PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley and Creighton men's soccer teams will be “Kickin' It for St. Jude” when the two Missouri Valley Conference rivals meet in a spring exhibition Saturday night at Shea Stadium. The two teams, who also played a benefit exhibition last spring in Omaha, are partnering to raise funds and awareness for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The proceeds raised from Saturday's exhibition will benefit the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, as well as local youth soccer organizations and other groups. Local soccer clubs have been selling tickets for the game for the past month and the revenues generated by the clubs' ticket sales are being split evenly between the clubs and St. Jude.
The Richwoods girls soccer team was the first group to sell $1,000 worth of tickets for the Bradley-Creighton exhibition, earning the right to play a preliminary game at Shea Stadium. Richwoods will take on Normal West in a 5 p.m. game Saturday at Shea Stadium.
Individual, general admission tickets for Saturday's exhibition are $3 and may be purchased in advance at the Robertson Fieldhouse Ticket Office or the evening of the game at the Shea Stadium box office. Donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital also will be accepted at Shea Stadium during the game.
Saturday's exhibition will mark the third time Bradley and Creighton will have joined forces to raise funds for charity. Creighton's regular-season visit Oct. 9, 2004 highlighted Bradley's inaugural “Kicks for Cancer” promotion, and including donations from the players for both teams, more than $2,000 was raised for the Peoria chapter of the American Cancer Society. Last spring Bradley was the visitor for Creighton's “Kicks for the Kids” promotion, which generated more than $10,000 for young cancer victims in the Omaha area.
Bradley and Creighton combined for the Valley's two championships last fall. The Braves won their second MVC regular-season title and finished the season with a 15-6-1 overall record, matching the school record for wins in a season, while earning an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six years. Creighton (15-5-3) was the runner-up to the Braves during the regular-season league race, then downed Bradley (2-0) in the championship game of the State Farm MVC Tournament Nov. 13 at Shea Stadium. Making their 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Bluejays advanced to the Elite Eight.
Saturday's exhibition game will be the first-ever spring game in which Bradley has charged admission. The Braves have been among the nation's leaders in average home attendance during the regular season the last four years, last year finishing 13th nationally in total home attendance (13,727) and 20th in average attendance (1,056).
Fans planning to use westbound Interstate 74 en route to Shea Stadium are advised that the University Street exits from I-74 West are closed due to construction. For those fans beginning their trek to Shea Stadium from Morton and all points east should consider taking I-474 West to I-74 East on the far side of Peoria. The University Street exit is still accessible from I-74 East. Once exiting I-74 East at University Street, turn left onto northbound University and continue up the hill to Nebraska Avenue. Turn left on Nebraska Avenue and the main parking entrance to Shea Stadium will be just ahead on the left.
Fans coming from East Peoria should consider alternative routes through downtown Peoria or heading north to Route 150 and accessing southbound University from War Memorial Drive.
