After earning a dramatic 3-1 victory over Indiana State on Sunday (Nov. 1) in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship, Drake turns its attention to a date with regular season champion Illinois State in the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 6).  Game time at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Neb., is slated for 3:30 p.m.

SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State (10-6-1) comes into play this week as the hottest team in the MVC, winning eight of its last nine contests.  Sophomore Jessica Carlson leads the Redbirds with nine goals, while junior Alyssa Schulz and freshman Rachel Bostick have contributed six and five tallies, respectively.  Sophomore Sasha Reiber has pulled in 40 saves in goal for Illinois State this season, en route to posting five shutouts and a 1.16 goals against average.  As a team, the Redbirds are rated second in the MVC in shots per game (15.76), points per game (5.65), goals per game (2.12), assists per game (1.41) and corners (5.12).

SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs are meeting Illinois State for the 12th time with Drake owning a 5-4-2 series advantage.  The Bulldogs, though, have gone 0-4-1 in their last five games against the Redbirds, with the last victory coming in the semifinals of the 2005 MVC Tournament in Omaha, Neb.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Drew Roff is in his third season leading the Redbirds, registering a 31-18-6 (.618) mark.  His record in five years as a head coach is 57-32-7 (.630). 

Drake: In her second season on the Drake sidelines as head coach is Lindsey Horner, who owns a 17-18-4 mark (.487).

DRAKE HEAD COACH LINDSEY HORNER
Lindsey Horner is in her second season leading the Drake women's soccer program after serving five seasons (2003-08) as assistant coach for the Bulldogs.

Horner was named to her position on April 10, 2008, becoming only the second head coach for women's soccer, which began as a varsity sport in 2002.
In her first season leading the Bulldogs, Drake posted an 8-10-1 mark, including a 4-2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Senior Katie Sauer was tabbed a first team All-MVC selection, while then senior Jenny Schroeder and juniors Elizabeth Woerle (Coon Rapids, Minn./Meadow Creek) and Crystal Townley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer) were chosen as second team All-MVC selections. Juniors Blair Nelson (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) and Melissa Lewis (Edina, Minn./Edina) gained honorable mention all-league accolades, while freshmen Samantha Knosby (Ames, Iowa/Gilbert) and Danielle Figliola (Longmont, Colo./Silver Creek) were named to the All-MVC Freshman team.

Off the field, Drake maintained a collective 3.25 grade point average with Schroeder and Lewis tabbed as first team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete selections.
Horner was the Bulldogs' top assistant from 2003-08. During her tenure, the Bulldogs compiled a 56-35-9 record, winning four Missouri Valley Conference regular season championships, while competing in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. She assisted in all facets of the Bulldog soccer program and served as camp director of the Premier Soccer camps.

Horner has been involved with the Iowa Olympic Development Program since 2004.  She plans to assist with the 1994 girls squad this season.

She has worked with several youth clubs as a clinician and a coach.

In 2002, Horner was a sports marketing intern for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association, where she was invited to try out for the team and also was a coach for Freedom camps and clinics.

Horner, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, was a four-year letterwinner at Kansas, being named the Jayhawks' most valuable offensive player as a senior in 2000. She was an all-academic Big 12 Conference selection in the spring of 2001 and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree from the school of education, majoring in exercise science with an emphasis in sport management. She is working towards a master's degree in adult learning and organizational performance.

She also helped the Kansas women's basketball team to a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference Tournament while making an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1997.

Horner holds a Premier Coaching Diploma from the NSCAA and a 'B' license from USSF.

DRAKE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Bulldogs will be playing in their 13th MVC Tournament contest all-time when Drake plays Illinois State, owning a 6-6-0 mark. The Bulldogs encounter the Redbirds for the fourth time in tournament play with Drake earning a pair of 2-1 wins on Nov. 4, 2005 (Omaha, Neb.) and in overtime on Nov. 5, 2004 (Des Moines, Iowa), while dropping a 3-2 decision on Nov. 9, 2007 (Nov. 9, 2007).

STATE FARM MVC CHAMPIONSHIP
The winner of Friday's tilt advances to the championship match on Sunday (Nov. 8) in Omaha, Neb., against the winner of the Creighton-Missouri State affair.  Match time will at 1:00 p.m. in Morrison Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT
Drake 3, Indiana State 1 (Nov. 1, 2009)
DES MOINES, IOWA - A pair of goals over the final 2:12 of regulation broke open a 1-1 tie propelling Drake to a 3-1 victory over Indiana State in the opening round of the State Farm MVC Championship on Sunday (Nov. 1) in Drake Stadium.

The triumph was the first for the Bulldogs in MVC Championship play since earning a 2-1 win over Missouri State on Nov. 4, 2007.

