six-consecutive shutouts to open the season. Drake finished second in the MVC with a 4-1-0 record and made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, receiving an at-large bid. The Bulldogs were nationally ranked for the final 11 weeks of the season.

Holmes came to Drake after serving as the top assistant at conference-rival Evansville from 1995-98. During his tenure at Evansville, the Aces compiled 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 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.

Holmes 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.

DRAKE, WESTERN ILLINOIS SHARE THREE COMMON FOES
Drake and Western Illinois played three common opponents this season in Evansville, UMKC and Northwestern.  The Leathernecks dropped 4-2, 1-0 (2OT) and 3-2 decisions, respectively, to the Purple Aces, Kangaroos and Wildcats.  The Bulldogs took two of three meetings from Evansville, including a 2-1 triumph in the championship match of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship on Sunday (Nov. 15), dropped a 3-0 decision at UMKC (Sept. 20) and tied Northwestern, 2-2, on Sept. 25.

BULLDOGS NO. 24 IN SOCCER AMERICA NATIONAL POLL
The Bulldogs climbed into the top-25 of the final regular season Soccer America poll this week as Drake checks in at No. 24.

DRAKE RECEIVING VOTES IN LATEST NSCAA NATIONAL POLL
Drake received votes (13) for the third consecutive week in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national poll released on Nov. 10 after being ranked in the top-25 for three weeks earlier in the year.

BULLDOGS THIRD IN NSCAA MIDWEST REGION POLL
Drake held steady at No. 3 in the final regular season Midwest Region as released by the NSCAA on Nov. 9.  Tulsa is the regional leader, followed by Missouri State, Drake, UAB, Kentucky, Creighton, Marshall, Oakland, Evansville and Memphis.

DRAKE WINS MVC CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER EVANSVILLE
DES MOINES, IOWA - When the final horn sounded a euphoric jubilation poured out of the Drake men's soccer team as the Bulldogs swarmed one another and then their head coach Sean Holmes as Drake had captured its first-ever State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship with a 2-1 victory over Evansville on Sunday (Nov. 15) at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

The win was 12 years in the making for Holmes, who by virtue of the Bulldogs' triumph had registered his 100th career coaching victory at Drake and more importantly had collected the school's first automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

The Bulldogs won their championship behind a defensive unit that for the second consecutive contest saw their opponents hold a decisive advantage in shots, as Evansville owned a 23-12 differential.

A testament to the Bulldogs' starting defensive backline of Calvin Clark (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas), Julien Edwards (Ottawa, Ont./De La Salle) and Brian Wurst (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill South), along with sophomore Thomas Ostrander (Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond Catholic), was their resolve as their efforts were the cornerstone to Drake's efforts in securing the victory.

Ostrander was elevated into a starting assignment for junior starter Nick Foster (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), who was forced to miss the game due to a post-match extra-curricular incident following Drake's 3-1 victory over Creighton on Friday (Nov. 13), and he responded.

Redshirt junior Michael Drozd (Harwood Heights, Ill./Loyola Academy) was equally impressive in net, recording seven saves, including several spectacular stops, to go along with a pair of critical team saves.

The Bulldogs began the scoring in the affair in the 27th minute (26:29) when redshirt sophomore Michael Noonan (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) fired a shot from outside the top of the box which effortlessly floated like a perfect knuckleball past Evansville goalkeeper Phil Boerger to give Drake a 1-0 lead.  A short touch pass from sophomore Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) provided the assist on Noonan's fourth goal of the season.
The Purple Aces squared the affair at one at the 31:35 mark when Mike Luttrull fired a shot inside the 18 off passes from Tad Kreamalmeyer and Robby Lynch.

The game-winning tally came after Evansville was whistled for a trip just outside the right of the box, setting up a free kick by senior Kevin Shrout (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit).  Converting on the opportunity, Shrout fired a shot that bent through and deflected off the Evansville defense into the net for his third goal on the campaign.

The score held up through staunch defensive play by the Bulldogs the rest of the half as Drake earned its way into the field of 48 in the NCAA Tournament.

Shrout paced the Bulldogs with three shots, while Noonan, senior Garrett Webb (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) and junior Matt Kuhn (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) added two apiece.

Clark was named as the tournament Most Valuable Player and Webb, Edwards and Shrout joined him on the all-tournament team.

