Men's Soccer Heads to San Diego for NCAA Second Round
11/24/2003 2:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Creighton at San Diego ? NCAA Tournament Second Round
Wednesday, Nov. 26 ? Torero Stadium ? San Diego, Calif. ? 7:00 p.m. (PST)
This Week: The Bluejays travel to San Diego for the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they will face the University of San Diego on Wednesday night. The Jays advanced with a 6-0 win over UMKC in the first round, while the Toreros are the No. 14 seed in the tournament and received a first-round bye. CU and USD will kickoff at 7 p.m. in Torero Stadium. The winner will advance to face the Wake Forest-Virginia winner in the third round.
First Round: Creighton returned to game action for the first time in two weeks and showed no sign of rust, crushing UMKC 6-0 at the Creighton Soccer Field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last Saturday. After a scoreless first half, the Bluejays erupted for six second-half goals, led by Brian Biggerstaff's hat trick. On top of their explosive offense, the Bluejays shut down UMKC, allowing no shots on goal during the match. Goalkeepers Guido Leon and Andrew Brown shared the shutout, each playing one half in the win.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 112-37-13 (.731) record in his eighth season at CU. His overall mark is 306-153-43 (.652) in his 26th year of coaching. Warming, the all-time winningest head coach at CU, has guided his teams to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a four-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and was the MVC Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1993.
Scouting San Diego (12-4-3): The Toreros are appearing in their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament and 11th since 1990. They are one of four West Coast Conference schools in the tournament, finishing second in the WCC regular-season at 4-2-0. USD is 0-2-1 in its last three matches, but each of those opponents made the NCAA Tournament, including a 2-2 tie with UCLA to conclude the season on Nov. 13. They have played 14 of their 19 matches at home this season, compiling a 9-2-3 mark in San Diego. After starting the season 1-2-2, the Toreros put together a school record 11-match winning streak. They have posted nine shutouts this season and own a 0.80 goals against average. Heading up the USD defense is two-time WCC Defensive Player of the Year, Scott Burcar. Midfielder Kevin Wilson joined Burcar on the WCC first-team this year. Eric Wunderle tops the team with eight assists and 16 points, while Sy Reeves leads the squad with five goals. USD has attempted nearly twice as many shots as its opponents and has out-scored its opposition 34-16 on the season. The Toreros are 8-10-0 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a national runner-up finish in 1992 and a loss to Creighton in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
Creighton-San Diego Series: The Bluejays and Toreros have met just once before, exactly three years ago in the NCAA Tournament. CU traveled to San Diego and ended USD's season with a 3-0 victory on Nov. 26, 2000 in the second round of the tournament. Matt Jewett scored his first career goal in the victory, while David Wagenfuhr started in the match. Zach Piercy and Shane Havens also played in that contest as freshmen.
NCAA Tournament History: The Bluejays are appearing in their 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament, where they now own an all-time record of 14-11-1 (advancing on PKs after tying CS-Fullerton in 1996). The Jays have advanced to three College Cup Final Fours, 1996, 2000 and 2002. (See notes page 5 for complete NCAA history).
High Five: Creighton remains one of five teams in the nation to have appeared in each of the past 12 NCAA Tournaments. The Bluejays are joined by Indiana, St. John's, UCLA and Virginia.
Creighton vs. WCC: The Bluejays will face their fourth West Coast Conference opponent this season in San Diego. The Jays have gone 1-1-1 in the three matches. CU tied Santa Clara 0-0 on Sept. 5 and lost to Loyola Marymount, 2-1, with three seconds remaining in double overtime on Sept. 7 at the LMU Fall Classic. CU then defeated Portland 2-1 on Sept. 14 in Omaha.
Against the Field: Creighton is 3-3-1 against teams in this season's NCAA Tournament field. The Jays defeated Portland, SMU, and UMKC, tied Santa Clara and lost at Loyola Marymount, at Tulsa and against Brown in the Yale Classic.
