Peoria, IL -- Bradley and DePaul battled to a 2-2 draw to open the 2026 season.
Thursday night proved to be an action packed opener that had something for everyone as Bradley and DePaul ended in a 2-2 draw for the second straight season. The result pushes the Braves home opener record to 11-1-4 since 2011, marking just the second season opening draw in the last six seasons while also becoming the fourth all-time draw between the Braves and Blue Demons.
The game took most of the first half to really find its legs with DePaul striking first in the 33rd minute when Luca Iaccino finished a Jordan Clagette and Scott Godden-assisted attack to give the Blue Demons a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Bradley came out aggressively after the break, generating eight shots and all seven of their corner kicks in the second half. The Braves' pressure paid off in the 71st minute, when
Liam Healey scored the first goal of his college career off assists from
Connor Chester and Dāvis Bormanis to level the match.
Just under three minutes later, Bradley took the lead off the foot of their All-MVC striker.
Mitch Coughlon found the back of the net in the 74th minute to collect his 12th career goal moving him into a tie for 20th on the Bradley all-time goal list.
Stephen Saladin provided the assist, putting the Braves ahead 2-1. The action wouldn't end there however as DePaul continued to push and eventually found the equalizer in the 86th minute off an excellent flick finish by Mason Kutch with assists from Noeh Hernandez and Daniel Hickiewicz.
Following one last advance from Bradley that came up short, the match would end 2-2 full-time. DePaul finished the night with a 9-1 edge in shots during the opening half but saw Bradley respond with a 6-8 shot advantage in the second half. The Blue Demons held a 15-9 advantage in total shots, while Bradley controlled the corner-kick battle, 7-5. Bradley's goalkeeper Salom Chandre recorded three saves, while DePaul's Hayden Vostal made two stops.
With the result, Bradley and DePaul each leave Shea Stadium with a point after an entertaining back-and-forth contest that featured three goals in the second half. Bradley will be back in action this week as they'll hit the road for the first time in 2026 to take on another Big East opponent in the Butler Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM CST from the Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, IN. The match will also be available for streaming on ESPN+
