SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- For the second time in as many tries, the Bradley (7-4-3, 1-0-2) soccer team went out on the Missouri Valley Conference road and earned a point in the league standings by managing a 1-1 draw Saturday night at Missouri State (4-8-3, 0-1-2). Sophomore forward Justin Bigelow (Auburn, Ind./Dekalb H.S.) scored his first goal of the year in the 17th minute to give the Braves the early leady, but Ryan Hennessey answered in the 76th minute for the Bears.
On a night dominated primarily by a cross wind, Missouri State outshot the Braves by a 16-11 count. Each team managed just one shot in the 20 minutes of extra time. After making a career-best eight saves in Wednesday's 2-0 victory against Evansville, Bradley senior keeper Mike Haynes (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap H.S.) stopped five of Missouri State's six shots on goal Saturday night.
With the draw, Bradley ran its Valley unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2), dating back to last year's 2-0 home loss against Missouri State. The six-game unbeaten streak in league play equals the third-longest in school history, just one off the record originally set with a 6-0-1 run during the middle of the 2000 season and matched by a 5-0-2 stretch from Nov. 3, 2002 to Oct. 19, 2003.
The Braves are now 6-1-4 in their 11 Valley road games since the start of the 2004 season. The team's ability to gain road results in the league standings has allowed Bradley to claim at least a share of the last two MVC regular-season championships. The Braves will try to run their championship streak to three years by playing two of their last three league games at home, beginning with Saturday night's clash versus current Valley co-leader Drake (9-3-3, 2-0-1). Regular-season ticket prices for Bradley Soccer home games are $5 for adults, $2 for youth (k-12) and free for Bradley University students, faculty and staff, as well as active members of the military and their immediate families, all with valid identification.
Before the Braves return home, however, Bradley will stay out on the road for a rare Monday game, a non-conference tilt at Oral Roberts. Monday's game will kick off at 6 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla.
