Entering the final moments of their home opener this season, Bradley soccer was on course for their first win of the new campaign.
Senior goalkeeper Drew Berry had been vital in the contest, saving ten shots as the team clung to a 1-0 lead entering the final two minutes against Milwaukee. Yet, his biggest save would end up being his last.
With time running out, the Panthers drove into the box. After a deflection sent the ball into the air, they fired a bicycle kick shot toward the net, looking like it would be the equalizer.
Berry had other plans. He dove, knocking the ball away for his eleventh and final save, securing the win for the Braves.
That was one of Berry’s many clutch saves throughout his four years at Bradley, but his journey to becoming the Braves’ primary keeper runs much deeper than what makes it to the games.
Athletic Upbringing
Berry is not the first athlete in his family to play a sport at the collegiate level. Nor is he the second or third.
His father, Ken, and older brother, Bryce, each played collegiate soccer. However, Ken and Bryce played at the Division III level.
“It was definitely competitive in the household,” Berry said. “My mom always jokes that I got the talent from her because she was a Division I softball player.”
His mother, Karen, played at UMass Amherst, a program that has seen significant success in the sport. While there, she helped lead her team to the NCAA softball tournament.
“She’s kind of my role model,” Berry said. “She’s who I looked up to in terms of athletics to try to achieve the same goals that she did.”
Journey to Bradley
Berry attended Oakmont Regional High School, lettering in four years while being named a Central Mass All-Star and winning the Coach’s Award in his time with the Spartans.
After graduating from high school in 2021, Berry opted to forgo the chance to begin his collegiate career. Instead, he traveled to Spain for a year to train and compete in a new environment.
“It was a completely different culture,” Berry said. “Their culture kind of revolves around soccer. If their team wins, everybody’s out on the streets. If they lose, everybody’s kind of indoors.”
Berry trained at Eture Sports, located in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. There, he competed with a local U-18 side, honing his skills while experiencing a new routine on the opposite side of the world.
“It was five to eight training sessions a week, and then a game every weekend,” Berry said. “It was definitely important for me and my development, both physically and mentally.”
Upon his return to the States, Berry set out to find a college he could call home for the next four years. He chose Bradley, beginning his collegiate career in the fall of 2022, when longtime head coach Jim DeRose still led the Braves.
“I really liked having DeRose and [Tim] Regan as the coaches,” Berry said. “DeRose had a lot of experience with a lot of good goalkeepers coming out of Bradley and ended up going on to play professionally. That was kind of a goal of mine, so that was the main reason I chose to come here.”
In limited action in his first season, Berry posted an .821 save percentage across four matches, allowing five goals and saving 23 shots as the Braves went 2-2-0 in his starts.
Finding His Footing
Entering his sophomore campaign in 2023, Berry was given the chance to compete for the starting goalkeeper position. In the 17 matches Bradley played, Berry was the starter in ten, saving 27 shots and posting a 3-4-3 record while allowing 12 goals.
Following that season, DeRose announced his retirement after 28 years at the helm, and assistant coach Tim Regan took over as head coach.
Despite being familiar with Regan, transitioning to a new leader presented some challenges.
“It was definitely different because although they were in the same system for so long, they both had very different perspectives,” Berry said. “Making that transition, especially with a lot of new guys that weren’t here when DeRose was here, was definitely hard for me.”
Berry entered his junior season with a new head coach and another batter for the starting goalkeeper spot and posted a solid season. In 14 starts, he saved 53 shots and posted a .757 save percentage, allowing 17 goals, and posted a 3-6-3 record with four clean sheets.
“There’s a natural maturity for all players the longer they stay in college,” Regan said. “He started to show very well that he was capable of becoming a starting goalkeeper and then keeping it because he was in competition at the time.”
Berry has started each of the Braves’ first six contests to this point, posting a .750 save percentage and a 1-2-3 record with two shutouts. He has allowed nine goals, but four came in one match against Big Ten power Wisconsin.
Berry’s success this season can be attributed to various factors, but the most important development this year is an improvement in his consistency.
“Consistency was something I struggled with when I actually got into college,” Berry said. “I’ve developed so much with my mental game, not riding too much on the highs or lows, and just keeping a next-play mentality.”
This mentality has helped Bradley secure wins and draws in numerous contests, including that clutch save against Milwaukee that earned him the MVC Defensive Player of the Week award.
“The big plays are the ones that really help us in moments where we make some mistakes as a team, and he’s there to rescue us,” Regan said. “We saw it in the Milwaukee game, and hopefully we’ll see those moments again. But maintaining the consistency that he’s developed and shown the last few games is the key for him and has been really helpful for the team.”
Leaving His Mark
While Berry set individual goals for the year that are no longer in the range of possibility, he is still focused on the broader picture for the team.
“I like to be a leader,” Berry said. “My goal is to make sure everybody’s on the same page and knows that they aren’t defined by soccer. I think the coaches have done a good job instilling that in me, and I’m just trying to do the same with my teammates. Our goal is to win a Valley championship, which is what we’re focused on.”
Berry’s teammates have noticed his leadership this season. Fellow goalkeeper Mitchell Barrett, who joined the team this year as a freshman, has also noticed Berry’s impact.
“He’s been very welcoming,” Barrett said. “He doesn’t act like he’s better than me; he puts himself on the same level as me, even being a freshman and having all those years on me, just makes me feel like I belong there. We’re both pushing each other to be good athletes and earn our place here.”
Berry’s coaches have taken note of his leadership as well.
“He’s grown so much in his ability to understand those around him and help lead his teammates daily,” Regan said. “He understands the emotional ups and downs and can help control his teammates and build their confidence back up when they need to be in a better way.”
As Berry continues his senior season, he hopes to leave behind an impact on his teammates and the program when his time with the Braves eventually ends.
“Obviously, I want to win, but if I don’t win, I just want to make sure that I first and foremost put this team in the best position to win,” Berry said. “I want to be known for more than just on the field, I want to be known for off the field as well.”