Shot Down: The Bluejays shut down the UMKC offense last Saturday, not surrendering a shot on goal to the Kangaroos. It marked the second match this season CU held an opponent without a shot on goal. CU held a 23-6 edge in total shots against UMKC on Saturday.
Biggs' Big Day: Brian Biggerstaff exploded onto the CU offensive scene last Saturday, netting the first hat trick in Bluejay NCAA Tournament history. Prior to the match he had just one career goal. His three goals and six points in an NCAA match set school records.
Blowouts: Creighton's last two NCAA Tournament victories have witnessed the Bluejays score six goals. Last year in the quarterfinals, the Jays won 6-2 at Boston College and then crushed UMKC 6-0 last Saturday in the first round for the largest margin of victory in CU postseason history.
Postseason Player: Senior Matt Jewett continues to prove his worth in the postseason as he's done throughout his career. Jewett's first career goal came against San Diego in the 2000 NCAA Tournament and then tallied three of his four goals in 2002 in the postseason. Nine of his 12 points last year came in the MVC and NCAA Tournaments. Jewett dished an assist in last Saturday's win over UMKC.
7th Havens: Shane Havens has had a memorable senior season. He was named to the MVC honorable mention squad, CoSIDA Academic All-District team and Monday was named the first Academic All-American in CU soccer history. He carries a 3.83 grade point average in environmental sciences and was named to the third-team. He also scored his first collegiate goal in last Saturday's win over UMKC.
On Target: CU's leading scorer, Michael Kraus also leads the team in shots on goal percentage. Of his 23 shots, 16 have gone on goal for 69.6 percent and six have found the back of the net.
California Kids: Two Bluejays which have seen playing time this year call California home. Defender Brett Rodriguez (Saratoga / Bellarmine Prep) and forward Julian Nash (San Leandro / High) both hale from the Golden State.
Warming Trends: Bob Warming is appearing in his 10th NCAA Tournament as a head coach; six with Creighton, four with Saint Louis. He's led two teams to the College Cup Final Four; Saint Louis 1997, Creighton 2002. The Bluejays are 62-9-6 at home under Warming.
Warming in the NCAA: Head Coach Bob Warming is now 8-7-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. He is 5-5-0 with Creighton in the NCAA tourney and 3-2-2 at Saint Louis.
Championship U: Perhaps CU should stand for Championship University in Omaha, as the Bluejays claimed their sixth Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship and first since 1996 this fall. Since the MVC began sponsoring a men's soccer championship in 1991, Creighton has claimed 14 of the 26 Valley regular-season and tournament titles.
Perfect October: For the second consecutive season the Bluejays recorded an undefeated October in MVC play. Creighton went 7-0-1 this October, while the Jays logged a 6-0-1 mark in October 2002. With six shutouts in October this season, the Jays have held opponents scoreless in nine of their last 15 matches in October. The Jays have now gone unbeaten in October on six occasions (1992, 93, 95, 97, 02, 03).
Good Trend: The last two times Creighton went undefeated in a single month, the Jays have gone on to appear in the College Cup. CU went undefeated in November 2000 en route to a Final Four appearance and then went unbeaten last October prior to appearing in their third NCAA Final Four. CU went 7-0-1 this October.
NCAA Ranks: CU's overall goals against average of 0.68 ranks 15th in the NCAA this week. Creighton allowed only four goals in MVC play this fall, topping the league with a 0.43 GAA in conference play. CU recorded six shutouts in nine MVC games this season, nine shutouts total.
GK Sharing: Goalkeepers Guido Leon and Andrew Brown have started to share duties in recent weeks. Leon's 0.68 goals against average prior to the NCAA Tournament ranked 19th in the NCAA in his first season as a starter. Brown started for CU in its MVC Tournament match with SMS. It was just his second start of the year, also playing the entire match of a 2-1 win at Western Kentucky.
Leon started against UMKC and Brown replaced Leon at halftime, marking the second time the two have shared a shutout this season. Brown has played 315 minutes this fall with a 0.57 goals against average.
