Creighton University
Bradley
Men's Soccer Moves Into First With 1-0 Win Over No. 22 Bradley
10/24/2003 3:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. - Creighton's men's soccer team moved into first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1-0 victory over 22nd-ranked Bradley in front of 1,525 fans Friday night at the Creighton Soccer Field. The Bluejays upped their MVC mark to 5-0-1, dropping the Braves to 4-1-2 in conference play.
Freshman Michael Kraus' goal in the 24th minute was the difference in the defensive struggle. Kraus was able to tap in a rebound after two previous Bluejay shots were denied by the BU defense and goalkeeper. Brett Rodriguez's initial header was blocked by a Brave defender and a shot by Matt Wieland was turned away by BU keeper Chris Dunsheath. While Dunsheath remained on the ground after his save, Kraus was able to sneak the ball past him for the game-winner at 23:20, his second goal of the season.
The Bluejays (8-3-3, 5-0-1 MVC) dominated the first half, holding a 7-1 edge in shots, and a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. The Braves (9-6-2, 4-1-2 MVC) bounced back in the second half to launch 13 shots to CU's two, but could not convert any scoring opportunities in the shutout.
?I thought we thoroughly dominated the first half,? Head Coach Bob Warming said after the win. ?We gave up a lot of shots in the second half with most coming from outside of 20 yards. Our defense really played tight and tough and played very well to limit the amount of shots inside the box.?
The CU defense posted its sixth shutout of the season, with Guido Leon making four saves in the blanking. The Jays lowered their conference-leading goals against average to 0.66 on the season. Prior to the Friday shutout, CU ranked 17th in the NCAA with a 0.71 GAA.
The victory extends the Bluejays' winning streak to five games and moves their unbeaten streak to seven. CU's victory kept it perfect at home against Bradley, winning all seven match ups against the Braves played in Omaha. The Bluejays have now won five straight against the Braves and move to 2-1-0 against Top-25 teams this season.
With Tulsa losing at Western Kentucky, 1-0, on Friday night the Bluejays are in sole possession of first place in the MVC with three regular season matches remaining.
The Bluejays will play host to Eastern Illinois on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. The final regular season match at the Creighton Soccer Field will serve as ?Senior Day? for CU's nine seniors. The Creighton Soccer Field is located at 17th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.
