CONWAY, Ark. – Bradley senior forward Bryan Gaul scored the game’s only goal in the 50th minute, leading the Braves (13-4-2, 4-2-0 MVC) to a 1-0 victory at Central Arkansas (2-10-4, 1-3-2 MVC) Saturday afternoon at Bill Stephens Complex.

The Braves won their season-best fourth consecutive game and will take momentum into next week’s State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Creighton.  The win keeps Bradley’s hopes for a share of the MVC regular-season title alive, pending the outcome of tonight’s games between Creighton-Evansville and Drake-Missouri State, but the Braves will be the No. 3 seed for next week’s tournament, regardless of tonight’s two results.

UCA had an opportunity to take a 1-0 lead off the opening kickoff of the second half, creating a 1-v-1 opportunity versus Bradley keeper Brian Billings just nine seconds into the half, but the Braves net-minder came through with one of his three saves to highlight his fourth shutout of the season.

Gaul earned his 10th goal of the season at 49:42 at the end of a Bradley throw-in.  Sophomore defender Jason Coon was credited with the assist for his first point of the season.

Bradley ended the game with a 10-5 advantage in shots.

The winner is Gaul’s sixth of the season, which is twice as many as the total number of goals for any other player on the Bradley roster this season.  The six game-winners at least until tonight are the most of any player in The Valley this season and bumps his career total of winners to 15, just two behind the school-record 17 game-winning goals by Gavin Glinton (1998-2001).  Gaul also became the fifth player in school history to score 30 career goals and moved into a tie for sixth place in school history with 72 career points.

Bradley’s 13th win equals the second-best regular-season total in program history and the Braves improved to 6-2-0 in true road games this season, 7-2-1 overall away from home.

Bradley will begin play in the State Farm MVC Tournament at Creighton’s Morrison Stadium Wednesday against No. 6 seed Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, but the start time (either 3 p.m. or 6 p.m.) will not be announced until the final seedings are determined following tonight’s games.  Bradley earned a 2-1 win in overtime versus SIUE Oct. 15 at Shea Stadium and the teams met in the championship game of the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament, playing to a scoreless draw before Bradley claimed the championship in a penalty kick shootout.

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