NCAA Tournament at Home: CU's match with UMKC last Saturday was the fifth NCAA Tournament match the Jays have hosted. The Jays are now 2-3-0 at home in the NCAA tourney, with their first win coming last year against UW-Milwaukee on Nov. 27. Two of the four first home matches went into four overtimes.
Home Dominance: Since 1990 the Bluejays are 109-18-6 (.842) at home, including a 7-2-2 mark in their debut season at the Creighton Soccer Field this year. The Jays have not lost more than two matches at home since going 7-3-0 in 1996.
Battling the Best: Of CU's 19 matches this year, 10 opponents have been ranked in the NSCAA/adidas Top-25 at one point in 2003, including four of nine MVC opponents. The Jays have battled three teams while they've been ranked in the top-25 this season. CU has defeated No. 15 Furman and 22nd-ranked Bradley, and lost to 17th-ranked Brown this fall, moving their all-time record against Top 25 opponents to 35-31-6, including a 5-3-1 record against ranked opponents in 2002.
Same, but Different: Creighton's 7-1-1 MVC record this year marks the second consecutive season the Jays have finished with 22 points in the Valley. In each of the last two seasons the Jays tied their first Valley match with Drake, then notched seven consecutive wins before losing 2-1 in the season finale. This season's 22 points were good for the regular-season championship however, while last year CU settled for a second-place finish.
500 Club: Creighton's regular-season finale at Tulsa (Nov. 2) was the 500th career match for Head Coach Bob Warming. Warming's 305 career wins rank 15th among active Division I head coaches.
Freaky Fridays: The Jays' goal in their 1-0 victory over Evansville (Oct. 10) was the first score the Bluejays netted on a Friday this season. The Jays had attempted over 90 shots and had been shut out in their first five Friday matches, before Jarod Tarver found the back of the net in the shutout win.
My Cousin Vinny: Bluejay cousins Vince and Tony Odorisio have made a strong impact on the 2003 squad. Tony has started 14 of CU's 19 matches on CU's MVC-leading defense and was named to the MVC All-Freshman team, while Vince is third on the team with three goals.
Youth Movement: Creighton's four leading scorers are all underclassmen. Freshman Michael Kraus tops the team with six goals and 15 points. Sophomores Brian Biggerstaff (4 G, 1 A), Matt Wieland (3 G, 2 A) and Vince Odorisio (3 G, 2 A) also give the Jays a solid future on the offensive end.
Shutout Streaks: The Bluejays notched two streaks of three consecutive shutouts this year. The first streak lasted more than 374 minutes, before being snapped at Vanderbilt (Oct. 17) and the second streak lasted nearly 296 minutes before Tulsa broke the streak on Nov. 2.
National Recognition: Freshman Michael Kraus was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Oct. 27 after his three goals and one assist against Bradley and Eastern Illinois. Sophomore Matt Wieland was honored by Soccer America on its National Team of the Week for his game-winning goal and two assists and his defensive efforts against BU and EIU during the same span.
That's a Winner: Freshman Jarod Tarver has scored three goals in his rookie campaign, all of which have proved to be the game-winner for the Bluejays. Two of his three scores have come via the penalty kick.
Memorable First: Sophomore Brian Biggerstaff's first career goal was an important one, serving as the game-winner in double overtime at Vanderbilt (Oct. 17).
Attendance Figures: The Bluejays are averaging 1,298 fans per home match this fall. That attendance figure is the highest since CU averaged 1,488 fans during the 1999 season. The Jays have drawn two crowds of more than 2,000 this season for the first time since 1998.
Rookie Sensation: Freshman Michael Kraus is starting to remind people of another talented Bluejay forward from the banks of the Mississippi River. The Memphis native leads the team with five goals and 13 points. He is the first CU rookie with five goals and double digit point totals since All-American Mike Tranchilla (Barnhart, Mo.) scored five goals and totaled 15 points in his debut season in 1999. Tranchilla went on to establish MVC records with 55 goals and 140 career points.
Climbing the Charts: David Wagenfuhr's assist in CU's win at SMU (Oct. 31) was the 25th of his CU career. The assist moved him into sole possession of seventh place on the CU career charts, surpassing Brian Kamler (1990-93). With his next match played, Wagenfuhr will tie Brian Mullan for the most matches played in school history, 88.