WEBB PROPELS DRAKE TO FIRST-EVER TITLE GAME WITH 3-1 WIN OVER CREIGHTON
DES MOINES, IOWA - Garrett Webb scored a pair of goals to lift Drake to its second State Farm MVC Championship title match with a 3-1 victory over league nemesis Creighton on Friday (Nov. 13) at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

The win was the first in six tournament encounters with the Bluejays.

After battling to a 3-3 double-overtime tie with Creighton (Nov. 7), Drake was able to overcome a slow start that saw the Bulldogs getting outshot in the first half, 11-6, and 21-9 for the game.

Webb gave Drake the early 1-0 lead as his header off a play from the corner of the box by Nick Foster resulted in his 10th tally of the year at the 39:34 mark.

The defense, though, failed the Bulldogs in the 45th minute (44:23) as Drake's inability to properly clear the ball out of the box resulted in Ethan Finley's eighth goal of the season to send the contest into the intermission tied at one.

The momentum swung back in favor of the Bulldogs at the 48:31 mark when senior Luke Gorczyca (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) knocked in a header off a free kick from the corner of the box by Kevin Shrout to give Drake a 2-1 advantage.  The goal was the fourth of the year for Gorczyca.

Webb then completed his third consecutive multiple-goal match with an end-to-end sequence that resulted in his team-leading 11th tally of the campaign in the 64th minute (63:32).  The play was set-up by a brilliant defensive play by Brian Wurst, who rejected the Creighton offensive attack deep in the Drake end and then drove the ball up the sideline before slicing a feed into redshirt sophomore Michael Noonan who sent a touch pass to Webb for the goal.

Webb, who has scored seven of his team-leading 11 goals in the last four contests, netted tallies on his only two shots of the night, while Noonan also contributed a team-high two shots to the Drake cause. 

Michael Drozd pulled in a game-high eight saves for the Bulldogs, while his counterpart Brian Holt registered one stop.

FROM A PRESENCE TO A FORCE
Over the course of his four-year career, Garrett Webb, a 2009 Hermann Award Watch List candidate, has gone from being a presence in the Missouri Valley Conference to a nearly unstoppable force and his play of late has exemplified this.  Seven of Webb's team- and league-leading 11 goals have come in Drake's last five games, including two each in the Bulldogs' contests against Eastern Illinois and Creighton (twice).  Those seven goals have come on 15 shots, including just nine shots on goal.

WEBB NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR; SIX BULLDOGS GARNER ALL-MVC ACCOLADES
Led by Garrett Webb, who was tabbed as the 2009 Missouri Valley Men's Soccer Player of the Year, six Drake student-athletes garnered All-MVC accolades as announced by the league on Nov. 12.

Webb and fellow seniors Kevin Shrout, Luke Gorczyca and Julien Edwards were tabbed as first team selections, while Calvin Clark and Matt Kuhn were selected to the All-MVC second team.

A three-time first team all-conference selection, Webb became only the second Drake player to garner MVC Player of the Year recognition, joining Jesse Baker, who shared the award in 2005. 

Collecting first team honors for the second straight year was Shrout, who has started all 20 games he has appeared in for the Bulldogs this season and ranks second on the squad in assists (6) and shots (42). 

After earning second team laurels each of the past two campaigns, league coaches elevated Gorczyca to first team recognition as he has recorded four goals and two assists in 21 games for Drake this season.

Named to the All-MVC first team for the second consecutive year was Edwards, who helped anchor a Drake defensive unit that posted seven shutouts.  Edwards has appeared in 19 contests for the Bulldogs and owns a goal on four shots on goal.

Having started all 21 games for Drake as a junior, Kuhn garnered second team honors, having paced the squad in assists (7) and game-winning goals (2).

Clark capped his collegiate career with second team accolades this fall after garnering honorable mention All-MVC recognition as a junior.  Starting all 21 games for Drake, he has netted a pair of goals, while chipping in an assist from his defensive spot, where he has helped anchor a defensive unit that has posted seven shutouts this season.

DRAKE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Drake is appearing in its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after making the event for the first time in school history a season ago.  The Bulldogs nearly pulled the upset at Saint Louis as a goal with four seconds left in double overtime earned the Billikens a 1-0 triumph.

