PEORIA, Ill. -- Reserve midfielder Stephen Brust (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey H.S.) converted a penalty kick in the 60th minute for the game's only score, propelling Bradley to a 1-0 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer victory on a blustery night Wednesday at Shea Stadium.

Although both teams had plenty of scoring chances on a night that featured end-to-end play from start to finish, Brust's first career goal as a Brave proved to be the difference.  The penalty kick was set up after the Braves fired off four shots from the top of the box that all were blocked by crowd in the middle of the box.  The last deflection popped out to the right flank, where freshman Grant Campbell was tripped up while making his run toward an opening.

Both keepers made six saves Wednesday and the six stops by Bradley junior keeper Mike Haynes (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap H.S.) led to his fourth shutout of the year.  Eastern Illinois keeper Paul Jennison nearly finished with seven saves by deflecting Brust's penalty kick, but could not keep the shot out of the net and suffered his first loss of the season.

Both the Braves and Panthers entered Wednesday's game part of a three-way tie for second in the Valley standings, but aided by Missouri State's loss at Evansville, Bradley moved into a three-way tie for first with the Bears and Creighton.  The defending Valley regular-season champions, Bradley has just two league games remaining, but will step out of conference action the next two games.  The Braves will conclude a four-game home stand with two games versus Mid-Continent Conference teams Oral Roberts (Saturday) and Western Illinois (Tuesday), both at 7 p.m. at Shea Stadium.

Tickets for Bradley's regular-season home games are $5 for adults, $2 for youth (K-12) and free for Bradley University students, faculty and staff, as well as active military members and their immediate families, all with valid identification.