OMAHA, Neb..- Omaha held its ground against visiting Drake in men's soccer, battling to a 1-1 tie to stay unbeaten at Caniglia Field this season.

The Mavericks (4-1-2) and Bulldogs (5-2-1) have a history of close outcomes. In a rivalry dating back to 2013, the series is even at 2-2-4, the three most recent meetings all draws. 

In a physical test between teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll, #10 Omaha scored the game's first goal at 32:12 when Wawa Palga gathered a loose deflection off teammate Theo Klein deep in the goal box and drove home his second goal of the year. It was the only goal of the first half, as each team struggled to get the ball on net with three shots each.

The second half again saw a steady exchange of physical challenges. Senior goalkeeper Nathanael Sallah and a Bulldogs player collided in the box with less than 20:00 to play, giving Drake (#6) the penalty kick opportunity that decided the match. Eskil Gjerde drove the PK past Sallah at 70:09 to level the game 1-1. 

"We we knew we knew it was gonna be a really cagey match, not a ton of chances on either side, and it it was," Omaha head coach Donovan Dowliong said. "I actually thought we were worse in the first half, I didn't think we were great in the first half in terms of possessing the ball in their end, creating chances. In the second half, I actually thought we were much better. And, you know, the funny thing, you score the goal in the first, and then you concede in the second."

Omaha's six shots were a season low, while the Bulldogs seven shots were the fewest allowed by the Mavericks this season. 

The Mavericks remain unbeaten at home this season (3-0-2). Their next two matches are away from Caniglia Field. This Sunday the Mavericks visit Southern Illinois University Edwardsvillew at 12 p.m. CT. They then open Summit League play at Oral Roberts September 28 at 7 p.m. CT. 

"I thought we we got the ball in good enough areas to maybe get more than the one goal tonight, but we didn't," Dowling said. "And so we gotta keep keep moving forward, keep getting better. I think we'll play teams like that in conference, and so it's a good test for us. And ultimately, we just gotta keep keep getting better game by game." 

Omaha then returns home for three straight matches, league games October 2 against St. Thomas and October 5th against Kansas City, before hosting Creighton in their final non-league game of the season, October 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets for all Omaha home games can be purchased online through OMavs.com/tix.