Saint Louis 1, Drake 0 (2OT) (Nov. 21, 2008)
ST. LOUIS, MO. - A Kyle Hayes' goal with 4.1 seconds left in the second overtime lifted Saint Louis University to a 1-0 victory past Drake in first round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.

Hayes goal came off a free kick after Drake goalkeeper Michael Drozd was given a yellow card with six seconds left when he collided with Charles Bryce of Saint Louis.

Both teams had battled on even terms through 109-plus minutes, braving temperatures which dipped to a 16-degree wind chill.

With the clock ticking down and the game destined for a penalty-kick shootout, Bryce chased down a long clearance by teammate Tim Ream. He beat out several Drake defenders and got to the ball near the top-right corner of the box before he collided with Drozd. The subsequent yellow card that was issued to Drozd stopped the clock with six seconds remaining.

On the restart, Angus sent a curling ball that found its way near the goal line. Hayes, stationed on the line, managed to get his left foot on the ball and tip the ball into the upper netting.

Drake had a chance to win it with four minutes left in the first sudden death overtime period.

Kenan Malicevic (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Valley) had a chance off a corner kick but his shot was blocked by Saint Louis goal keeper Pat Disbennett who made a quick reaction to his right to knock the ball over the end line.

In the second overtime Kevin Shrout had a shot from 15 yards out go high off the net.

Saint Louis edged Drake in shots with a 16-15 advantage. In the second half Drake outshot the Billikens, 8-6.

Saint Louis out-cornered the Bulldogs 8-6. Drozd had six saves for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs had their best chance at scoring during regulation early in the second half. Malicevic snuck in behind Saint Louis' defense, collected a pass but had his shot stopped on a save by Disbennet.  Luke Gorczyca got the rebound but was denied by Disbennet.

Drake recovered from a sluggish opening 20 minutes of the first half, taking the attack to the Billikens.

Drake threatened to get on the board first midway through the first half on a shot by Hunter Kennedy in the 20th minute, followed less than a minute later on a header by Garrett Webb that was wide.

Malicevic led Drake with four shots, including three shots on goal.

WEBB NAMED MVC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Garrett Webb was selected as the MVC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Nov. 9.  The honor marked the second of the season and third of his career for Webb.

Webb turned in a defining week for Drake, registering four goals on only five shots on goal to lead the Bulldogs to a 1-0-1 mark.  He scored a pair of tallies on three shots in a 4-1 victory at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 4).

In the Bulldogs' regular season finale against Creighton (Nov. 7), he recorded a season-high six shots, including three on goal, en route to scoring two goals against the Bluejays.  His first tally gave Drake a 1-0 lead and his second goal may have been his biggest of the season as with the Bulldogs trailing 3-2 he netted the equalizer with 1:50 left in regulation to send the contest into overtime where it ended in a 3-3 tie.

WEBB NAMED TO CSN NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
Garrett Webb was rewarded for his outstanding play a week ago being tabbed to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week after registering four goals in two games for the Bulldogs.

Webb capitalized on nearly every shot on goal he attempted against both Eastern Illinois and Creighton as he tallied four goals on only five shots on goal.

On the season, Webb leads Drake in goals (11), points (26), shots (45), shots on goal (22) and game-winners (2).

BULLDOGS HONOR EIGHT SENIORS
The Bulldogs honored eight seniors before their final regular season home contest versus Creighton (Nov. 7) as Calvin Clark, Brian Wurst, Julien Edwards, Kevin Shrout, Ted Schleisman (Verona, Wis./Middleton), Luke Gorczyca, Garrett Webb and Tom Spiess (Roseville, Minn./Totino-Grace) were recognized for their career accomplishments.

FOUR BULLDOGS EARN FIRST TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
Drake men's soccer earned recognition for its efforts in the classroom as four Bulldogs were tabbed as first team CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America all-district VII selections.

Named to the first team to remain in contention for national Academic All-America laurels are Matt Kuhn, Kevin Shrout, Calvin Clark and Brian Wurst.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution.  Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable).

An accounting major, Kuhn maintains a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average.  He has started all 21 games for Drake and leads the team in assists (7) and game-winning goals (2).

A management and marketing major, Shrout, who was named to the Hermann Award Watch List, owns a 3.4 GPA.  He has started all 20 games he has played in and is second on the team in assists (6) and shots (39), while adding two goals.

