The Bradley men’s soccer team began their non-conference schedule this weekend in Spokane, Washington, with two tough tournament games against Gonzaga and San Diego State.
Bradley opened the season with a bang in the annual Danny Dalquist Memorial Game at Shea Stadium with a 1-0 victory over nationally ranked Notre Dame. Following the win, the Braves flew to Washington to play Gonzaga.
Bradley was on the defensive most of the first half against Gonzaga, getting outshot 10-4, but four saves from senior goalkeeper Logan Ketterer kept the score knotted at zero. The Bulldogs broke through in the second half with a goal in the 48th minute, but a header from junior defenseman Buseese Lwanga in the 60th minute tied the game at one.
Ketterer held his ground in overtime with two more saves, giving him eight for the game as the Braves came away with a 1-1 draw.
“I think Gonzaga is a very good team, I think we worked incredibly hard to pull back a draw,” head coach Jim DeRose said. “[Ketterer] has really learned to be a great leader … When you have a guy like that, a last line of defense, that can steal you games, that performance on the field is really a settling thing for a young team.”
The Braves’ second game came on Sunday against San Diego State out of the Pac-12. It was a hard–fought defensive battle the whole game.
“We’re going to be a little bit challenged on the offensive side of the ball, I think,” DeRose said. “We lost a first team All-MVC forward in Grant Bell last year. A lot of our guys are in newer positions. We’re really trying to get that part of our game going. [The defensive end] is where we’re going to have to make our culture and our identity until [the offense] comes around.”
SDSU beat Ketterer on a deep strike in the 10th minute, but that was the only tally in a game that didn’t present many scoring opportunities for the Braves as they fell 1-0.
“Even though we lost on Sunday, there’s a lot to learn in the loss,” DeRose said. “To say San Diego State has attacking talent all over the field would be an understatement. They had one quality chance, they stuck it. We had one quality chance, we didn’t.”
The Braves come into this season, once again, as the youngest team in the Missouri Valley Conference with 18 freshmen on the roster. But they also feature some familiar faces fans have seen in the past.
“Our first three opponents will be as tough as anybody we’ve played, so I think it uniquely prepared us,” DeRose said. “We’re probably not going to figure out who’s ready to go for the long haul for another 5-6 games.”
This year marks DeRose’s 21st year at Bradley. After coming to Peoria as the youngest coach in Division I at the time, DeRose continues to be extremely thankful for the opportunity he has been given to coach at Bradley. DeRose continues to be the first one to turn the lights on and the last one to turn them off.
“The things in life that really become important to you are often times just thrown out as buzzwords,” DeRose said. “When people make commitments to your program and are loyal to you, you want to return that loyalty, and it’s what’s kept me and my family here.”
As DeRose begins his 21st season at Bradley, the head coach also reflected on why he has chosen to stay on the Hilltop for so long.
“I’ve found that as an athletic department and faculty at Bradley University, we share in each other’s successes, we feel for each other in failed moments,” DeRose said. “We do it great here. That blend of family, loyalty, commitment, is something I’m very thankful for.”
The Braves will host the Hotels at Grand Prairie Classic this weekend at Shea Stadium. Bradley plays Fairleigh Dickinson at Shea Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m., and will cap off the weekend against #18 Utah Valley on Sunday at 7 p.m.