Milestone Victory: With his win over Southwest Missouri State on Oct. 12, Head Coach Bob Warming moved into some exclusive company by notching his 300th career victory. Warming, now in his 26th year of head coaching at the collegiate level has enjoyed stints at Transylvania, Berry, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Saint Louis and Creighton in accumulating his victories. He is now one of 20 Division I coaches all-time with at least 300 victories and ranks 15th among active coaching wins in Division I.
For Starters: When Creighton used the same starting line up for its games with Evansville and SMS on Oct 10 and 12, respectively, it marked the first time this fall the Jays had used the same 11 starters in consecutive matches. The Jays have used 21 different players in the starting line up this fall.
10-10-10: The Bluejays netted their 10th goal of the season in their 10th game on Oct. 10 against Evansville. This season marks the longest it has taken CU to score its 10th goal of the season. See below.
Year Game Scored 10th Goal
2003 10th
2002 6th
2001 5th
2000 4th
1999 3rd
1998 4th
1997 5th
1996 4th
1995 4th
1994 5th
1993 5th
1992 2nd
1991 3rd
1990 4th
Fit to be Tied: With their third 0-0 tie in the 2003 season against Drake (Oct. 3), the Bluejays have now tied three matches in a season for the first time since 1990, Bob Warming's first season at Creighton. The tie was just the second home MVC tie in school history, the other coming on Oct. 22, 1995 against Tulsa - also a scoreless final.
Ties, Ties I Tell You: With three ties this year, the Jays are just one deadlock away from establishing a school record. The 1990 and 1981 teams also tied three times. The Jays are 6-2-2 at home this fall, the 1981 squad is the only other CU team to record two ties in Omaha. From 1996 through 2002, CU only tied twice in Omaha.
Out of the Gates: The Jays have been slow out of the gates in recent years, mainly due to a strong non-conference slate. With a 3-3-2 mark prior to MVC play this year, the Jays are 11-9-4 in their pre-conference portion of the schedule since 2001. Nine of those 24 matches were against Top 25 opponents and 16-of-24 matches were against teams that were ranked at some point in the season. This fall, six of CU's first eight matches came against once nationally-ranked foes this season.
Well Traveled: CU's non-conference schedule this fall included trips to both coasts. On Sept. 5-7 the Bluejays played in Los Angeles at the Loyola Marymount Fall Classic. The Jays then played at the Yale Classic in New Haven, Conn., on Sept. 19-21.
Jays Open New Field: CU's 0-0 tie against Butler on Aug. 31 was witnessed by 3,483 fans at the new Creighton Soccer Field. The attendance was the fourth largest home crowd in CU history and the largest since Sept. 1994.
MVC Honors: Seven men's soccer players were honored by the Missouri Valley Conference when the postseason awards were handed out this year. Senior midfielder David Wagenfuhr and sophomore defender Matt Wieland were named to the all-MVC First-Team. Seniors Shane Havens, Matt Jewett and Matt Thomas were each tabbed to the honorable mention squad. Rookies Michael Kraus and Tony Odorisio were named to the MVC All-Freshman Team.
Wieland is Top MVC Defender: Sophomore Matt Wieland has been named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year after helping the Jays to six shutouts in nine MVC games and a MVC best 0.43 goals against average in conference play. He is the first CU defender to win the honor since All-American David Wright in 1997. He joins current CU assistant coach Kevin Doyle (1992), Ira Philson (1993), and Jay Fitzgerald (1995) as past Bluejay recipients.
Wags' Honors: David Wagenfuhr became the eighth Bluejay to earn first-team all-MVC honors three times in a career. He's the first Jay to appear on the first-team three times in a career since Brian Mullan (1998-2000).
Tournament Tested: Last season Matt Jewett scored three of his four goals and nine of his 12 points in the postseason. This season he has been named to the Diadora Challenge, Ameritas Classic and MVC All-Tournament Teams.