Majoring in corporate finance, Clark boasts a 3.73 GPA.  Starting all 21 games for Drake, Clark has recorded two goals and added an assist from his starting defender's slot.  He is an anchor of a Bulldog defensive unit that has posted seven shutouts.

A management major, Wurst maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA.  He has started all 21 games at his defender position for the Bulldogs, who have recorded seven shutouts this season.

MARCHING TOWARDS BULLDOG HISTORY
Garrett Webb has registered 29 goals in 77 career games for fifth all-time at Drake.  He is three goals from surpassing Matt Nickel (31/2001-04) for second place.  Webb also ranks third in career points (73) and in games played (77), fourth in shots (156) and eighth in assists (15) for the Bulldogs.  Matt Kuhn sits third in career assists (19), while senior Kevin Shrout has recorded 143 career shots and is one shot behind Dusty Grau (144/1998-01) for seventh all-time, while ranking ninth in career assists (13).  Redshirt junior goalkeeper Michael Drozd ranks fifth, fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, in wins (23), shutouts (10.0), game played (36) and saves (117).

STINGY DEFENSE
The Drake defensive backline of starters Julien Edwards, Calvin Clark, Brian Wurst and Nick Foster has teamed with goalkeepers Michael Drozd and redshirt sophomore Jordan Kadlec (Hiawatha, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy) to be one of the toughest teams in the MVC to score against in 10 league contests.  The unit surrendered 11 goals en route to posting three shutouts.

RAISING THE BAR
With the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory over Bradley on Oct. 28, the squad achieved double-figure wins in consecutive seasons for only the second time in school history and first since the 1987 and 1988 Drake teams won 11 and 10 games, respectively.

DEFENDING THY PITCH
Drake has done an outstanding job of defending its home turf in league contests as the Bulldogs own a 12-1-4 mark in their last 17 home MVC affairs.  Drake's last league loss before falling to Missouri State, 2-1, on Oct. 17, came at home versus No. 7 Creighton on Oct. 23, 2004.

DRAKE EARNS FIRST-EVER VICTORY AT CREIGHTON
Thomas Ostrander's goal in the 48th minute (47:05) provided No. 19 Drake all the scoring it needed in a 1-0 victory over Creighton (Oct. 14) to earn the program's first-ever road victory against the Bluejays.

The win marked only the second triumph for Drake over Creighton, the preseason MVC favorite, in 27 meetings, and the first victory in Omaha in 15 games.

The setback dropped Creighton to 56-6-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 21-3-2 at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays had been 13-1-1 at home against nationally-ranked teams at Morrison Stadium before Drake's victory.

EARNING HIS POINT
Michael Drozd has been solid for the Bulldogs in net this season but his contributions have extended to the offensive end of the field as well.  His booming leg has resulted in a pair of assists this season, including on Thomas Ostrander's game-winning goal with 1:37 left in regulation in a 1-0 victory over Evansville (Oct. 10).  Drozd is believed to be the first Bulldog goalkeeper to register multiple assists in school history in a single season.  He also added a helper on Matt Kuhn's game-winning tally versus Marquette.

OVER OUR LAST FIVE GAMES
The Bulldogs own a 3-1-1 mark in their last five contests, with three of the five occurring at home.  Seven Drake players have registered a goal, with Garrett Webb leading the way with seven of his team-high 11 goals.  Webb, Kenan Malicevic, Kevin Shrout, Michael Noonan, Luke Gorczyca, Hunter Kennedy and Nick Foster lead the team in scoring in that span with 14, six, three, three, three, three, three points, respectively.  Webb paces Drake with 15 shots.  Michael Drozd and Jordan Kadlec have been peppered by 91 shots in that span in goal, and have recorded 35 saves.

BULLDOGS BITES  

• A victory by the Bulldogs over Western Illinois gives Drake its school record 14th win of the season, surpassing the 13 wins established in each of the last two campaigns.

• Drake's 2-1 victory over Bradley (Oct. 28) marked the 175th in the coaching career of Sean Holmes.

• Thomas Ostrander has turned in a strong league campaign for the Bulldogs, having netted three goals in 10 games. His tally at Creighton gave the Bulldogs their first-ever victory at Creighton and only the second in series history.

• Drake has made a habit of attacking its league opponents early as the Bulldogs have outscored league opponents 10-4 in the first half.

