DES MOINES, Iowa – Omaha's Logan Mendez headed home a Mark Moulton cross early in the first half in a 1-1 draw with Drake on Tuesday evening at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.
With the draw, the Mavericks have a 7-4-2 overall record, while Drake is 9-3-1.
"Drake is always a difficult team to play on their home pitch," said Head Coach Jason Mims.
The visiting Mavericks struck in the early going for their only goal of the night when Mendez took a cross from Moulton and headed it past Drake goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod for a 1-0 advantage in the fifth minute of action. The goal for Mendez was his fifth of the season.
Moulton looked to score a goal of his own in the ninth minute, but MacLeod came up with the save.
Drake outshot Omaha 4-3 in the half, but managed only two shots on goal both were saved by UNO goalkeeper Joseph Ghitis. UNO held a 1-0 lead at the half.
The Omaha defense was stout throughout the second half, until Drake broke through in the 87th minute. The Bulldog's Adam Weatherly hit a shot from outside the penalty area that dinged off the crossbar and found the head of James Wypych. Wypych managed to flick the rebound past Ghitis for the equalizer.
The second half and two overtime periods featured a flurry of shots, but few that were on target. The Mavericks were credited with just three shots during the final 65 minutes, while the hosts had 14 shots during that same span. Overall, Drake finished with an 18-6 advantage in shots, but only a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. Omaha held a 10-7 advantage in corner kick chances in the match, including one in the final 30 seconds of the second overtime period.
Following the early goal, MacLeod bounced back to finish with a pair of saves while playing all 110 minutes in goal. Ghitis made three saves for the Mavericks.
Mims credited a large group of Omaha fans for making the game feel like a home match. "The atmosphere was incredible tonight. There were over 200 Omaha supporters who made the trip to Des Moines, it felt like a home match. We want to give a big thank-you to the fans who made the trip for their support.
Up next, Omaha returns home to host Oral Roberts on Saturday. Kickoff for the match is set for 1 p.m. at Caniglia Field. Following the game, UNO Athletics will recognize the eight senior soccer players on the roster.
