University of St. Thomas Athletics
2-6-2, 0-2-1
Drake
3-6-2, 1-2-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas (MN) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Men’s Soccer falls to Drake on the road, 2-0
10/10/2023 8:11:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Moritz Krenc makes five saves in a loss to the Bulldogs
DES MOINES, Iowa – It was a hard-fought match on Tuesday night for the Tommies at new Mediacom Stadium in Iowa's capital city. The men's soccer team came up short against Drake, 2-0.
St. Thomas was outshot by Drake (19-3). Despite allowing two first half goals, Moritz Krenc and the Tommies shutout the Bulldogs in the second half.
RECAP
The Purple defense was tested early, with the Bulldogs launching their first shot in the first minute of the match. St. Thomas relied on the sharp reflexes of Moritz Krenc, who made two saves within the opening six minutes. Despite Krenc's efforts, Drake's relentless offensive pressure resulted in the Bulldogs breaking through with a goal at 9:58.
In a testament to the defensive prowess of both teams, the following 15 minutes saw only a single shot. However, at 26:43, Drake managed to double their lead. The Bulldogs showcased their ball control, keeping St. Thomas on their toes defensively. Although Drake continued to apply pressure, they couldn't find a way past the Tommie defense to convert on anymore offensive chances.
The Tommies faced a 2-0 deficit heading into halftime. St. Thomas did not have a shot in the initial 45 minutes, while their opponents launched a total of nine attempts.
In the early moments of the second half, the Bulldogs unleashed a flurry of five shots. Krenc made two saves, while the remaining attempts were blocked by Tommie defense or off target.
The Tommie defense began to slow the Bulldogs. For nearly 20 minutes, the Bulldogs were unable to muster another shot on goal. As the clock dwindled down, St. Thomas was unable to find the back of the Bulldog net. In the final 10 minutes of the match, the Tommies broke through the Drake defense and attempted three shots, putting two on goal. The match concluded in a hard-fought 2-0 loss for St. Thomas.
TOP TOMMIES
· Freshman, Moritz Krenc saved five shots.
·Graduate Student, Isaac Eckroth played all 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss. He is the only Tommie to have played in 10 full games. Eckroth leads the team in minutes with 900 minutes played during the 2023 season.
QUOTEABLES
Coach Lowery on the 2-0 road loss:
"Exciting night to open the new stadium on campus at Drake. We got caught out of position a few times early and paid for it. Once we grew into the game and partnerships took hold in our shape, it was a good battle where we showed we can get forward and play. A lot to take forward with us into conference play at Omaha."
UP NEXT
The Tommies head to Omaha, Nebraska for a Summit League showdown against the Mavericks on Saturday (Oct. 14). The game will kick off at 3:00 p.m. central standard time. Any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas men's soccer team can be found at tommiesports.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieMSoccer.
Team Stats
Jackson Kirsch (3)
GOAL by DRAKE Kirsch, Jackson.
09:58
Jackson Kirsch (3)
GOAL by DRAKE Kirsch, Jackson.
26:43