• While the Bulldogs held a slight advantage over their opponents in shots in 10 MVC contests, 153-147, Drake made its shots count as the Bulldogs maintained a 66-49 advantage in shots on goal.

• Senior Calvin Clark and Kenan Malicevic were named to the all-tournament team at the Holiday Inn at the Plaza UMKC Invitational. Malicevic led the Bulldogs with a pair of goals and an assist on a team-high seven shots in two games, while Clark added a goal on two shots.

• As a team, Drake ranks 11th, 37th and 71st, respectively, in the NCAA in scoring offense (2.00), winning percentage (.667) and shutout percentage (0.33), while Garrett Webb is rated 31st and 37th in goals per game (0.55) and points per game (1.3) and Matt Kuhn is ranked 83rd in assists per game (0.35).

• After registering five shutouts a year ago, Michael Drozd picked up where he left off last season, having pitched shutouts against DePaul (2-0), Marquette (2-0), Western Illinois (1-0), Evansville (1-0) and Creighton (1-0), while sharing a combined shutout against Oral Roberts with Jordan Kadlec. Kadlec notched a shutout of his own in a 3-0 win versus Eastern Illinois (Oct. 21).

• Drozd also made his mark on Drake's 2-0 victory over the Golden Eagles by earning the assist on Matt Kuhn's game-winning goal.

• Kevin Shrout has converted both his penalty kicks this season against Marquette and Western Illinois.

• Webb has turned in his third, fourth, fifth and sixth multi-goal games of his career with his two tallies against DePaul, Eastern Illinois (Nov. 4) and Creighton (Nov. 7 & Nov. 13).

BULLDOGS DEFINE CHARACTER IN FACE OF ADVERSE CONDITIONS
In a testament to its character and credentials as a worthy NCAA Tournament team, Drake earned a 2-2 double-overtime tie at No. 17 Northwestern (Sept. 25) despite playing a man down for the final 31 minutes of regulation and overtime.  The Bulldogs trailed in the contest, 2-1, with less than four minutes to play when Garrett Webb sent the game into overtime with the equalizer at the 86:30 mark.  Drake had an opportunity to steal the victory in the second overtime as Calvin Clark's shot in the 107th minute (106:36) was corralled by Northwestern goalkeeper Jonathan Harris.

IN OUR LAST MEETING
Drake 1, Western Illinois 0 (Oct. 7, 2009)
MACOMB, ILL. - A successful penalty kick off the foot of Kevin Shrout proved to be all the offense 22nd-rated Drake needed as the Bulldogs recorded a 1-0 victory at Western Illinois.

Shrout netted what proved to the game-winning goal at the 49:17 mark.

The win was the first for the Bulldogs over Western Illinois since a 3-2 double-overtime decision on Sept. 1, 2003, and ended Drake's seven-match road trip with a 4-2-1 ledger.

The two teams battled to a scoreless tie in the first half as Western Illinois registered a 5-4 shot advantage.

The Bulldogs elevated their intensity in the final 45 minutes, outshooting the Leathernecks, 9-6, to enjoy a 13-11 margin on the afternoon.

Calvin Clark helped anchor a Drake defensive unit that posted its fourth shutout of the season.

Shrout paced the Bulldogs with a game-high three shots, while Michael Noonan and Kenan Malicevic added two shots apiece.  Michael Drozd pulled in four saves for the Bulldogs en route to earning the shutout

WEBB AND SHROUT NAMED TO HERMANN WATCH LIST
Drake men's soccer seniors Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout were among those named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List, considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer.

They became the first Drake players to be named to the list in program history, placing them among 38 Division I student-athletes that comprise the 2009 Watch List.  Drake was one of five schools nationally to place two student-athletes on this prestigious list, joining Monmouth, Tulsa, UCLA and Wake Forest. Only Creighton and Loyola of Maryland had more nominees with three apiece.

The recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the NSCAA.  Fifteen semifinalists are to be selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December.  The finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 8, 2010, where the winner will be announced with a presentation banquet following.

HERMANN AWARD UPDATE
Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout, Drake's Hermann Award candidates, continue to shine for the Bulldogs this season.

