Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves will be looking for win number two in a row when they take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks.
Game Information
Bradley Braves 1-1-1 (0-0-0 MVC) at Western Illinois Leathernecks 1-3-0 (0-0-0 Ohio Valley)
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 3rd • 5:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN+ |
Live Stats
Location: Mackenzie Alumni Field in Macomb, IL
All-Time Series: Bradley leads 20-10-4
The Bradley Braves
Last time out, the Braves secured their first win of the 2025 season by defeating the Milwaukee Panthers 1-0 on August 28.
Nokkvi Hjorvarsson scored the game-winner with his first collegiate goal, which came in the 49th minute and was assisted by
DJ Koulai. Goalkeeper
Drew Berry was also in strong form, recording 11 saves on 19 shots faced. His 11 saves marked the second-highest total of his career, behind only the 13 he made against Missouri State during his freshman season in 2022.
This road trip to Macomb is the first of two away matches for Bradley, with a meeting against Purdue Fort Wayne coming up this weekend. Early in the season, the Braves have scored at least one goal in two of their three matches and have recorded two clean sheets during that span.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks
Western Illinois began the year strong with a 1-0 win over Butler but enters tomorrow looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Leathernecks have suffered consecutive losses to Quincy (1-0), at Northern Illinois (5-0), and against Northern Kentucky (1-0). They are coached by Dr. Eric Johnson, who is in his 34th season as a head coach. Dr. Johnson spent four years at Loras before taking over at Western Illinois in 1997.
On the field, the Leathernecks are led by midfielder Nathan Bessinger and goalkeeper Micah Ramirez, both of whom have played all 360 minutes so far this season. Benjamin Graham has scored the team's only goal, while Xavier Gagnon recorded their lone assist. Bradley will be the second of three straight home matches for the Leathernecks, who hosted Northern Kentucky on August 31, will face Bradley next, and then welcome Green Bay on September 6.
History says!
Bradley and Western Illinois will renew their long-running series tomorrow afternoon as the Braves make the roughly 90-minute drive west to Macomb, Illinois. All-time, the Braves hold a 20-10-4 record against the Leathernecks, including a 10-3-2 mark in Macomb. Bradley is unbeaten in its last eight matches against Western Illinois and has won the last two meetings outright, both by 4-0 finals.
