PEORIA, Ill. – In a game #27 Bradley dominated, but struggled to find the back of the net, senior midfielder Bryan Gaul (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.) stepped up to bury a penalty kick in the 84th minute, lifting the Braves (8-3-2) to a 1-0 home victory versus UMKC (4-6-1) Monday afternoon at Shea Stadium.

Senior forward Christian Meza drew the penalty when he was taken down trying to split a pair of Kangaroos defenders on the right side of the box at 83:34.  Gaul caught UMKC keeper Kevin Korby moving the wrong direction to net his seventh goal of the year and fourth game-winner.

Bradley outshot UMKC, 25-10, including an 11-1 advantage in shots on goal.  Corby kept the Kangaroos in the game, however, by coming through with 10 saves.  Making his first appearance of the season, senior keeper Kyle Orne needed to make just one simple save in the 82nd minute to earn the shutout, the third of his career.

The 1-0 victory came in Bradley’s 12th consecutive game decided by no more than one goal, extending its program record.  The Braves are 7-3-2 during the stretch, which equals Siena for the longest active streak in the nation of games decided by no more than one goal.  Dating back to last season, 20 of Bradley’s 22 games have been one-goal games and the Braves are 12-4-4 in those tight outcomes.

Bradley ranks among the nation’s leaders in victories away from home and played just its fifth home game of the season Monday, its first at Shea Stadium since Sept. 18.  The Braves will continue their season-long home stand Saturday by hosting SIU Edwardsville in a 5 p.m. match at Shea Stadium, one of the marquee events during the University’s Homecoming and Parents Weekend.  The game against the Cougars is a rematch of the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game, which ended in a 0-0 draw before Bradley earned the title in a penalty kick shootout, 4-3.

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