EVANSVILLE, IN - Bradley broke out of a 3-game scoring drought in historic fashion Saturday as the Braves (5-7-0, 2-0-0 MVC) equalled their highest-scoring output ever in a Missouri Valley Conference game, a 5-1 win at Evansville (2-9-0, 0-3-0 MVC) Saturday afternoon at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
Senior Grant Bell got the outburst started with two goals in the game's first six minutes and Richard Olson matched him with two goals inside the first 10 minutes of the second half to pace the Braves. Bell also assisted Jacob Taylor's goal in the 64th minute as Bradley scored five goals in a Valley game for the third time in program history and the first time in a road game. The Braves previously found the net five times in Valley home games Nov. 2, 2001 versus Western Kentucky (5-1) and Oct. 22, 2000 against Drake (5-2).
Although Evansville finished with a 15-12 edge in total shots, Bradley tested Aces keeper Greg Niven with nine shots on goal, while the hosts managed to direct only three of their 12 shots on target.
Bell got the scoring started for the Braves in the fourth minute when he stripped an Evansville defender deep in Bradley's offensive end, then slipped his second goal of the season past Niven at 3:49. The senior forward wasted little time pushing the advantage to 2-0 when he beat Niven to a long ball from Bradley keeper Logan Ketterer and converted into the open net at 5:22. The assist for Ketterer was the first by a Bradley keeper since Brian Billings recorded a helper in a 3-1 win against #17 Northwestern Oct. 3, 2012.
Evansville got back into the game when Tyrus Sciarra finished a Mark Gonzalez service in the 32nd minute, but after regrouping at halftime, Bradley started strong once again coming out of the break.
Sophomore Richard Olson scored his first goal of the season in the 47th minute by collecting a redirected shot and beating Niven with a 6-yard shot into the lower right corner at 46:25. Less than five minutes later, Olson hit the net again when he won a 50-50 ball from Niven and freed himself for the finish at 54:10.
The Braves completed the scoring in the 64th minute when Jacob Taylor controlled the ball after it hit off the crossbar and tapped home the easy finish at 63:55.
The win makes Bradley one of just two (Drake) Valley teams to start this season with 2-0-0 league records. The Bulldogs will visit Central Arkansas Saturday night.
Bradley will return to action next Saturday when the Braves host 2014 MVC regular-season champion Missouri State in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Shea Stadium.
