Bradley Soccer senior forward Bryan Gaul (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.) has collected a fourth weekly national soccer award and the Braves (2-0-0) are beginning to earn national attention following the opening weekend.
Gaul has been named the SoccerSavings.com/Soccer News Net Men's College Soccer Player of the Week, which is selected by the editors of six Soccer News Net websites: BigAppleSoccer.com, ChicagolandSoccerNews.com, DallasSoccerNews.com, LASoccerNews.com, NewEnglandSoccerNews.com and PhillySoccerNews.com. The Bradley forward previously was named the national player of the week by CollegeSoccerNews.com and TopDrawerSoccer.com, while also landing on the Soccer America national Team of the Week.
Gaul contributed to four of Bradley's five goals during the team's weekend sweep through Indiana, a 4-1 win Friday night at #21 Butler and a 1-0 win Sunday afternoon at IPFW. He assisted Christian Meza's seventh-minute goal at Butler, then scored the next two on his own from a combined 70 yards. Gaul's 40-yard, left-footer in the 17th minute gave the Braves a 2-0 lead and proved to be the game-winner.
In Sunday's win at IPFW, Gaul was taken down in the box while making a penetrating drive on the right flank in the 40th minute and calmly converted the resulting penalty kick for his third goal of the weekend and second game-winner.
In addition to Gaul's awards, Bradley has been recognized in a trio of national rankings. While continuing to hold the No. 37 spot in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Tournament 48 National Rankings, the Braves are third among others receiving votes, 28th overall, in the NSCAA National Rankings and fourth among the others receiving votes in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 College Coaches Poll.
Bradley will open its 2011 home schedule tonight by hosting former Missouri Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois (1-0-0) Thursday and Green Bay (0-0-0) Saturday. Both games will kick off at 7 p.m. at Shea Stadium. Single-game tickets are available for purchase one hour prior to kickoff at the Shea Stadium Box Office and are $6 for adults, $3 for youth (K-12) and free for Bradley University students, faculty and staff, as well as active members of the military and their immediate families, all with valid identification. Season tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for youth (K-12) and are available for purchase at the Renaissance Coliseum Box Office.
