NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- In a game played in a heavy downpour from start to finish, a few drops of blood proved to be the difference as host Notre Dame (6-3-0) held on for a 1-0 soccer victory versus Bradley (6-3-0) Wednesday night at Alumni Field.
Reserve forward Bright Dike scored his first goal of the season in the sixth minute and the Irish, ranked as high as 20th in this week's national polls, held off a steady Bradley charge in the second half to take a 3-2 lead in the all-time series.
The game's only goal may not have been scored had there not been a collision between Bradley defender Jeff Kellogg and Notre Dame forward Justin McGeeney in the fourth minute. Both players were forced to come out of the game due to blood. Dike replaced McGeeney, and when John Stephens played a free kick from deep on the right wing, the sub made a run through the area that would have been protected by Kellogg and finished off the restart at the near post for the winner just 5:13 into the game.
Supported by a gusting wind that was driving the rain into Bradley's face, Notre Dame kept up the pressure against the Braves throughout the first half and finished the period with an 8-3 advantage in shots. The Braves figured to gain the wind advantage in the second half, but during the break, the wind shifted to a cross wind, then ultimately turned again into Bradley's face 10 minutes into the second period.
Although Notre Dame outshot Bradley 12-7 in the second half, the Braves had the better scoring chances in the final 45 minutes, beginning with a Nick Mentgen header off a Steve Chromik corner kick service in the 66th minute. Mentgen skipped the shot off the wet grass, but 6-foot-6 Irish keeper Chris Cahill was able to get down just in time to prevent the equalizer from squirting between his legs.
Bradley's next two shots got past Cahill, but did not find the net. In the 69th minute speedy forward Zach Bell got behind the Irish defense on the left wing and slipped a shot past Cahill from the top left corner of the penalty area, but the wind helped force the attempt just wide of the right post. In the 72nd minute, Chromik dribbled across the top of the area before uncorking a laser that hit square off the left post.
After splitting a pair of road games, Bradley will return home Sunday to host Western Michigan in a 1 p.m. contest at Shea Stadium. In addition to the non-conference soccer game, Sunday's activities at Shea Stadium will include the Family Fun Day promotion. Single-game tickets for Bradley Soccer home games are $5 for adults, $2 for youth (K-12) and senior citizens and free to Bradley students, faculty and staff.
