Redshirt-senior forward Jha’lon Johnson has assisted on the last two game-winning goals. He leads the team in minutes played (1018) this season
The soccer team (4-4-3, 3-2-1 in conference) has continued to build on their respectable Missouri Valley Conference campaign so far this season over the past few weeks.
On Oct. 5, the Braves hosted Drake for their highly anticipated homecoming game. The stage proved to be just what the team needed for extra motivation after having lost 0-2 to the Bulldogs earlier this season.
After a scoreless first half, the Braves broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half. After a quick corner played to redshirt-senior forward Jha’Lon Johnson, senior forward Roman Schindler headed it down for freshman defender Cameron Strang to net his first career goal.
The Braves went on to manage the game and shut the door on a comeback from Drake. Head coach Jim DeRose’s defense, which has been stellar all season, allowed only two shots on goal after taking the lead.
“We came out after being outplayed [on the road] in almost every, if not all, statistical catergories,” DeRose said. “I think in that game we did everything very well, we created chances really well and managed the game.”
After a win against Drake, Bradley was back on the road to face undefeated and nationally ranked Missouri State on Oct. 9.
The Bears did not take long to put themselves in a favorable position, scoring 60 seconds after the kickoff whistle through senior Ian Jones.
Missouri State’s striker, senior Matthew Bentley, proved to be a handful for the Braves and was involved in all three scores. After assisting the first goal, he helped the Bears to victory by scoring in the 14th and 32nd minutes to give the Bears a 3-0 halftime lead. They preserved that lead and won by the same score.
The Braves came out with determination in the second half, but were unable to mount a comeback.
“We played a competitive, prideful, aggressive second half,” DeRose said. “[Missouri State] did what they needed to do, when you’re up two or three nothing at halftime you don’t have to do much more.”
After the tough loss, the Braves were back in action last Sunday against a struggling Evansville team in Indiana.
Johnson connected with junior forward Gerit Wintermeyer in the 27th minute to give Bradley an early lead, cementing their positions as the assist and scoring leaders on the team, respectively. The goal was Wintermeyer’s 18th for Bradley, which moved him to 10th on the all-time scoring list.
The Braves’ defense again was impressive and kept the Aces’ offense at bay. Senior goaltender Nathan Wisbey did not have to intervene until the last 10 minutes of the game, saving Evansville’s lone shot on target.
DeRose was satisfied with his team’s performance after a tough-fought victory.
“I thought it was a great performance,” DeRose said. “We managed the last five to eight minutes really well.”
Wintermeyer expressed a similar sentiment, but he still thought their performance could have been better.
“We were clearly the better team,” Wintermeyer said. “I think we should have definitely scored one or two more goals.”
The Braves now sit in third place in the MVC with a 3-2-1 record and 10 points. They will have a three game home stretch before having to go on the road for nonconference games.
Wintermeyer expressed his desire for the team show better offensive output in these next conference games.
“One of the reasons [we haven’t been scoring more] is sitting right here,” Wintermeyer said. “We have been more efficient in the past few games, but we can still improve on that.”
Tomorrow, the Braves will take on a No. 14 Missouri State, who leads the conference and is the lone undefeated team in the nation, followed by game against second place Loyola on Wednesday. The kickoff will be at 7 p.m. for both matchups at Shea Stadium.
