PEORIA, Ill. ? Bradley sophomore Paul Tracy (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley H.S.) sent a bouncing ball through the box and into the net in the 67th minute, sparking Bradley to a 2-0 victory over Howard in the final game of the Country Inn & Suites Homecoming Classic, Saturday night at Shea Stadium. Alabama A&M claimed the tournament title after its 1-0 victory over Missouri State earlier in the evening.

Tracy's goal snapped a scoreless tie midway through the second half. His service on the left side from 25 yards out bounced through traffic in the box, settling past Howard goalkeeper Adisa Bekoe into the corner of the net for a 1-0 Bradley lead. The goal for Tracy was his first of the season and third of his career.

The Braves needed less than two minutes to tack on a second goal, as freshman forward Christian Meza (Carpentersville, Ill./Dundee-Crown H.S.) gained possession after a Howard turnover near midfield. Meza dropped a pass off for junior forward Chris Cutshaw (Carmel, Ind./Carmel H.S.) on a two-on-none breakaway, allowing Cutshaw to hit an empty net for a 2-0 lead.

Bradley controlled possession for a large portion of the contest, holding a 25-7 advantage in shots. The Braves held a 10-4 advantage in corner kicks and also hit the post twice, once in each half.

The visiting Bison placed just one shot on goal against Bradley goalkeeper Drew Van Kampen (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley H.S.), but it was a solid chance. Trailing 2-0 in the 76th minute, Howard forward Lemuel Lyons controlled possession near the top of the box, but Van Kampen came out to make a save on the shot from Lyons and preserve the shutout, Van Kampen's fourth of the season.

Bradley junior defender Travis English (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills H.S.) and freshman midfielder Bobby Smith (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin H.S.) were named to the 11-player All-Tournament team. Alabama A&M's MfanaFuthi Bhembe was named the tournament's most valuable player after notching a goal and assist in the Bulldogs' 2-0 win over Bradley on Friday. The Bulldogs defeated Missouri State, 1-0, in the early game on Saturday. The Bears claimed second place in the four-team tournament, edging Bradley thanks to an advantage in goal differential.

The Braves will return to action one week from Saturday, visiting Loyola Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. The contest against the Ramblers is one of two road games for the Braves in the month of October.