<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ZPMMu_0vjUhPoz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ZPMMu_0vjUhPoz00" width="1638" height="2048" ><figcaption>Senior Kevin Mejias celebrates after a tying goal versus Bowling Green. Photo via Bradley Athletics</figcaption></figure>Heartbreak. It’s the feeling that Bradley soccer felt as they watched their fourth straight game slip away in the final minutes. The Braves (3-5-1, 0-2 MVC) returned to Shea Stadium Saturday night for the Missouri Valley Conference home opener versus Bowling Green (7-1-1, 2-0 MVC) for their biggest test of the season. Heading into the matchup, Bowling Green was ranked as the 24th team in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. Through 86 minutes, it appeared that Bradley would leave the pitch with a tie , but a miraculous goal from freshman forward Ryko Bodurov crushed the Brave’s hopes of avoiding an 0-2 start in conference play. “It was one of those plays where it was 50-50, and he beat me,” senior goalkeeper Alex Grow said. “I just wish I could’ve made a play to reward the guys who gave us 90 minutes of running. I think the performance from the guys deserved at least a tie considering the way we defended and created chances.” Down a manThree pivotal plays shaped the first half of the game. Both teams battled for control for the first 15 minutes, and neither gained a distinct advantage. The Braves put on an impressive defensive showing and limited the Falcon’s opportunity at shots on goal.Things took a turn in the 16th minute when junior goalkeeper Drew Berry made a diving catch to stop a Bowling Green score. After the play, Berry seemed to be a bit shaken up and spent a while on the ground before coming out of the game to be replaced by Grow. Five minutes after Berry’s injury, Bowling Green scored due to a costly mistake from Grow. “It was a mistake on my part,” Grow said. “I think you are a bit excited when you come into a game like this. You want to make a play. You want to make an impact right away, and I probably came out the box quicker than I should have. Charlie [ Dickerson] was there to make a play, and I wasn’t back at the goal.”“It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the game,” Grow added. “It’s something you can learn from and improve on.” After the goal, things continued to worsen for Bradley. In the 30th minute, junior midfielder Claudel Ngongang and Bowling Green’s fifth-year senior Kyle Cusimano collided in the air in an attempt to head the ball. After the collision, Cusimano’s head was left bloody. He returned later with a head wrap; however, Ngongang was issued a red card and was kicked out of the match. Because of Ngongang’s ejection, the Braves were forced to finish the game with ten players on the field. The ejection was Bradley’s second in two games. “Two players go up for the ball, and when you make elbow contact with somebody, it’s the referee’s discretion to make a decision,” head coach Tim Derose said. “It’s a fair decision based on what we saw from the injury and the elbow to the head.” How will the team respond?Bradley gained momentum to close the half, registering three shots and a corner, with one of the shots from senior Joao Saraiva being on goal. “I told them at halftime that we had to find the balance of getting forward but making sure not to concede a goal,” Regan said. “Going down two to zero and being down a man, it’s nearly impossible to climb back.” Down 1-0 and without an 11th man for the rest of the contest, the Braves dug deep and put on one of their most impressive performances of the season. The effort started on defense. The Falcons forwards preyed on Bradley’s defense, attempting to create opportunities early in the second half, but the Braves did not give in. Grow learned from his hiccup in the first half and stopped every shot that came his way. Bradley’s offense followed suit, and in the 58th minute, finally evened the score 1-1 when senior forward Kevin Mejias faked out the goalie on a penalty kick and calmly chipped the ball into the goal. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0zPpG7_0vjUhPoz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0zPpG7_0vjUhPoz00" width="1638" height="2048" ><figcaption>Braves forward Kevin Mejias kicks in a penalty kick to tie the game. Photo via Bradley Athletics</figcaption></figure>“What went through my mind is that I have no regrets,” Mejias said. “No goal is easy. It doesn’t matter if it is a free kick or a penalty kick. It’s 50-50. The important thing is for me to give myself and my team confidence, and hopefully it goes in.” After the goal, the battle continued. Bowling Green was unrelenting in its attack on the Braves’ defense, but Bradley withstood their advances, racking several individual and team saves. Unfortunately for the Braves, the Falcons did not back down. After a series of attempts in the 85th minute, Bowling Green could finally take advantage of their undermanned opponents, taking a 2-1 lead on the goal from Bodurov. In the game’s final four minutes, Braley scrambled to even the score but fell short. Despite the loss and the tough start to conference play, the Braves can find a lot of optimism in competing for 90 minutes against a great team while undermanned. “I think it means a lot in the category of belief, but we’re judged on wins and losses,” Regan said. “We have to prove it with wins and losses in the future. Preferably wins.” Bradley soccer looks to get back on track Saturday at home versus Evansville for the Homecoming matchup. </div></body>

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Braves show valiant effort in loss to Bowling Green

It’s the feeling that Bradley soccer felt as they watched their fourth straight game slip away in the final minutes. The Braves (3-5-1, 0-2 MVC) returned to Shea Stadium Saturday night for the Missouri Valley Conference home opener versus Bowling Green (7-1-1, 2-0 MVC) for their biggest test of the season. Heading into the matchup, Bowling Green was ranked as the 24th team in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches poll.