PEORIA, Ill. - An extra day of waiting and perservering through a steady rain all paid off for the Bradley Soccer team as the Braves (5-7-0) blanked in-state rival Eastern Illinois, 3-0, on a soggy Tuesday night at Shea Stadium.

The non-conference clash originally was scheduled to be played Monday night, but severe weather forced the postponement until Tuesday night. Although not story, conditions were far from ideal Tuesday as a steady, misty rain fell throughout the game, but not enough to prevent the Braves from earning their 16th all-time win against Eastern Illinois, breaking a tie for the most against a single opponent in program history. Bradley, which also has beaten Drake (15-16-4) and Western Illinois (15-9-1), now boasts a 16-8-2 all-time record against the Panthers.

Junior forward Jason Lesch did much of the dirty work to get Bradley's offense going Tuesday night and he was rewarded with a pair of assists on the first two goals. Freshman Jacob Taylor created a turnover in Bradley's offensive third, then after Lesch chased down the loose ball and fed it back to the Braves defender, he shot a low laser inside the left post for the game's opening goal at 18:10.

Taylor's third goal of the season proved to be his first career game-winner. Although the final shot count was a fairly even 15-12 in favor of the Braves, Bradley keeper Shay Niemeyer needed to make just two routine saves to earn his first shutout of the season.

Lesch worked hard to serve a centering pass from the right flank in the 42nd minute and sophomore Alex Garcia collected the loose ball in front of the net, finishing in traffic for his first tally of the season and a 2-0 Bradley lead at 41:48.

The Braves gained some insurance in the 66th minute when team scoring leader Cody Lofgren curled a 20-yard free kick inside the left post for his sixth goal of the season, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead at 65:16.

Bradley will host the fourth game in its season-long home stand Saturday when the Braves welcome Missouri Valley Conference rival Central Arkansas to Shea Stadium for the annual Homecoming game. In addition to free Bradley Soccer scarves for the first 500 fans and the crowning of the Bradley University Homecoming Court, the game will be followed by a fireworks show.

Bradley Athletics Mission
Provide every student-athlete the opportunity for both a distinctive education and a championship experience
Accountability | Courage | Diligence | Integrity | Respect

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