Originally posted Nov. 2, 2010 and re-posted Nov. 2, 2020 for This Date in Bradley Soccer History, presented by Prairie Farms.
PEORIA, Ill. - Back in the starting lineup after a calf strain forced him into limited time as a reserve Saturday, Bradley junior forward Bryan Gaul (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.) resumed his goal-scoring binge by heading home the game-winner in the 84th minute for a 1-0 victory versus Western Illinois (3-8-6) Tuesday night at Shea Stadium.
Gaul's team-leading 12th goal of the year also was his fifth game-winning tally of the season. Freshman goalkeeper Brian Billings (Apple Valley, Minn./Shattuck-St.Mary's H.S.) made a career-best eight saves to register his second shutout of the season, helping the Braves (8-8-2) even their record with their fifth win in the last nine games.
Gaul has started eight of those last nine games at forward and the 6-foot-4 junior has scored at least one point in each of his eight starts since making the move up top.
In a game that saw the action move from end-to-end most of the night, the Braves finally broke through on a long throw from the right flank. Designated thrower Bobby Smith started the scoring play with a toss to the top right corner. Junior back Tommy Fritze flicked the ball across the top of the penalty area with a back header. Freshman midfielder Aodhan Quinn reversed field with a couple of touches back toward the center of the park, then drove the ball over the defense. Gaul rose above the crowd about eight yards from the goal and headed a shot that WIU keeper Andy Ryan tried to push over the top of the bar. Ryan only got enough of the ball to push it into the bottom of the crossbar, though, and the ball bounced into the net at 83:25.
After Bradley outshot Western Illinois, 10-8, in the first half and limited the visitors to only two shots on goal in the opening period, the Leathernecks turned up the pressure in the second half. Western Illinois held a 12-5 shots advantage in the second half, but Billings was up to the challenge by making six of his eight saves after the break.
Bradley will close out the regular season Saturday by visiting nationally-ranked Creighton in a noon Missouri Valley Conference match at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. Both teams will return to Shea Stadium for next week's State Farm MVC Men's Soccer Championship, which will begin with quarterfinal action Nov. 10. Following the 3 p.m. opener, Bradley will play in the second quarterfinal at 6 o'clock. The semifinals are slated for the same time slots Nov. 12 and the championship game will be played Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. at Shea Stadium.
