The drive for its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth begins anew for Drake on Friday (Sept. 3) when the Bulldogs kick off their campaign at Michigan. Drake then closes out its stay in the Great Lakes state on Sunday (Sept. 5) versus Oakland. Game time against the Wolverines is slated for 6:30 p.m., while the showdown with the Golden Grizzlies kicks off at 11:30 a.m.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan (0-0) posted a 10-7-1 ledger last season, including a 2-4 mark in the Big Ten. The Wolverines, who had a pair of ties versus West Virginia and Evansville in exhibition play, open their season hosting in-state rival Detroit on Wednesday (Sept. 1) before entertaining the Bulldogs. Michigan returns its leading scorer from a year ago in senior Justin Meram, who collected seven goals and a team-best six assists. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Chris Blais is back in net for the Wolverines after making 67 saves en route to owning a 1.16 goals against average last season.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland (0-0) enters the campaign after posting a 9-5-3 record a season ago, including a 5-1-1 mark in the Summit League. The Golden Grizzlies posted 2-1 and 3-2 victories, respectively, over Bowling Green and Xavier in two exhibitions. Sophomore Johnny Dreshaj and senior Makesi Lewis return as Oakland's top returning scorers after each netting three goals last season. Redshirt junior Mitch Hildebrandt, the 2009 Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, is once again in goal for the Golden Grizzlies after recording seven shutouts en route to turning in a 0.79 goals against average last season.
SERIES HISTORY
Drake will be squaring off against Michigan for the second time in school history and for the second straight year after the Wolverines escaped Des Moines with a 2-1 victory last season. The encounter with Oakland will mark only the second meeting between the Bulldogs and Oakland, with Drake earning a 1-0 home decision on Sept. 1, 2006.
THE COACHES
Michigan: Steve Burns is in his 11th campaign leading the Wolverines and maintains a 100-79-19 record (.553).
Oakland: Eric Pogue is in his second campaign directing the Golden Grizzlie program, registering a 9-5-3 mark (.618).
Drake: In his 13th season on the Drake sidelines as head coach is Sean Holmes, who owns a 103-102-24 mark (.502), including 181-128-26 (.579), overall in his 18th year as a head coach.
DRAKE HEAD COACH SEAN HOLMES
Sean Holmes was named head coach at Drake in 1998 with the program coming off its most successful season in school history in 2009.
During Holmes' 12-year tenure, the Bulldogs have posted a 103-102-24 record, building a legacy of excellence on Drake's campus and in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Drake posted a school-record 16-7-2 mark in 2009, capped off by winning its first ever Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship while advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Drake earned its highest ranking in school history, being rated No. 8 in the final 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top-25 National Poll. The Bulldogs also rated eighth in the final 2009 NCAA RPI tabulation.
The Bulldogs posted 2009 NCAA Tournament victories past Western Illinois (2-1), No. 13 ranked Ohio State (1-0, overtime) and Boston College (6-4) before falling at nationally ranked North Carolina (2-1).
Garrett Webb was a semi-finalist for the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy which is the highest individual honor in college soccer. He also became the second Drake player to earn All-America status with his selection to the NSCAA and College Soccer News second and third team All-America squads, respectively.
A national-best three Bulldogs were named to the 2009 CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams led by senior Brian Wurst, who became the initial first team Academic All-American honoree in school history. Joining him on the second and third teams, respectively, were junior Matt Kuhn and senior Calvin Clark. Drake's three selections marked the most of any school in the country in the university division (Division I), besting Akron and South Carolina, who garnered two selections each.
Drake's progress also has been noticed at the next level with three players being drafted by Major League Soccer in the last few years. Matt Nickell was selected by the DC United in 2004, while Corey Farabi and Chris Hamburger were both drafted by the Kansas City Wizards in 2005.
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, 43, 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 student-athlete 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.
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 CONCLUDES EXHIBITION PLAY WITH 3-0 WIN AT COE
Drake completed its exhibition slate with a perfect 3-0 record, including three shutouts, after netting a 3-0 road triumph over Coe College last Sunday (Aug. 29).
