PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley actually put the ball in the net three times, but it was in-state rival Western Illinois (10-6-0) that came out on top with a 3-2 men's soccer victory Tuesday night at Shea Stadium.  The Leathernecks used three first-half goals, including an own goal by the Braves (6-7-3), to end an eight-game losing streak in the local rivalry.

After dropping eight consecutive one-goal decisions to the Braves dating back to 1997, luck swung to WIU's favor in the third minute Tuesday on what should have been a non-threatening free kick.  The Leathernecks took the free kick from just short of the center circle and sent a line drive into the box.  Although Bradley goalkeeper Mike Haynes was unchallenged and in position to catch the free kick near the right post, Bradley defender Joe Donoho tried to clear the ball, but instead re-directed it past Haynes for the first own goal against the Braves since Oct. 27, 2002 in a 2-1 loss to #11 Creighton.

Bradley appeared to be stunned by the sudden strike and gave up a second goal less than three minutes later on another restart.  This time Grant Campbell headed a left wing free kick service out of the box, but the ball fell right to Matt Wieclaw, who took one touch to his left and sent a screamer from 20 yards inside the left post for his eighth goal of the year.

The visitors pushed their lead to 3-0 in the 24th minute when Preston Bernardi and Elton Fernandes combined on two touches to free Nick Bohnenkamp into the right side of the penalty area.  Bohnenkamp finished off the sequence for his fourth goal of the year, while making WIU the second team in the four-year history of Shea Stadium to put three goals on the board against the host Braves.  Then #17 Coastal Carolina is the only other team to get three goals against Bradley at Shea Stadium, a 3-0 victory in the championship game of the Bradley Classic Sept. 20, 2003.

In a bizarre statistical note, Bradley actually outshot Western Illinois 7-2 in the first half as the own goal did not count as a Leathernecks shot.

Unlike the 2003 game versus Coastal Carolina, however, Bradley got two goals from senior Zach Bell and had several more good scoring chances in the second half to make things interesting.  Bell used his sprinter's speed to collect both Bradley goals, in the 60th minute on a combination feed from Stephen Brust and Chris Cutshaw and in the 66th minute on a long service from Ken Hickman.  Bell now leads the team with six goals this season.

The Braves kept pressuring throughout the final 45 mintues and finished the game with a 19-6 advantage in shots.  The best chance for the third goal actually came in between Bell's two strikes when Ryan Johnson's header from a Campbell corner kick was ticketed for the back of the net.  Leathernecks keeper Stephen Paterson, however, was able to get just enough of the shot to force the attempt over the bar for one of his four saves.