PEORIA, Ill. -- With a roster that features 20 returning lettermen, including nine of the 10 players to score a goal during the 2010 season, as well as the entire starting back line and top two goalkeepers, the Bradley Soccer team will face a traditionally tough schedule in 2011.
According to the schedule announced today by 16th-year head coach Jim DeRose, the Braves will face nine teams that posted winning records in 2010, including four teams that joined Bradley in last year's NCAA Tournament, three teams that won regular-season conference championships and three more teams that were the runner-up in either their league regular-season standings or postseason tournament.
Bradley's first challenge in 2011 will come on opening day Aug. 26, when the Braves will visit 2010 Horizon League champion Butler. Not only did the Bulldogs sweep the HL regular-season and postseason tournament titles, Butler was undefeated (16-0-3) before losing to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Braves will continue their season-opening road swing with an Aug. 28 visit to IPFW, then will begin their 9-game home schedule by hosting former Missouri Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois Sept. 1 at Shea Stadium. On Sept. 3, Bradley will welcome Horizon League runner-up Wisconsin-Green Bay for a Saturday night clash at Shea Stadium.
Tournament action will highlight Bradley's next two weekends, starting with participation in the Dartmouth Classic, where the Braves will face traditional national power South Carolina Sept. 9 and Big East Conference member South Florida Sept. 11. Both teams played in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Bradley will host Loyola-Chicago, Memphis and Evansville in its own tournament with the Braves challenging the in-state rival Ramblers Sept. 16 and Memphis Sept. 18 in a pair of 7:30 p.m. kickoffs at Shea Stadium. The last time the Braves and Tigers met at Shea Stadium -- Sept. 4, 2009 -- the game was televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel with a program-record 2,612 fans in attendance.
Bradley's next four games will be played on the road, beginning with a Sept. 23 visit to Western Illinois and followed by a return trip to New England for games Oct. 1 at Massachusetts and Oct. 3 at New Hampshire. The 6-game Valley slate will begin with an Oct. 8 visit to Drake.
The schedule also will include a pair of Monday home games against Summit League teams, beginning Oct. 10 against defending Summit regular-season champion UMKC. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville will be Bradley's Homecoming opponent Oct. 15 in a rematch of the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament final (the Braves prevailed in a shootout, 4-3, following 110 minutes of scoreless action to earn their fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament).
The season-long, 4-game home stand will continue Oct. 19 when Bradley hosts defending Valley regular-season champion Creighton and the Braves will have a week to prepare for the final game of the home stand, Oct. 26 against Missouri State.
In between the final two Valley games Oct. 29 at Evansville and Nov. 5 at Central Arkansas, Bradley will host Oral Roberts Halloween night in the regular-season home finale at Shea Stadium. The game against the Golden Eagles will be the annual Senior Night contest and the Braves will honor their eight seniors in a pregame ceremony.
A complete promotions schedule for the 2011 Bradley Soccer home season will be announced this summer. Season tickets are available at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office in Renaissance Coliseum and single game tickets will be available an hour before kickoff at the Shea Stadium ticket windows.