Garrett Webb
2009 - Has started all 20 games he has played in and leads the Bulldogs in goals (11), points (26), shots (45), shots on goal (22) and game-winners (2)...rated 31st and 37th in the NCAA in goals per game (0.55) and points per game (1.3)...named to MVC All-Tournament team after scoring two goals in a pair of contests...posted back-to-back-to-back multiple-goal efforts against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 4) and Creighton (Nov. 7 & Nov. 13)...has registered seven of his team-leading 11 goals in the last four games...collected a team season-high six shots including netting the equalizer with 1:50 left in regulation versus the Bluejays in a 3-3 double-overtime tie...earned MVC Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his efforts against Eastern Illinois and Creighton, as well as being named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week...scored game-tying goal that forced overtime at No. 25 Missouri State...credited with assist on Thomas Ostrander's game-winning goal to provide Drake with a 1-0 victory at Creighton, its first-ever win on the Bluejays' home field and only the second in series history...earned assist on Ostrander's game-winning goal with 1:37 left in regulation in a 1-0 victory over Evansville, who came into the game as the top-scoring unit in the MVC...added an assist in a 3-1 road victory at Bradley, Drake's first win on the Braves' home field since 2002...registered a game-tying goal and an assist in the Bulldogs' 2-2 double-overtime tie at No.17 Northwestern...netted both goals in Drake's 2-0 season-opening victory over DePaul...accounted for the Bulldogs' lone tally against No. 22 Michigan...owns the top individual game marks for Drake in goals (2), while recording a team-best five shots in a 2-1 win at UAB...ranks first in the MVC in points per game (1.30), second in goals per game (0.55), fourth in game-winning goals (0.10) and fifth in shots per contest (2.25).

Kevin Shrout
2009 - Has started all 20 contests for Drake in which he has played and is second on the team in shots (42) and assists (6)...credited with game-winning goal in the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory over Evansville to capture the 2009 State Farm MVC Tournament title on Nov. 15...earned MVC all-tournament laurels...netted an assist on Luke Gorczyca's game-winning goal in Drake's 3-1 MVC Tournament victory over Creighton, its first win in tournament play against the Bluejays in six games...collected assist on Thomas Ostrander's goal against Missouri State...registered game-winning tally on a second-half penalty kick at Western Illinois in a 1-0 Bulldog victory, their first over the Leathernecks since 2003...named MVC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5)...recorded pair of assists from his defender's slot in a 3-1 road victory at Bradley, Drake's first win on the Braves' home field since 2002...first goal of the season came after he converted a successful penalty kick versus Marquette...registered a team season-high five shots against No. 22 Michigan...added four shots in a 2-0 victory over Marquette...ranks sixth in the MVC in assists (0.30) and eighth in shots (2.05) per game.

BULLDOGS PICKED SECOND IN MVC RACE WITH LEAGUE-BEST FIVE PLAYERS GARNERING PRESEASON HONORS
The Missouri Valley Conference released its 2009 Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches Poll on Aug. 18 and the nationally-ranked Drake program was tabbed to finish second, while placing a league-best five players on the preseason All-MVC squad.

The Bulldogs, who returned a conference-high 10 starters, garnered 27 points, including one first-place vote to outdistance Evansville (23 points), Missouri State (18 points, one first-place vote), Bradley (15 points) and Eastern Illinois (nine points).  Creighton was selected as the preseason favorite to win the league crown with 34 points and four first-place tallies.

Drake senior defender Julien Edwards, senior midfielder Luke Gorczyca, junior midfielder Matt Kuhn, senior midfielder Kevin Shrout and senior forward Garrett Webb were among 14 players named by a vote of the six MVC head men's soccer coaches to the All-MVC Preseason team. It marked the second consecutive season that Gorczyca, Shrout and Webb have been recognized on the preseason unit.

WINS VERSUS LOSSES
In their 13 victories this season, the Bulldogs are averaging 14.5 shots, 4.8 corner kicks and 4.1 saves, while their opponents garner 12.2 shots, 5.1 corner kicks and 4.0 saves. In its six setbacks, Drake is recording 14.2 shots, 6.3 corners and 2.2 saves, while seeing the opposition average 11.7 shots, 3.7 corners and 4.8 saves per game.

UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's match advances to the second round for a meeting with fourth-seeded Ohio State on Sunday (Nov. 22).  Game time in Columbus, Ohio, is slated for 12:00 p.m. CT.