The game was a homecoming for eight Drake players who made their return to eastern Iowa to play in front of family and friends. That group was led by senior Kenan Malicevic (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Valley) along with redshirt juniors Charles Schwartz (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf), Jordan Kadlec (Hiawatha, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Kennedy) and Michael Noonan (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier), junior Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Cedar Rapids Washington), redshirt freshmen Nick Mims (Davenport, Iowa/Davenport Central) and Michael Rummelhart (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina) and freshman Erik Boyer (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy).
The two sides battled to a scoreless draw at halftime before Kennedy connected off a cross from the left wing by Schwartz in the 81st minute to score what proved to be the game-winner.
In the 84th minute, Malicevic struck from four yards out on a first-time finish off a cross from redshirt sophomore Colin Lawter (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Southeast) pushing Drake's advantage to 2-0.
Malicevic capped the scoring with his second tally in as many minutes with his goal from three yards out on a knockdown in the 87th minute from Schwartz.
Kadlec started the game in goal for the Bulldogs, playing 55 minutes before giving way to redshirt freshman Rich Gallagher (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest Academy) for the remainder of the affair.
DRAKE DOWNS UMKC WITH PAIR OF SECOND-HALF GOALS, 2-0
On the strength of a pair of second-half goals Drake garnered a road shutout with a 2-0 exhibition victory over UMKC last Friday (Aug. 27).
The Kangaroos nearly cracked the scoring column in the initial stanza only to see an apparent goal waved off when UMKC was whistled for an offside call.
In the 65th minute (64:59), freshman Brian Grand (North Branch, Minn./North Branch) connected on a 1v1 with UMKC goalkeeper Ken Cooper knocking in the rebound off of the block to give Drake a 1-0 lead. Credited with the assist on the play was freshman Nick Marshall (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville).
Freshman Addison Eck (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) closed out the scoring delivering a free kick into the upper left corner of the net from the top of the box at the 70:32 mark.
The Bulldogs outshot the Kangaroos, 13-12, led by a game-high four shots from Grand.
MALICEVIC LEADS BULLDOGS PAST LORAS, 1-0
In a battle of nationally-ranked men's soccer squads from Iowa, it was Drake that parlayed a goal by senior Kenan Malicevic in the 11th minute (10:41) into a 1-0 triumph over Loras College in exhibition play last Wednesday (Aug. 25) at the Cownie Soccer Complex.
Coming into the contest wanting to get playing time for many of his newcomers, 13th year Drake head coach Sean Holmes got exactly that as 26 Bulldogs saw action versus Loras.
The Bulldogs outshot the Duhawks in the affair, 17-12, led by three shots in reserve duty from Erik Boyer. Contributing two shots apiece were junior Michael Thaden (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), Malicevic, Addison Eck and freshman Logan North (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North).
All three goalkeepers for Drake garnered playing time with Jordan Kadlec, fifth-year senior Tom Spiess (Roseville, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Rich Gallagher (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest Academy) recording four, one and one saves, respectively, en route to posting the shutout.
IN OUR LAST MEETINGS
Michigan 2, Drake 1 (Sept. 4, 2009)
DES MOINES, IOWA - In a battle of nationally-ranked squads, Chase Tennant's goal in the 87th minute (86:25) propelled No. 22 Michigan to a 2-1 victory over 21st-rated Drake at the Cownie Soccer Complex.
The contest was a back-and-forth battle in the initial stanza as neither side cracked the scoring column, despite the Bulldogs outshooting Michigan, 7-2.
Mauro Fuzetti provided the Wolverines a 1-0 advantage at the 47:14 mark netting a goal off a solid assist from Justin Meram.
The score remained in Michigan's favor until Garrett Webb took a cross from Hunter Kennedy at the top of the box and fired a laser that beat goalkeeper Chris Blais top shelf for his third goal of the season.
The contest was feisty for the entire 90 minutes as both sides were whistled for a combined 17 fouls and six yellow cards.
Kevin Shrout paced all players with five shots, while Luke Gorczyca, Webb and Matt Kuhn (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) added three, two and two shots, respectively. Fuzetti directed the Wolverine attack with three shots.
Michael Noonan was outstanding off the bench for the Bulldogs as he consistently crossed the ball into the box to give his teammates scoring opportunities.
Blais collected a game-high four saves for Michigan, while Drozd recorded one save for the Bulldogs.
