The Racers fell to the Drake University Bulldogs 1-0 on Sunday, Oct. 23 in their last game of the regular season. 

Murray State dropped down to an overall record of 4-11-3 and a conference record of 3-5-2 after the loss.

The Racers have dropped four straight games, but they still made it into the MVC Tournament. Murray State heads into the tournament as the eighth seed, meaning the Racers will have to win three straight games to make it to the championship round. 

Before the start of the tournament, the Racers faced off against a fellow MVC Tournament opponent in a highly defensive battle. 

The lone goal of the match came from Drake’s senior midfielder Rachel Panther in the 85th minute. Freshman midfielder Madelyn Smith was credited with the assist on the goal.

The Bulldogs attempted seven shots, and five of them were on goal. They also saved four shots and had nine corner kicks. Drake committed 10 fouls in the game.

Murray State had nine shot attempts in the matchup, and four were on goal. The Racers saved four shots, had three corner kicks and committed nine fouls. 

Senior goalkeeper Jamie Skarupsky got the start on Sunday and played for the entirety of the game. She had all four of Murray State’s saves, allowing only one goal in 90 minutes played.

Freshman midfielder Mary Hardy, junior midfielder Hailey Cole, senior midfielder Lauren Payne and senior forward Marti Floyd each had a shot on goal that was saved in the matchup. 

The Racers’ first game of the tournament will be a bit of a revenge game, as they face off against Drake again in the first round. The two teams played each other for the first time this season less than a week ago, so adjustments will be made on both sides to prepare for the familiar opponent. 

The Racers will travel to compete against the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 in Carbondale, Illinois. 

The winner of the matchup will play the SIU Salukis at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Carbondale. 

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