Drake senior offensive lineman Bennet Krebs says the Bulldogs don’t mind having a target on their back as they get ready for a new season. The Bulldogs entered the 2023 with limited expectations but proceeded to run the table in winning the Pioneer Football League title with a record of 8-0 and making the FCS playoffs. They begin this season as the PFL favorite.

Drake played well in close games last season. Six of their league victories were by a touchdown or less. Krebs says a large number of veterans will help the Bulldogs handle the expectations.

Krebs is one of two starters back on the offensive line and he likes the potential.

Drake opens at home on August 29th against Quincy University.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State was handed its first loss of the 2024 campaign Sunday evening, falling to Creighton, 2-1.

In what was a super physical match, the Bluejays (1-1) grinded out a victory over the Cyclones (1-1), earning coach Jimmy Walker his first win of his Creighton tenure. Coach Fannon was denied his 100th career victory by his old friend, and successor at Bowling Green.

The match was a brawl from the start, as the first half featured 29 fouls between the two squads. ISU was the beneficiary of early Creighton aggressiveness, drawing a penalty kick in the 12th minute of play.

Magdalena Keck delivered, as the junior snuck one past Creighton keeper Alyssa Zalac to give the Cyclones an early edge.

Other than the early PK, Creighton commanded the flow, rattling off eight shots while holding the Cyclones to just one. However, the Bluejays would go into the half down, trailing 1-0.

The second half was more of the same, a physical battle on the pitch where both teams ratcheted up the intensity. The second half featured three yellow cards and a fair share of whistles and stoppages in play.

Cyclone keeper Avery Gillahan had held firm in the first half, but an early second half push from Creighton finally broke through. A first corner set resulted in a second for the Bluejays, as Tilly Thomas took a rebound and buried it in the net to tie things up.

Iowa State responded with pressure in its attacking third, putting two shots on the Creighton keeper, but to no avail.

In the 74th minute, Creighton converted a second score, as Azumi Manriki pushed one in off an Andrine Westlie feed to give CU the edge.

Iowa State would be held to its lone goal the rest of the way, falling to Creighton by a goal and suffering its first loss of the season.

For Iowa State, Keck earned her second goal of the season, marking her first multi-goal campaign of her career. Gillahan, Isabella Agrusso, Ella Zimmerman, and Adelaide Wolfe played the full 90 for the Cyclones.

Goals
Iowa State: Magdalena Keck – 12’ (2)
Creighton: Tilly Thomas – 48’ (1), Azumi Manriki – 74’ (2)

Assists
Iowa State: N/A
Creighton: Andrine Westlie (1)

Up Next
Iowa State will be back on the pitch next Thursday, Aug. 22, when it embarks on its first road test of the season. The Cyclones will head to Des Moines to face Drake. Thursday’s game is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

CHASKA, Minn. – Sophomore Noah Kent, competing in his first USGA championship, fell in the finals of the U.S. Amateur to Jose Luis Ballester after 36 holes of match play on Sunday. Kent finishes the tournament as runner-up and earns invites to The Masters and the U.S. Open. Kent was looking to become the first Hawkeye to win the U.S. Amateur.

The pair of golfers teed off at 7:15 a.m. (CT) where they played the opening 18 holes. Ballester won three of the first four holes. Kent played his first round at four-over par while Ballester opened with even par. After the first 18, Kent trailed Ballester by four.

Kent started the second 18 strongly with a chip-in on hole one to cut the deficit to three. Kent then drilled an eagle putt on hole seven to cut the deficit to just two. Going into the back nine, Kent trailed by two.

Ballester responded and took the first two holes on the back nine to expand his lead back to four up. Kent caught fire and won holes 13 and 14 to cut the deficit back to 2. After tying the 15th, Kent won hole 16 to become one down. Both players would go on to par hole 17 before Ballester was able to win hole 18 and secure the victory.

Ballester came into the tournament as the world’s No. 10 ranked Amateur while Noah came in as the No. 560th ranked amateur.

An incredible week for the 19-year-old has come to an end. Next up for Kent is the 2024-25 fall season.

MISSOULA, Mont. — No. 25 University of Iowa Soccer defeated Colorado College, 4-1, on Sunday to conclude play at the Rumble in the Rockies. The Hawkeyes officially start the season with a win.

Though Iowa posted a 7-1 advantage in shot attempts during the first half, Colorado College struck first with a transition goal in the box in the 15th minute. From there, Iowa would score four unanswered goals.

Sophomore Sofia Bush started the rally with a deep strike from outside the box. The high-arching shot zipped over the heads of Predator defenders and the reaching goalkeeper, Regan Wallace, to equalize before the break. Senior Elle Otto was credited with an assisted on the play.

The second half belonged to freshman Berkley Binggeli, who recorded her first collegiate brace in the final 45 minutes. Binggeli’s first score emerged from a scrum in the box to put the Hawkeyes ahead in the 57th minute.

Binggeli struck again in the 81st minute, this time delivering the dagger on an assist from senior Meike Ingles. Moments later, Ingles delivered the final on another assist from Otto with six minutes left on the clock.

Iowa dominated the box score with a 19-5 differential on shots and 10-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Hawkeyes took 10 corner kicks, compared to none for the Predators.

Ingles led the Hawkeyes in shots (6), joining graduate-student Kelli McGroarty and sophomore Millie Greer with two shots on goal apiece.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH DAVE DIIANNI

“I am very happy with our team’s mentality and approach to not only this game but what has occurred this weekend. I thought that today we showed a glimpse of what our program can look like this year with the quality of depth coming from young players and transfers added to our returners. We will continue to grow in the demands of the game as teams and situations change. Great start to the year. ”

HAWKEYE NOTABLES

The Hawkeyes have won four consecutive season openers dating back to 2021. Iowa moves to 1-2-0 all-time against Colorado College.
The last time Iowa scored four goals in a match was the win over Maryland (5-0) in 2023; the last time the Hawkeyes posted at least 10 shots on goal was against Bucknell (11 SOG) in the NCAA Tournament First Round a year ago.
Brace Yourselves: Binggeli’s two goals come on the heels of a similar performance from fellow freshman Berit Parten on Thursday against Oregon State. Parten recorded two goals in the first half prior to the match’s cancellation due to weather; as a result of the cancellation, game statistics were officially voided. The freshmen are the first Hawkeyes to score multiple goals in a match since Hailey Rydberg (‘22) against Nebraska in 2022.
2 for the Money: Iowa’s record is 44-2-3 in its last 49 games when scoring two goals or more, which dates back to October of 2017.
90 Tracker: No Iowa position players recorded 90 minutes on Sunday. Twenty-two Hawkeyes saw the pitch against Colorado College.

UP NEXT

Iowa travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Aug. 22 to take on Western Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT). The Hawkeyes face Texas on Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. on the road.