MVC Home Opener for Homecoming

Bradley Soccer will host Valley rival Loyola Chicago in its 15th annual Homecoming Game Saturday night at Shea Stadium.

Bradley University Marketing

Bradley Notes Packet (PDF)

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Soccer 9/28/2018 4:25:00 PM

PEORIA, IL – Bradley Soccer returns home for the first time in nearly three weeks and will open its Missouri Valley Conference home schedule by hosting league-rival Loyola Chicago Saturday night at Shea Stadium. The culmination of Bradley University's Homecoming festivities, Saturday's 15th annual Homecoming Game will be followed by a postgame fireworks show.

GAME 9 | LOYOLA CHICAGO (3-4-1, 0-0-1 MVC) AT BRADLEY (5-1-2, 0-1-0 MVC)
Date:  Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Peoria, IL | Shea Stadium
Television: ESPN3 (Available for viewing at ESPN.com and via the ESPN App)
Live Stats:  Sidearm
Tickets: $6 adults, $4 youth (14U) and FREE for Bradley University students, faculty and staff; as well as active military members and their immediate family members; and members of the Little Braves Club.
Series History:  Saturday's meeting will be the 21st in the all-time series between in-state rivals Bradley and Loyola Chicago ... Although the teams alternated wins in the six meetings since Loyola joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, Bradley owns a commanding, 14-6-0 lead through the first 20 matchups ... The home team has won each of the last six meetings since Bradley's 3-0 triumph Oct. 31, 2012 in Chicago ... The Braves are 9-1-0 all-time at home in the series and will be looking to extend a 7-game home winning streak against the Ramblers since Loyola's lone win in Peoria, 2-1, Oct. 22, 1995 at the old Becker Park.

SATURDAY HOMECOMING
Saturday's game against Loyola Chicago will be a featured activity in Bradley University's annual Homecoming week ... After opening Shea Stadium in 2003, Bradley University transitioned its annual Homecoming week from the winter to the traditional Fall season in 2004, incorporating a soccer game into the event activities ... Saturday's game will be Bradley's 15th annual Homecoming game and the Braves enter the game against the Ramblers with a 10-3-0 record all-time in the featured event (the inaugural game in 2004 was cancelled 10 minutes into the game due to weather) ... Loyola is serving as Bradley's Homecoming opponent for the third time, previously visiting in 2012 and 2015, both shutout victories for the Braves.

HOMECOMING CROWDS
Bradley's Homecoming game attendance has represented the team's largest home crowd of the year in nine of the previous 13 seasons .... Four of the nine Bradley home crowds in excess of 2,000 have attended previous Homecoming games, including the fourth-best home crowd in Bradley Soccer history for last year's 3-0 victory against Purdue Fort Wayne.

LAND OF THE BRAVES
As Bradley prepares to host Loyola Chicago Saturday night, the Braves will be trying to extend their dominance of the state of Illinois during the tenure of 23rd-year head coach Jim DeRose ... Since DeRose took over the program to start the 1996 season, Bradley boasts a 67-29-8 (.683) record against teams from the state of Illinois ... Included in that record is a 27-8-3 (.750) mark at Shea Stadium ... Against the three Illinois teams on Bradley's home schedule in 2018, the Braves are a combined 18-3-0 (.857) at Shea Stadium: Eastern Illinois (9-0-0), Loyola Chicago (5-0-0) and Western Illinois (4-3-0).

LOOKING AHEAD
Following Saturday's Homecoming game versus Loyola Chicago, the Braves will hit the road for their next two games - Tuesday night at Cincinnati and next Saturday at Missouri State ... Bradley will return to Shea Stadium for a 2-game home stand Oct. 13 against Valley rival Valparaiso and Oct. 16 for a non-conference clash against Omaha.

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