It's A Western Week for the Braves
Bradley's soccer week will have a Western flair as the Braves (6-6-3) will host Western Illinois Tuesday night at Shea Stadium and will visit Missouri Valley Conference rival Western Kentucky Saturday night in Bowling Green, Ky. Both games this week will serve as a kind of finale: Tuesday's game against the Leathernecks will be the final non-conference game of the season, while Saturday's contest will be the final road game of the year.
A win Tuesday against Western Illinois would even Bradley's non-conference record at 5-5-2 and would signify a strong bounceback after the five-game winless streak early in the season. With seven points, the Braves also begin the week third in the Valley standings, three points behind league co-leaders Creighton and Missouri State. A win Saturday would help Bradley keep pace in the league race and would secure a winning record in Valley play for the seventh consecutive season.
Winning Streak Needed
? With only four games guaranteed for the Braves the rest of the season, Bradley needs to go on a season-ending winning streak to maintain its run of 10-win seasons.
? The Braves have won at least 10 games every year since 1997 and the current nine-year run of consecutive seasons with double-digit victory totals is the second-longest in Missouri Valley Conference history.
Donoho Leads Defensive Effort
? First-year Brave Joe Donoho (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit H.S.) led the defensive effort that produced back-to-back shutouts last week.
? The 6-foot-3 sweeper, who transferred from Rutgers last January, played all 200 minutes in the two games last week and helped limit Eastern Illinois (six) and Oral Roberts (three) to a total of nine shots on goal.
? Donoho's efforts were even more impressive when you consider the Braves played without defensive starters David Crady and James Hedges Saturday.
Injuries, Illness Limiting Braves
? Injuries and illness continue to limit the Bradley roster in 2006.
? Junior midfielder Drew DeGurian and junior forward Nick Mentgen both missed both games last week due to injury. DeGurian is the team's third-leading scorer, while Mentgen is fourth in points and leads the Braves with five assists.
? After playing all 90 minutes Wednesday versus Eastern Illinois, freshman defensive midfielder David Crady was unavailable for Saturday's game versus Oral Roberts due to illness.
? Senior back James Hedges, who battled foot injuries throughout his career, also played all 90 minutes Wednesday, but was held out of Saturday's game for precautionary reasons.
On the Bright Side
? On the bright side, junior forward Teddy Anderson and sophomore forward Ryan Johnson both saw limited playing time last week as they continue to recovery from foot injuries.
Bradley-Western Illinois Series History
? Bradley owns a 12-6-0 lead in the all-time series versus in-state rival Western Illinois, which dates back to Bradley's first season in 1987.
? Bradley has won eight straight in the series, all by one goal, and has won both of the previous meetings at Shea Stadium by 1-0 margins.
Bradley-Western Kentucky Series History
? Bradley owns a 9-2-0 lead in the all-time series versus Western Kentucky, which dates back to a 3-2 Hilltoppers win in a non-conference battle during the 1996 season.
? Bradley is working on a five-game winning streak versus the Hilltoppers, outscoring WKU 15-5 during the streak.
