EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Bradley soccer team faced a crucial test for their playoff ambitions but fell short against Evansville, losing 1-0. With this defeat, the Braves' record now stands at 5-5-6, while Evansville rises to 4-8-3, strengthening its position in the conference.
Alex Nicastro was the new name in the starting XI as he got his first start of the 2023 season.
The game began slowly, as neither team generated dangerous opportunities until later in the half. Bradley had three shots during the first 35 minutes of play, while the Purple Aces had zero in the first third of the match.
In the 39th minute, The Purple Aces would find the opener when Kai Phillip scored the lone goal of the match after a great collective play starting from a corner kick. Both teams would finish the opening half with three shots and one corner kick each.
The Braves picked up the pace during the second half to try and find the equalizer, but the Purple Aces would not let their one-goal lead slip away as the match was a decisive game for both teams.
With the loss, BU is no longer in the battle for a playoff spot, as even with a win in the last regular season game, the Braves would not qualify for the MVC Tournament as both Evansville and NIU defeated BU.
Coming Up
The Braves will be back in action next Wednesday, November 1, at 7 p.m. as they host Western Michigan at Shea Stadium. BU has a record of 3-4-1 against the Broncos. The last meeting between both teams was in 2016, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
