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WIU Visual Productions Center
1
Western Ill. WIU (8-4-2)
1
Drake DU (3-8-3)
Western Ill. WIU
(8-4-2)
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Final
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Drake DU
(3-8-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Western Ill. WIU 1 0 0 0 1
Drake DU 0 1 0 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | WIU Athletic Communications

Men's Soccer Battles Drake to 1-1 Draw; Remains Unbeaten in 7 Straight Games

Yves Dietrich recorded a career high 11 saves in Tuesday's (Oct. 21) match at Cownie Soccer Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Western Illinois men's soccer battled the Drake Bulldogs to a 1-1 double overtime draw on Tuesday, October 21 in Des Moines, Iowa.  Senior captain, Yves Dietrich recorded a career high 11 saves on the way to extending the Purple and Gold unbeaten streak to seven games.
 
"When you tie a team on the road, you've done your job," said head coach Dr. Eric Johnson. "Giving up a goal early in the second half hurt us mentally. We did not have a good response to that (goal) and lacked energy until the overtime periods. It's unfortunate that the scoreless streak had to end, but better now as opposed to Saturday against a Summit League opponent."
 
The first half opened to the tune of early opportunities for Drake as the Bulldogs had a shot deflected wide and a corner opportunity to follow within the first minutes of play. Western would clear the opportunities with no issue and proceed to counter attack on offense.
 
Sophomore Fernando Pacheco and senior Charlie Bales would team up for an opportunity in the fifth minute that turned into a corner kick. However, Drake would clear the service quickly. The Leathernecks would remain persistent early as senior Mario Alvarez and junior Austin Gochneaur moved the ball into the penalty area for a point-blank strike that the Drake goalkeeper would smother.
 
The next 30 minutes would prove uneventful, until the 44th minute when Western would strike in typical Leatherneck fashion.  With just under two minutes remaining in the first half, junior Kyle Walton played a well-timed pass to Mario Alvarez who found Charlie Bales on a run up the middle.  After just two strides, Bales fired a low, hard shot from 25 yards out that deflected up and over the off-balance Bulldog keeper, sending the game into halftime with WIU leading 1-0.
 
Following the break, it appeared that the Purple and Gold were prepared to extend the longest active shutout streak in NCAA Division I to seven games. However, Drake would not go into the night silently. Just 78 seconds into the second half. Bulldog Eric Williams would header home a James Wypych corner, capping Dietrich's scoreless streak at 586:18 minutes.
 
Despite the end of the shutout streak, the Leathernecks refused to give up as they fired off nine second-half shots combined with five additional attempts through two overtime periods. Dietrich would dazzle with multiple saves drawing gasps from the crowd and the press; including back-to-back stops requiring the senior to make a save and dive across the face of the goal for a second.
 
However, missed opportunities would be the story for both teams in the end as the match would come to a close in a draw after 110 minutes of play and a combined 42 shots between Drake and the Purple and Gold.
 
Fernando Pacheco notched a season-high four shots while Mario Alvarez tallied three. Captain, Charlie Bales notched his second straight game of six shots and three on target along with his team-leading, sixth goal of the season.
 
Dietrich's 11 saves marks not only a career high, but also a tie for ninth place in Western history for most saves in one game.

Western Illinois returns to action Saturday, October 25 against IUPUI in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Leathernecks will look to move to a league leading 4-0 in Summit League play against the Jaguars.
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