THE RUNDOWN 
DBU and Northeastern State tied in a 1-1 affair Wednesday night at Patriot Soccer Field. Sophomore Peyton Voelker gave the Patriots an early lead with a first-half goal, and Alexander Knepper put together another strong performance inside the net. But an NSU equalizer in the 76th minute left the Patriots with their third straight draw of the young season. 

The DBU defense weathered a volley of early Riverhawk attacks before a set piece in the 12th minute gave the Patriots the lead. An Ethan Unger corner kick would find the head of Voelker and send DBU into intermission with a 1-0 edge. 

Both teams emerged more physical after halftime, combining for 15 second-half fouls as they battled for the upper hand. Redshirt freshman Giani Mascarel put the Riverhawks on the board with a goal in the 74th minute that tied the match 1-1. Eager to avoid a draw, the Patriots launched a final flurry of attacks on NSU goalkeeper Niklas Kirhoff in the final minute of play.  

Forward Gavyn Rosales fired a shot that was blocked by the Northeastern backline and deflected back into play before David Trevizo's attempt sailed above the goalpost and time expired. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
- DBU opens the 2022 season with three consecutive draws. 
- Sophomore Peyton Voelker scored his first goal of the year and fourth of his young career.
- The Patriots have surrendered just two goals in the first three games. 

COACH JESS JOBE ON THE DRAWS 
"We can't allow these ties to frustrate us. We have to allow them to motivate us. I feel like in all three of these games there have been opportunities for us to win. Northeastern State is a good team that presented a lot of challenges in the second half. The message to our guys is to continue to focus in on our process."

ON PLAYING WITH AN EARLY LEAD 
"It was an important experience for us to play with the early lead. To learn how to deal with pressure. We are going to find every bit of confidence we can in the things we are doing well, and we will continue to become the team we know we can be." 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
24  - A combined 24 fouls were issued between DBU and NSU. 
6 - The Patriots earned six corner kicks compared to five for the Riverhawks.
5 - Ethan Unger earned his fifth career assist.

UP NEXT
The Patriots stay home for a Saturday showdown with UT Tyler. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.