Junior midfielder John Pollifrone helped the Bradley men’s soccer team secure a 1-0 non-conference win over Western Illinois University on Saturday at Shea Stadium. As a result, the Braves ended their non-conference schedule undefeated (7-0-4).
The match kicked off in Bradley’s favor when sophomore forward Gerit Wintermeyer had a shot deflect off the crossbar in the ninth minute. Bradley had two more chances in the 25th minute with two shots following a corner kick. WIU goalkeeper Tim Trilik parried both shots.
While Bradley seemed to start off hot, it would be the Leathernecks who outshot the Braves in the first half, 6-5. Western Illinois turned up the pressure in the last seven minutes of the half, with five shots and four corners. Nevertheless, the half ended scoreless.
Bradley head coach Jim DeRose believed that while the Braves had early chances, he felt that Western Illinois came out with the advantage in the first half.
“After the first 10 minutes of the game, I felt Western Illinois was the better of the [two] teams in the first half,” DeRose said. “We’ve been generating some chances, but we weren’t able to stick them. This is why we end up in overtime.”
The second half saw Bradley with opening chances yet again, this time orchestrated by junior forward Roman Schindler. Schindler had two chances. He created one off a counter attack that led to a shot over the goal and a headed effort following a cross.
Western Illinois was also unable to bury any goals in the second half, requiring the game to go into extra time. This was the third straight game to go to extra time for the Braves, following both the Drake and Oakland games.
DeRose noted how the team has played multiple extra time games and deserves credit for it.
“It’s been almost half our games [that Bradley’s gone into extra time],” DeRose said. “We’ve played a group of guys that have worked hard, that can give us a chance to win in a conference game or non-conference game. I give our guys a lot of credit. It’s more about the intangibles; the will, the spirit and the fight.”
It only took eight minutes for the Braves to seal the game with a shot outside the penalty area from Pollifrone. In the 108th minute, Schindler and Wintermeyer headed the ball across the box for Pollifrone to collect and score his first goal of the year.
Pollifrone said he was impressed with how the team has grinded out the late games this season and that his goal was a momentum booster.
“That was a big win for us going into Evansville,” Pollifrone said. “I know this is good momentum coming into the last weekend. I think overall, it’s our eighth overtime this season. It’s almost unheard of. I think we’ve accepted as a team that we grind last minute.”
DeRose added that Pollifrone’s game-winning goal was a reward for his hard efforts as a defensive midfielder.
“[Pollifrone is] another kid too that came off of surgery last season,” DeRose said. “He’s played every minute in every game as our defensive midfielder. He covers end line to end line, sideline to sideline. His fitness level is fantastic. And so for him to get a game-winner, it’s great to see him get rewarded for the fruits of his labor.”
The Braves (8-4-4 overall, 1-4 in MVC) are now unbeaten in 14 non-conference matches, the second-longest streak in program history.
Bradley hosts the University of Evansville in its last match of the regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Shea Stadium. The Braves will need a win or draw in order to qualify for the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament in November.
