HOUSTON - Junior Bryan Gaul (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.) scored his career-best sixth goal of the season and freshman goalkeeper Brian Billings (Apple Valley, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep) made four saves for his first career shutout, leading Bradley (5-5-1) to a 1-0 victory at Houston Baptist (2-6-1) Sunday afternoon.

Coming on the heels of Friday's 2-1 overtime home victory against IPFW, Sunday's win gives the Braves consecutive victories for the first time this season.

Houston Baptist outshot Bradley, 14-5, but the Braves got the game's only goal when Gaul took a feed from freshman Aodhan Quinn (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel H.S.) and buried a shot into the upper left corner at 21:11.

The Braves nearly gained an insurance goal in the 54th minute when Jochen Graf hit the post with one of his two shots in the game, but that was Bradley's only shot of the second half.  Bradley turned in a solid defensive effort of its own, however, holding HBU without a shot on goal for the game's first 55 minutes and without a shot of any kind after the 68th minute until one final flurry in the game's closing minutes.

Adam Jakle broke the shooting drought in the 84th minute, but Billings stopped his attempt, as well as an offering from Kyle Herbinson in the 86th minute.

Sunday's game was Bradley's final non-conference tuneup.  The Braves will visit first-year Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer affiliate SIU-Edwardsville Saturday night, then will host Valley rival Drake Oct. 13 in a 7 p.m. game at Shea Stadium.