TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State embarks on one of its longest road trips of the 2023 fall season as the Sycamore hit the road to Iowa on Thursday night to take on Drake University. Kickoff in Des Moines at Drake Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET with the match scheduled to be carried on ESPN+.
 
Indiana State (1-3-6, 0-1-1) hits the road in conference play for the second time in 2023 as the Sycamores open up the road trip swing at Drake and Northern Iowa (Sunday). The Sycamores are coming off their first conference loss of 2023 after dropping a 2-0 decision this past Sunday at Memorial Stadium to Valparaiso.
 
Drake (6-3-2, 2-1) is coming off its first loss in conference play this season after dropping a 3-1 decision at UIC this past Sunday following back-to-back 2-1 wins over both Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois. The road trip ended an eight-game home stand at Drake Stadium that featured the Bulldogs posting a 4-2-2 record with wins over North Dakota State, Omaha, UNI, and SIU.
 
Indiana State suffered just its third defeat of the 2023 season this past weekend as the Sycamores dropped a 2-0 mark to the visiting Beacons. Valparaiso scored in the second and the 22nd minutes of the contest to take the win against the Sycamores.

Mackenzie Kent was a force at the top of the Indiana State offense as the forward posted a trio of shots with all three on target in the contest. Her ability to draw the defense allowed Alexa Mackey, Audrey Stephens, Brooklyn Woods, Anna Chor, and Lina Fasquelle to launch shots in the contest.
 
The Sycamore keepers had several key plays in the second half to keep the game within striking distance. Maddie Alexander advanced out of the net to corral a 1v1 opportunity in the 53rd minute, while Alexa Seiler had a pair of key plays in the box to keep it a two-score game.
 
Indiana State's offense has been consistently on point in the 2023 season with ISU sitting 15th in the NCAA in shots on goal percentage at 0.573. The Sycamores continue to press on target posting at least six shots on goal and eight shots overall in six of the last seven matches.
 
Maddie Helling remains ISU's scoring leader through the first 10 matches of the season with two goals on the year. Lina Fasquelle, Mackenzie Kent, Chloe Tesny, and Adelaide Wolfe have also scored on the year to pace the Sycamores.
 
Kent is the team's shot leader on the year with 22 shots and 13 on goal, while Alexa Mackey and Brooklyn Woods both have eight shots with six on target on the year. Helling also have seven shots with six on goal in 2023.

Maddie Alexander has been the primary keeper in net for the Sycamores through the midway point of the season as the senior goalkeeper has surrendered just 10 goals over 838:10 in play. She has posted a 1.07 goals-against-average with 41 saves over 10 starts. Alexa Seiler has also lined up in two matches while posting a save against UT Martin.

Indiana State picked up its last win against the Bulldogs back in the 2021 spring season when the Sycamores shut out Drake, 1-0, at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores' last win at Drake came back in the 2013 season as ISU topped the Bulldogs, 1-0, in double overtime.
 
Drake was selected fourth overall in the MVC Women's Soccer preseason poll as voted on by the head coaches. The Bulldogs received 84 points after a 2022 campaign that featured the team posting a 4-2-4 record in conference play in finishing fifth in the conference standings.
 
The Bulldogs featured the return of forward Emma Nagel (five goals, one assist) from the 2022 season and the senior has lived up to the billing with five goals and two assists through the first 11 matches. She posted a trio of game-winning goals on the season while leading the team with eight shots on goal.
 
Layla Kelbel has added three goals and two assists on the year, while Angela Gutierrez has two goals and a trio of assists in 2023. Overall, Drake's offense has posted 105 total shots on the season with 49 on target.
 
Addie Ford and Kelti Wise have both lined up in goal in 2023 with Ford the primary recipient for playing time in the net. The freshman has lined up in 671:56 with a 1.07 goals-against-average and a 0.771 saves percentage over 77 shots. Wise has made five appearances with three starts on the year including earning a win against Green Bay.
 
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