PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley junior forward Zach Bell started the Homecoming fireworks show a little early by scoring a breakaway goal 4:48 into overtime, lifting the Braves (12-4-1, 4-1-1) to a 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer victory versus Western Kentucky (8-7-1, 2-4-0) in front of 1,620 fans Saturday night at Shea Stadium.
Bell's seventh goal of the season extended Bradley's overtime unbeaten streak to 23 games (10-0-13), dating back to a four-overtime loss to Creighton in the championship game of the 2000 MVC Tournament in suburban St. Louis. It also put a cap on a night that saw Bradley senior goalkeeper Chris Dunsheath set the Missouri Valley Conference record for career minutes played. Dunsheath, who has played all but 15-minutes, 55-seconds since the start of his freshman season in 2002, increased his career time to 7746:32, which puts him 11th on the NCAA's all-time list and keeps him on pace to become the fifth keeper to ever play 8000 minutes.
Dunsheath, who owns 25.5 career shutouts, came within 3:36 of also setting the Missouri Valley Conference career shutouts record, but Richard Mupfudze prevented the record double by knotting the game at 1-1 with a rebound goal at 86:24. Dunsheath came through with a spectacular save when Mupfudze headed a Hilltopper corner kick to the far post, but the ball came right back to the Hilltoppers scoring leader, who buried his team-high eight goal of the year.
The Braves dominated the first 70 minutes of the game and did not allow Western Kentucky to record a single shot until Mupfudze attempted a bicycle kick from the top of the penalty area in the 77th minute. After outshooting WKU 9-0 in the first half, Bradley got on the board in the 48th minute when senior midfielder Salim Bullen collected a loose ball on the right flank and ripped a shot through traffic for his first goal of the season. Bullen nearly put the game away by drilling the cross bar with a blast from 24 yards in the 68th minute.
Western Kentucky finally began applying consistent pressure against the Braves defense following Mupfudze's first shot and wound up equalling the Braves with eight second half shots. Dunsheath made the first of his three saves in the 79th minute, then made a diving stop on Dustin Downey's attempt at 86:03.
In its third overtime game of the season (2-0-1), Bradley netted the winner on a tremendous counter attack. Nick Bowden collected a clearance from Steve Chromik and sprung Bell with a pass through the middle of the field. Bell, who set the Rochester High School 100- and 200-meter dash records as a prepster, blew by two Western Kentucky defenders then beat a charging Kyle Schroeder with a shot from the top of the penalty area that caromed off the left post and into the back of the net for his second game-winning tally.
The Braves, who at least temporarily moved into first place in the Valley standings after Drake knocked off Missouri State (1-0), will play their regular season home finale Tuesday by hosting Midwest Region rival Illinois-Chicago. The 7 p.m. game at Shea Stadium will be the final regular-season home game for Bradley's 12 seniors.
