DES MOINES, Iowa – Indiana State was unable to offset a pair of Drake goals on Thursday night as the Sycamores fell, 2-0, to the host Bulldogs in Missouri Valley play at Drake Stadium.
 
The Sycamores (1-4-6, 0-2-1) fought through the first half despite being outshot by the Bulldogs, 9-1, in the opening 45 minutes and appeared to be heading into the break with the score knotted up at 0-0. However, Drake (7-3-2, 3-1) took the lead on Madelyn Smith's goal in the 45th minute to take the halftime advantage and Emma Nagel added a goal in the 75th minute to provide insurance in taking the conference win.
 
Alexa Mackey led ISU's efforts in the game with two shots and a shot on goal, while Mackenzie Kent continued to provide flashes of brilliance atop the ISU formation, but the Sycamores were unable to crack the scoreboard in the match. Anna Chor and Isabel Garcia both had chances from distance in the second half with both attempts turned away by the Drake defense.
 
Maddie Alexander posted four saves while playing the full 90 minutes in goal. The Sycamore keeper faced 17 Drake shots in the contest while the Bulldogs added six corner kicks in the match.
 
Smith posted her first goal of the 2023 season for Drake inside the box off the assist from Laura Riesenbeck to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead at the 44:11 mark in the first half. Nagel collected a pass from Riesenbeck over the ISU defense and scored from six yards out at 74:49 in the match to provide the final scoring margin.
 
Nagel led the Bulldogs with three shots (two on target) in the match, while Amelia Crabtree and Zoey Mahoney both had two shots apiece. Addie Ford went the distance in goal with three saves in the win.
 
Up Next
Indiana State continues Missouri Valley play this weekend as the Sycamores travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa to take on Northern Iowa on Sunday, October 1. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Panthers is set for 1 p.m. ET at the UNI Soccer Field.
 
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