2007 BRADLEY SOCCER WEEKLY NOTEBOOK
WEEK 2 ? SEPT. 2
Overall Record: 2-0-0
MVC Record: 0-0-0
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Aug. 31: at Bradley 2, Lipscomb 1
Sept. 1: at Bradley 2, Belmont 1
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Sept. 7: Bradley vs. North Carolina, 4 p.m. (ET)
Sept. 9: Bradley at Wake Forest, 2:30 p.m. (ET)
WEEK 1 RECAP
Bradley repeated its pattern of scoring once early and again late to defeat a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference opponents ? Lipscomb and Belmont ? in the season-opening Holiday Inn City Centre Classic at Shea Stadium. Although the Braves conceded the tournament championship to Missouri Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois (2-0-0), based on the goal-differential tiebreaker, Bradley did start the season with a pair of wins for the first time since 2003.
WEEK 2 PREVIEW
After going unbeaten as a tournament host to start the season, Bradley heads to Winston-Salem, N.C., for Week 2 to participate in the Wake Forest Invitational against a pair of national powers. Bradley will take on North Carolina in the tournament's opening game Friday, then will challenge 2006 NCAA Tournament semifinalist Wake Forest in Sunday afternoon's tournament finale. Friday's clash against the Tar Heels will be the second meeting in the all-time series. The first resulted in a 3-1 UNC victory Sept. 4, 1999 in the first round of Creighton's Diadora Challenge in Omaha, Neb. Sunday's match-up against the Demon Deacons will be the first in the all-time series and will be Bradley's first-ever road game against an ACC opponent.
WELCOME TO THE CAROLINAS
Heading into this weekend's games at the Wake Forest Invitational, Bradley has played only three games in its 21-year history against teams from the Carolinas. Most recently, the Braves dropped a 3-0 home decision to #17 Coastal Carolina Sept. 20, 2003 in the championship game of the inaugural Bradley Classic. In addition to the 1999 loss to North Carolina, the Braves downed UNC-Asheville, 3-2, in the final round of the 1997 Kentucky/NIKE Invitational.
AN OFFENSIVE DEFENSE
In addition to limiting Lipscomb and Belmont to a combined seven shots on goal during this past weekend's Holiday Inn City Centre Classic, Bradley's defense got in on the offensive attack. Senior defensive midfielder Drew DeGurian scored both goals in Saturday's 2-1 win against Belmont, while senior sweeper Joe Donoho scored Friday's game-winner against Lipscomb by converting a 77th minute penalty kick and assisted DeGurian's Saturday night winner. In addition, right back Teddy Anderson assisted DeGurian's first strike against the Bruins with a brilliant cross. In all, Bradley's defensive players accounted for eight of the team's 12 points during the opening weekend.
SCHEDULE STIFFENS
Bradley will start one of the most-difficult five-game stretches in program history this weekend when it takes on North Carolina and host Wake Forest at the Wake Forest Invitational. After facing UNC, which was the No. 14 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, the next four opponents on Bradley's schedule are defending league champions: Sunday at 2006 NCAA Tournament semifinalist Wake Forest (ACC), Sept. 13 at Western Illinois (Summit), Sept. 16 versus Cincinnati (Big East Red) and Sept. 22 versus Saint Louis (Atlantic 10). The Braves quickly will face two more league champions when they host Horizon League champion Illinois-Chicago Sept. 29 and visit Valley co-champion Creighton Oct. 10.
DeROSE ADDS TO UNDER 40 TOTAL
The only active coach in the country with 100 victories before his 40th birthday, 12th-year Bradley head coach Jim DeRose added to his total with last weekend's two victories. DeRose, who will celebrate his 40th birthday Sept. 28 when the Braves host IUPUI, improved his career record to 129-79-21 (.609) after the two wins during the Holiday Inn City Centre Classic.
