PEORIA, Ill. – Drake men's soccer was on the road Sunday for its final road match of the 2026 season. The Bulldogs were in Peoria for a tilt with Bradley as both teams were hunting for their first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season.
The Bulldogs competed at a high level against Bradley, outplaying the Braves nearly up-and-down the stat sheet. But a second half score by Bradley proved to be enough as the hosts eked out a 1-0 final result.
The scoreboard was empty after the opening 45 minutes despite several opportunities by both sides. Drake outshot Bradley by a 6-4 margin, forcing Braves' keeper Marcal Salom Chandre to make four saves.
Drake caught a break in the early stages as Bradley was awarded a penalty kick after a collision in the box. Reply review overturned the call, however, as both teams were blanked at the half.
The Bulldogs continued their overwhelming play in the second half, again outshooting Bradley over the final 45 minutes. The Dogs left Peoria with a 14-7 advantage in attempts but could not capitalize on those opportunities.
Eventually, in the 62nd minute, Drake was whistled for another penalty, which was upheld this time. Liam Healey fired the PK past Drake's
Tomas Butkovic for what turned out to be the game's only goal.
Drake did its best to knot the score down the stretch, but the Bulldog offense was restricted by a solid Bradley D to reach the 1-0 final.
"We were hard done today," Drake head coach
Pat Flinn said. "The competed and outplayed an opponent in a big conference match and I'm gutted for them for not getting anything out of it. Our team deserved more today. We will collect ourselves, train hard, and get after UIC. Go Dogs."
Crew Alvarez took five shots to lead all players while
Cael Orban,
Evan Carlson, and
Mamadou Sow all took two apiece. Three of Alvarez's shots found the target, but Chandre was up to the task with nine saves. Butkovic made one stop in net for Drake.
The Bulldogs' 2026 regular season slate will wrap up later this week with an October 30 matchup with UIC. Drake will welcome the Flames to Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines for a 6 p.m. first kick.
