All season long, the University of Illinois-Chicago’s opponents have learned the hard way that playing them is like reaching for a hot stove.
UIC has lit teams on fire, using quick ball movement and a relentless attack to place immense pressure on defenses’ backlines.
Through their first eight games, the team averaged 23 shots, three goals per game and junior Edouard Nys is second in the country in total points (goals + assists).
Most teams have pulled their hands away from the stove, afraid to get burned.
But Bradley?
They were brave enough to stand in the fire and come away unscathed.
“We knew going into the game that we had a high-quality opponent with one of the top attacking players in the country and a bunch of supporting guys who are dangerous when they get their turns,” head coach Tim Regan said. “When you look at the number of shots they take a game and the scoring opportunities they create, it’s hard not to understand that it was going to take some exceptional defensive effort.”
The Braves (2-3-4, 0-0-1 MVC) knew precisely what they needed and executed their game plan, holding UIC (7-0-2, 0-0-1 MVC) to 14 shots and one score en route to a 1-1 draw to begin conference play.
Heat diffuser
In the first half, the Braves did a great job of bending without breaking. UIC held the ball for the vast majority of the frame, but Bradley limited their opportunities to score.
Anytime the Flames were in enemy territory, Bradley built a shell around the goal and executed countless clearances and saves to keep UIC at bay. The Flames generated just five shots in the first half.
Four of the shots were on goal, but senior goalkeeper Drew Berry had that covered, finishing the half with four saves.
“We gave energy and effort,” Berry said. “We defended for long periods of time. I think the last ten minutes of the first half, we were defending the whole time. Everybody just stuck with their man the whole way through, allowing us to minimize their shots.”
Unfortunately for Bradley, UIC’s ability to control the possession meant they couldn’t generate shots, registering one shot through 45 minutes.
“We were a bit disappointed in our ability to keep the ball,” Regan said. “We won it back in controlled moments, but we have to do a little bit better job in the future with being able to control the ball ourselves. Defending like we did in every game will be difficult.”
Fifth time’s a charm?
The Braves controlled the ball far better in the second half, generating 10 more shots after the break.
Five came in one sequence.
Eleven minutes in, junior forward DJ Koulai ripped a strike toward goal—blocked.
Sophomore forward Amari Fowlkes pounced on the rebound and fired—blocked again.
Koulai and Fowlkes kept coming, each unleashing another attempt off rebounds, only to be turned away once more.
Amid the chaos, junior forward Mitch Coughlon, who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, found himself with an opportunity to score.
And again he capitalized, delivering a shot to the lower-right side that slithered into the net.
“As a striker in that position, you have to look for rebounds off the goalkeeper,” Coughlon said. “I knew we were gonna get a show off and thought, ‘maybe it’s gonna come to me, maybe it’s not going to come to me.’ But if you’re never in that position, you’ll never know.”
“Luckily, the ball dropped towards me, and I just had to finish it,” Coughlon continued. “It felt really good after not having much offense and defending for most of the game.”
Bradley had a second to celebrate before UIC turned the heat up.
First-degree burn
After the goal, the Flames found open space in the Braves’ defense and pressured their midfielders.
Bradley’s “good feeling” lasted a minute, until Nys fired a strike off a deflection towards the right side of the net and gave UIC the equalizer.
“It’s difficult mentally to score and then concede a goal in such a short period of time,” Regan said. “It was a deflection on Drew’s goal. It’s very hard to make a play when the ball deflects in that way and changes the speed and spin of the ball. Your initial instinct is gone because of how it deflects off our defender.”
Through the emotional rollercoaster of the two-minute sequence in which seven shots were fired, it would have been easy for the Braves to lose focus, as so many teams have when playing UIC.
Instead, Bradley regrouped, keeping their head on their shoulders and the Flames at bay.
“People always say you have to have the memory of a goldfish when playing goalie,” Berry said. “That’s what [Jim] DeRose taught me. Once the ball goes in, get in the huddle, take a second and then you still have 30 minutes left in the game. That’s just how I approach goals, so that the next big play I can make for the team.”
Over the final 30 minutes, Berry and the rest of the Braves made countless big plays to stop UIC’s attack as they tried to find a go-ahead score.
Both teams increased their intensity as they tried to gain the upper hand, which made for a hostile environment. 18 fouls were called (13 on UIC), and both sides argued that the referees should have called more.
Tensions boiled over as the match ended, with both teams emptying their benches as pushing and shoving ensued.
After the commotion, both teams were able to calm down and shake hands, and the first battle of Missouri Valley conference play ended.
“First, we have to talk about the competitiveness and the quality of the opponent and our ability to match that,” Regan said. “They’re a really good team. They haven’t lost this year.”
“The Missouri Valley Conference games are always at a higher level,” Regan added. “That was a talking point during the week. You have to be up for that and be able to match what they did. We were able to stay strong and not let some of the referee’s decisions frustrate us.”
Bradley soccer will be back in action Saturday, when they travel to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois.
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