Bradley men’s soccer (1-2-1) traveled to Macomb, Illinois, on Wednesday evening to play Western Illinois (2-3-0) in a thrilling, seesaw affair that saw five goals and three lead changes. Despite being ahead twice, the Braves lost 3-2 after a second-half strike from the Leathernecks proved to be the difference.
Trading blows early
Bradley struck first in the sixth minute, when junior forward DJ Koulai converted a penalty after being brought down at the top of the box.
The two teams jockeyed for position until the 28th minute, when Western Illinois forward Xavier Gagnon slipped behind the Braves’ back line and found the equalizer, leveling the match at 1-1.
Bradley regained control just five minutes later as junior forward Mitch Coughlon found the back of the net for the first time this season, giving the Braves a 2-1 advantage. However, just 30 seconds before halftime, Gagnon struck again—this time from close range—to equalize the game heading into the break.
Leathernecks land the final blow
Western Illinois kept the momentum from Gagnon’s goal in the second half. Seven minutes into the frame, forward Liam Gainey slipped past the Braves’ defense and fired a low shot past the keeper to give the Leathernecks a 3-2 lead.
Bradley tried desperately to find the equalizer for the rest of the half and created six shots after the goal, but they could not find the back of the net, an issue they’ve struggled with at times this season.
The Braves will look to bounce back on Sept. 7 when they travel to Purdue Fort Wayne, wrapping up a stretch of four out of five matches on the road. After that, the Braves return home for games against Omaha and Millikin.
