Peoria, Ill. – Three matches against new MVC Affiliate Members and another homecoming matchup against Missouri State highlight the 17-game 2023 soccer schedule revealed on Wednesday.
 
Preparations for the upcoming campaign get underway with the Braves hosting a pair of exhibition contests against Iowa Western (Aug. 10) and Butler (Aug. 13).

Bradley begins the regular season on the road, traveling to Chicago State on Thursday, Aug. 24. Bradley's home opener comes three days later on Sunday, August 27th against UM-Kansas City. Kickoff for the home opener will be at 1 p.m. as Bradley begins the 21st season of soccer at Shea Stadium.

The Braves will then take a three-game road trip around Illinois, facing DePaul (Sept. 1), Eastern Illinois (Sept. 3) and Western Illinois (Sept. 8) on the road within a week span. 

Bradley returns home for a three-game homestand, beginning with the 15th annual Danny Dahlquist Memorial Game on Sunday, September 10th at 6 p.m. against Mercer. This is Bradley's fourth regular season Danny Dahlquist Memorial Game and 14th year of memorial games overall. Dahlquist was a member of the Bradley soccer team from 2006-07 and attended Peoria Notre Dame High School. He tragically passed away on August 12th, 2007, and is memorialized at one game every season. Mercer Head Coach Brad Ruzzo was an Assistant Coach at Bradley from 2000-07 before his position at Mercer. Bradley Head Coach Jim DeRose's son, JR DeRose, is in his first year as an Assistant Coach at Mercer, his alma mater. This past year, Mercer soccer player Baba Agbaje suddenly passed away on April 10th. More information about Baba can be found here.

Game two of the homestand features the Braves facing ex-MVC foe SIU-Edwardsville (Sept. 16, 7 p.m.) for the Kicks for the Cure game to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital. The final game of the homestand is Bradley's final match before beginning conference play as the Braves face Green Bay on Tuesday, September 19th at 11 a.m. for School/Kids Day.

The Braves travel to Ohio to begin conference play, taking on MVC men's soccer newcomer Bowling Green (Sept. 23). Bowling Green is one of three schools to join the MVC as affiliate members (Northern Illinois, Western Michigan) after the MAC, Bowling Green's conference for many other events, dropped men's soccer after the 2022 season. 

Bradley returns home on Saturday, September 30th at 7:00 p.m. for Homecoming against Missouri State. This marks the fourth consecutive homecoming game Bradley has faced Missouri State (2019, 2021, 2022). Missouri State has won five of the last six MVC Regular Season Championships, including the last four. Missouri State has also won the past three conference tournaments.
 

Bradley homecoming is an annual celebration for one week in September. The week ends at Shea Stadium for the annual soccer game after the "Lighting of the B" on Friday night. More information regarding Homecoming can be found here.

Bradley will open October at home against Belmont (Oct. 6, 7 p.m.) before beginning the team's second three-game road trip of the season, traveling north to face Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Drake. 

The final stretch of the regular season starts at home against UIC (Oct. 22, 1 p.m.) before the Braves head to Evansville in the final regular season road match of the season. 

The Braves' final match of the regular season will be at home against Western Michigan (Nov. 1, 7 p.m.). The Broncos went 16-3-2 in the regular season and won the MAC Tournament last season, defeating MAC Regular Season Champion Akron.

The MVC Tournament will take place from November 5-11. Games will be played at higher-seeded teams' home fields.