With the threat of overtime looming, it was junior Bailey Dorrington (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) that headed in what proved to be the game-winning goal off a corner by senior Shannon Schuehle (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) at the 87:48 mark.  The score was the first of the season for Dorrington.

The Bulldogs capped their scoring exploits in the 90th minute (89:03) when a long feed from Blair Nelson allowed freshman Laura Moklestad (Des Moines, Iowa/Roosevelt) to go 1v1 with Indiana State goalkeeper Taylor Nelson and Moklestad won that battle to record her fifth goal of the year.

The two sides played a nearly even first half with Drake owning a 1-0 lead on the strength of Elizabeth Woerle's team-leading eighth goal of the year at the 14:39 mark. Redshirt sophomore Ali Walsh (Florissant, Mo./Florissant Central) and Schuehle were credited with assists on the goal.

Arguably the Bulldogs' biggest save of the season came in the 27th minute (26:52) as Casey Allbright's shot got past sophomore goalkeeper Kourtney Arnold (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk). Senior Melissa Lewis was able to get her foot in front of the ball just before it crossed the goal line for a team save to preserve Drake's slim 1-0 lead.

Indiana State though later squared the match at one at the 47:10 mark when Allbright netted her third goal of the season.

Woerle had an opportunity to push the Bulldogs out to a 2-1 advantage just under four minutes into the second half (48:52), but Nelson deflected her corner kick to the lower left corner.

Drake finished the affair outshooting the Sycamores, 16-10, including 12-6 in the second half.  Woerle led all players with five shots, while Nelson, Moklestad, Dorrington and freshman Kasey Wellman (Northfield, Minn./Northfield) recorded three, two, two and two shots, respectively.

ON THIS DATE IN BULLDOG HISTORY
Drake is playing in its second game in school history on Nov. 6.  The Bulldogs dropped a 1-0 decision at Creighton in 2005.

BULLDOGS EYE SCALING DOUBLE-DIGIT VICTORY PLATEAU
A Bulldog win over Illinois State on Friday (Nov. 6) would allow Drake to record its 10th victory of the season.  The feat would mark the fifth time in the program's eight seasons that the Bulldogs have posted double-figure triumphs and the first since going 12-6-2 in 2006.  Ironically, that season Drake won the MVC Championship in Omaha, Neb., to earn the Bulldogs' first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

LEWIS NAMED MVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Melissa Lewis was been honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.  This marked the third occasion a Drake women's soccer player has been recognized this season and first time in which Lewis has been honored during her career.

Lewis turned in the save of the season for the Bulldogs in the 27th minute (26:52) of Drake's 3-1 win over Indiana State in the opening round of the State Farm MVC Championship on Sunday (Nov. 1).  With the Bulldogs nursing a 1-0 lead, Casey Allbright's shot got past goalkeeper Kourtney Arnold and Lewis raced out of nowhere and was able to get her foot in front of the ball just before it crossed the goal line. 

The save was pivotal, as it would have tied the game at one (and with Allbright's tally to start the second half ultimately given Indiana State a 2-1 lead three minutes into the second half).  The Bulldogs didn't score the game-winning goal until the 87:48 mark to record their first MVC Tournament win since 2007.

BALANCED ATTACK
The Bulldogs have found a balanced scoring attack as eight players have recorded a goal, led by eight from Elizabeth Woerle.  Seven Drake players have posted double-figure shots, with Woerle, Crystal Townley, Blair Nelson, Laura Moklestad and Danielle Figliola collecting 26, 18, 13, 12 and 11 shots on goal, respectively.  

DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
The execution by Drake's starting defensive unit of junior Bailey Dorrington, senior Rachel Gielau (Denver, Iowa/Denver), senior Karissa Brown (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and senior Melissa Lewis has proven instrumental in the Bulldogs garnering shutouts in seven contests this season.  In those seven games, Drake's defenders have withstood the barrage of 76 shots, including 39 on net against sophomore goalkeeper Kourtney Arnold.

IN OUR LAST FIVE CONTESTS
The Bulldogs have posted a 3-2-0 record in their last five games.  Elizabeth Woerle has connected on two of her team-leading eight goals in the five games, while Crystal Townley has matched Woerle with two tallies.  Drake opponents are averaging 12.0 shots per contest and have found the goal five times.  Kourtney Arnold has been peppered by 60 shots in that span, including 32 on goal, and has recorded 25 saves with a 0.99 GAA.

ROOKIE MAKING A NAME
Freshman Laura Moklestad has proved to be a challenge for opposing teams to defend this season as the Drake newcomer leads the team in assists (5), while ranking second in goals (5) and points (15).  Her five goals have come on 26 shots, including 12 on goal.  She ranks sixth in the MVC in assists per game (0.25) and eighth in points per game (0.75).

