The Jackrabbits scored a late goal to avoid losing against the winless Drake Bulldogs on Sunday.
The first 79 minutes of the contest at Fishback Soccer Park in Brookings were scoreless. A combined 22 shots were taken before Bulldogs first-year defender Izzy Snowden finally shot one in on the top left of the net.
Drake looked to have it in the bag and score their first win of the season until first-year midfielder Zoe Wittkop connected on a shot with just 58 seconds to go. Neither team could find the back of the net after that, ending the game at a 1-1 draw.
“[Scoring that goal] was very exciting,” Wittkop said of her first career goal. “Just seeing it in the back of the net, and I just was so excited then, and Hailee [Christensen] lifted me up.”
Avery Murdzek led the Jacks in shots with five, while Adrianne Agbayani shot four. Christensen and Katherine Jones attempted three shots each. Drake only managed six shots throughout the game, but second-year goalkeeper Addie Ford managed eight saves against SDSU.
Fouls were abundant across the game as 13 were called on the Bulldogs. Sophomore midfielder Angela Gutierrez was fouled three times and four other players were fouled twice. A yellow card was also issued against junior defender Maia Bentley for unsporting. Only five fouls were called against Jackrabbit players.
“We talk as a team about evaluating performance, and I walked away feeling like if we would’ve had the same energy and urgency that we did the last 10 minutes when we were down a goal, the game would probably have been different.” Head Coach Brock Thompson said after the game.
South Dakota State moves to 4-2-1 on the year while Drake goes to 0-4-3.
vs. Wayne State
The Jackrabbits now shift their focus to another pair of non-conference opponents. Up next will be the Wayne State Wildcats who opened their season with a scoreless draw against Northwestern Oklahoma State before shutting out William Jewell College from Missouri.
Senior midfielder Maia Vacks has racked up seven shots, with three aimed at goal in those first two contests, including a game-winner over WJC. Freshman defender Addison Walker has played a majority of the minutes in the two games while having a shot on goal in the season opener. Both players earned weekly honors from the Northern Sun Conference on Monday for their performances.
The game is scheduled to begin Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Fishback Soccer Park and can be watched on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.
at Oregon State
Following Wayne State will be a trip to Corvallis, Ore. to visit the Beavers. They sit at 1-3, having lost their last two and will host Fresno State on Thursday before the Jacks come to town.
Junior defender Megin Turi has recorded two goals in the first four games, while senior midfielder Aidan Brown has scored one goal. Turi and Brown are the only players on the team that have scored a goal so far this season. Senior forward McKenna Martinez has attempted 21 shots with eight on goal and an assist, despite not having a goal yet.
The game is scheduled to begin Sunday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+ with a subscription.