Drake 1, Oakland 0 (Sept. 1, 2006)
DES MOINES, IOWA - Kevin Shrout's sensational goal from outside the box in the 83rd minute of play was all Drake needed to continue its undefeated start, taking a 1-0 victory over Oakland.
Drake outshot Oakland 22-9, 16 of which came in the second half, forcing Oakland's goalkeeper Josh Slaughter to make seven saves.
T.J. Howard led the way for the Bulldogs, taking six shots, two of which were on goal.
Drake's goalkeeper Phillip Breuer continued his scoreless streak, recording three saves.
The Bulldogs' defense proved strong once again, keeping the pressure off of the goalie and allowing only three shots on goal.
DRAKE NO. 14 IN PRESEASON NSCAA NATIONAL POLL
Drake garnered the program's first-ever National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason national top-25 ranking as the Bulldogs off a school-record 16-7-2 mark a season ago checked in at No. 14 when the poll was released on Aug. 10.
After advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, the Bulldogs finished ranked No. 8 in the final NSCAA poll, the best finish in program history. Drake is the lone Missouri Valley Conference representative in the top-25 and two of its 2010 opponents in Indiana and UC Irvine join the Bulldogs in the preseason tabulation at No. 20 and No. 25, respectively.
BULLDOGS NO. 16 IN TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM PRESEASON TOURNAMENT 48 POLL
The Bulldogs added another national ranking to its arsenal on Aug. 23 as TopDrawerSoccer.com tabbed the Bulldogs No. 16 in its preseason Tournament 48 of the teams it projects to make the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Drake is one of two Missouri Valley Conference representatives in the Tournament 48, joining Creighton, who checks in at No. 40. Six of the Bulldogs' 2010 opponents are in the poll, led by No. 20 Indiana. Also ranked are No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 31 Saint Louis, No. 35 Michigan, Creighton and No. 47 Western Illinois.
RAISING THE BAR
With the Bulldogs' 2-1 home victory over Bradley last season, 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.
BULLDOGS PICKED FOURTH IN MVC RACE WITH KUHN GARNERING PRESEASON HONORS
The Missouri Valley Conference released its 2010 Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll on Aug. 17 and the nationally-ranked Drake program was tabbed to finish fourth, while placing Matt Kuhn on the preseason All-MVC squad.
The Bulldogs, who return five starters from a squad that posted a school-record 16-7-2 mark a year ago en route to reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, garnered 41 points.
Pegged ahead of the Bulldogs are Creighton (49 points), Missouri State (52 points and two first-place votes) and Evansville, which was selected as the preseason favorite to win the league crown with 60 points and six first-place tallies. Rounding out the poll was Bradley (28 points), SIU Edwardsville (24 points), Eastern Illinois (20 points) and Central Arkansas (14 points).
Kuhn was among 11 players named by a vote of the eight MVC head men's soccer coaches to the All-MVC Preseason team.
Starting all 25 games for Drake as a junior, Kuhn tallied five goals and added seven assists en route to being named a second team All-MVC selection.
He was tabbed a first team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete team for the second consecutive campaign, while also capturing ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team laurels.
DRAKE TO HOST MEN'S SOCCER ALUMNI WEEKEND
Drake will hold its sixth annual alumni reunion in conjunction with the Bulldogs' clash against 2009 NCAA Tournament participant UC Irvine at the Cownie Soccer Complex on Oct. 2.
Drake head coach Sean Holmes and all the current Bulldogs look forward to welcoming back all of the proud alumni that have helped the growth and development of the Drake men's soccer tradition over the course of the program's 25 years.
Festivities get underway with an alumni intra-squad game at 2:00 p.m. and will be followed by a Bar-B-Q social at 4:00 p.m.
The highlight of the night will be the Bulldogs' 7:00 p.m. showdown against UC Irvine.
For more information or to RSVP for the event please contact Joe Burger in the Drake men's soccer office at (515) 271-4616 or at joe.burger@drake.edu.
UP NEXT
Drake visits Notre Dame, Ind., to compete at the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament hosted by Notre Dame. The Bulldogs will face the host Fighting Irish On Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. before battling No. 20 Indiana on Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