BULLDOGS BITES

• Bailey Dorrington picked an opportune time to score her first goal of the season as her tally at the 87:48 mark broke a 1-1 tie and served as the game-winner in Drake's 3-1 victory over Indiana State in the opening round of the State Farm MVC Championship on Sunday (Nov. 1).

• Elizabeth Woerle has stepped up to be Drake's scoring leader in six MVC contests, having netted four of the Bulldogs' seven goals this season. She has done so on a team-high 20 shots, while fellow senior Crystal Townley has added 14 shots.

• The Bulldogs proved to be a study in contrast at home and on the road in six league games as Drake went 3-0 at home, including a shutout over MVC scoring leader Creighton, while going 0-3 away from home. The Bulldogs were outscored 6-1 in those contests, including 2-0 in the second half.

• Drake has made it a habit of playing in close affairs this season as the Bulldogs' contest at Missouri State marked the first time in 10 games that a Drake tilt had been decided by more than one goal. In all, 14 of the Bulldogs' 20 games have been decided by a one-goal margin.

• The Bulldogs have had 17 games end in a tie in school history and their ability to bounce back after a tie has been quite evident as Drake has gone 12-2-3 in its next game following a tie.

• With their 1-0 victory at Western Illinois, the Bulldogs surpassed their road win total for all of the 2008 campaign (2). The school record for road triumphs occurred during the 2006 season when Drake won six contests.

• Drake established team season highs in points (11), goals (3), assists (5), shots (23), shots on goal (11) and corner kicks (9) in its 3-0 victory over South Dakota.

• The Bulldogs matched a season-best in shots on goal with 11 in a 2-1 victory at UMKC (Sept. 24), while tallying three goals apiece in back-to-back encounters with Indiana State.

• Elizabeth Woerle and Crystal Townley registered seven and six shots, respectively, against the Coyotes to represent the two-highest shot totals in a game this season for Drake. Townley matched her total with a six-shot performance at Evansville (Sept. 27), while Ali Walsh chipped in six shots versus North Dakota (Oct. 4) and Woerle six attempts against Indiana State (Oct. 29).

• Woerle collected her third career multi-goal game with her two tallies against South Dakota.

• After redshirting last season, Ali Walsh turned in a productive effort against South Dakota State and South Dakota, registering her first points of the season with a goal and an assist.

• The Bulldogs earned a result over a ranked opponent against No. 20 DePaul (Sept. 6) for the first time since playing No. 14 Marquette to a scoreless tie on Sept. 1, 2006.

• Kourtney Arnold posted three consecutive shutouts earlier this season and now has six solo shutouts in her career. Her shutouts over South Dakota and Western Illinois marked the first time that the Bulldogs had recorded back-to-back road shutouts since notching three straight during the 2006 campaign. She paired with senior Alyssa Lee (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) to net a combined shutout against Indiana State (Oct. 29).

• Woerle is in third place all-time at Drake in career goals (22), four behind Sarah Foote (26 2004-07) for second place.

• Woerle's 52 career points is tied for third in school history, while Townley sits in fifth place with 45 career points.

• Laura Moklestad became the first freshman in school history to score a goal in a season opener for Drake when she found the back of the net against North Dakota State.

WINS VERSUS LOSSES
In their nine victories this season, the Bulldogs are registering 15.8 shots, 5.0 corner kicks and 4.1 saves, while their opponent is recording 9.1 shots, 3.0 corner kicks and 5.3 saves. In its eight setbacks, Drake has averaged 9.4 shots and 4.8 saves, while seeing the opposition net 15.2 shots and 3.9 saves per game.

IN OUR LAST MEETING
Illinois State 2, Drake 0 (Oct. 25, 2009)
NORMAL, ILL. - Drake dropped a game it couldn't afford to come away without a point in as Missouri Valley Conference leader Illinois State defeated the Bulldogs, 2-0.

Illinois State capitalized on a 13-3 first-half advantage in shots with two goals in the initial stanza to assume a lead it never relinquished in the affair.

Jessica Carlson netted her ninth tally of the season at the 8:58 mark before Alyssa Schulz added her sixth goal of the campaign in the 29th minute (28:37).

The Redbirds finished the contest outshooting Drake, 18-5, led by four shots from Carlson.  Pacing the Bulldogs with two shots was senior Melissa Lewis.

Sophomore Kourtney Arnold pulled in seven stops in net for the Bulldogs, while Sasha Reiber made three saves.   

UP NEXT
A victory by Drake over Illinois State and it will battle the winner of the Creighton-Missouri State contest for the MVC's automatic NCAA Tournament berth on Sunday (Nov. 8) at 1:00 p.m.