Coming off a thrilling win over Chicago State in the dying moments of the game on Aug. 24, the Bradley men’s soccer team (1-0-1) played their first home game of the season against Kansas City (0-1-1) on Sunday.
While the game ended in a draw, there were still a lot of moments that the Braves can build on to continue a promising start to the season.
Bradley wasted no time in trying to get the upper hand by registering five shots in the first 15 minutes. Junior returner Jared Sinnaeve was very active in the early going, accounting for two of the Braves’ five shots.
On the opposing side, the Roos had a hard time penetrating Bradley’s stingy defense in the first half, led by transfer junior captain Charlie Dickerson. In the first 20 minutes, Kansas City managed just two shots and struggled to get deep into Bradley’s territory.
The Roos’ best opportunity at a goal came at the 15-minute mark when sophomore forward Luke Hoelting got through the Braves’ defense. Hoelting got a good look at a shot from the left side of the box before sophomore goalie Drew Barry lunged to stop the ball.
As the first 45-minute frame winded down, play got more physical with both teams trying to jockey for possession. In the last eight minutes of the half, Kansas City committed four fouls, which kept Bradley out of scoring position.
The beginning of the second half started much like the first ended.
Both teams were aggressive in attacking the opposing side’s defenders. The fouls started rolling in, this time on Bradley’s behalf. In the first 10 minutes of action, the Braves registered four fouls, with three coming from Sinnaeve.
Down the stretch, both teams had opportunities to gain the upper hand. Bradley’s best opportunity came by way of a free kick after promising freshman DJ Koulai was shoved to the ground. Senior Pepe Mellado took the free kick but fell short due to a heads-up play from Kansas City goalie Stefano Camerlengo.
The Roos struggled to score throughout the second half but got two good looks at the 84th and 88th-minute marks. Unfortunately, neither team scored and the game ended in a draw.
Despite the stalemate, the Braves got a lot of their younger players on the field, which could be beneficial in the later stages of the season.
Bradley’s next match will be on the road against DePaul on Friday, where they will look to continue their promising start to the season.
