DES MOINES, Iowa – Dawson Lee's goal in the 72nd minute was the decisive blow to propel Missouri State men's soccer to a 1-0 win over Drake here Thursday afternoon.
Lee found himself outside the top of the Bulldogs box after a pass from
Nicolo Mulatero and the junior from Belton, Mo. lifted one past Drake's goalkeeper Jason Brown in what proved to the game-winner.
"Just like the rest of the teams in our league, Drake is a challenging opponent to face," said sports director
Michael Seabolt. "The guys came into a tough and new environment and adapted well. That was a great goal from Dawson and it was awesome to see him rewarded like that."
The Bears (2-0-0) took advantage of an up-tempo attack in the second half that saw MSU launch six shots in the period. Drake (0-1-1) kept the Bears backline active in the first half, carrying a 5-4 shot advantage into halftime.
Following the intermission,
Jon Koka broke free on a run in the 57th minute that brought Brown off his line. Koka's run earned MSU one of its seven corner kicks in the contest.
MSU's defense along with goalkeeper
Michael Creek registered a clean sheet for the second consecutive game. Creek had three saves in the match, including an impressive kick-save to deny a shot from Drake's Leroy Enzugusi in the 12th minute.
Mulatero followed up his season-opening performance against Bradley, which resulted with him being named Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, by leading the Bears with five shots in the match and tallied his second straight assist by setting up Lee's goal.
"Getting two consecutive shutouts is huge and a big credit to our defense," added Seabolt. "It was a terrific team performance and everyone that played did a great job today. We will enjoy the rest of today and then it's back to work tomorrow chasing our best."
Missouri State takes a break from Valley play with its first non-conference match of 2021 as the Bears face Creighton on March 10 in a neutral match that will be held at Swope Park in Kansas City, Mo.
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