Men's Soccer Returns Home to Host the Ameritas Classic
9/10/2003 3:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Creighton Plays Host to the Ameritas Classic
Friday & Sunday ? Sept. 12 & Sept. 14 ? Creighton Soccer Complex
vs. UNLV, Sept. 12, 7:00 p.m. ? SMS vs. Portland, Sept. 12, 4:30 p.m.
vs. Portland, Sept. 14, 2:30 p.m. ? SMS vs. UNLV, Sept. 14, 12:00 p.m.
This Week: Creighton returns home to host the 13th Annual Ameritas Classic at the Creighton Soccer Complex. The Bluejays welcome UNLV, Portland and Southwest Missouri State to the tournament field, with the Jays taking on UNLV Friday night and Portland on Sunday afternoon. SMS battles Portland in the first match of the tournament on Friday.
Last Week: The Bluejays went 0-1-1 at the Loyola Marymount Fall Classic in Los Angeles. The Jays tied a talented and now Top 10 team - Santa Clara - on Friday night, 0-0. CU then lost to LMU on Sunday, 2-1 in double overtime with just three seconds remaining in the match. Senior goalkeeper Guido Leon was named to the all-tournament team.
Scouting the Opponents:
UNLV (0-4-0): The Rebels are winless on the season, losing two games at a tournament in Portland to open the season, then suffering two home losses last weekend. The Rebels have been outscored 13-4 on the season, while the team owns a 3.25 goals against average and have saved just 14 of 27 shots on the year. Alex Hernandez and Victor Arbelaez have scored two goals each to lead the Rebel offense.
Portland (2-2-0): The Pilots have split their first four matches this year, losing to Oakland and Washington, while shutting out both UNLV and Oregon State. The Portland defense has allowed just 15 shots on goal and only three goals in its first four matches for a 0.73 GAA. Christopher Sanders and Alejandro Salazar top the team with two goals each. The Pilots defeated the Jays, 3-2, in Portland last September and finished the season, 13-6-1.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 102-33-12 (.735) record in his eighth season at CU. His overall mark is 296-149-42 (.651) in his 26th year of coaching. Warming, the all-time winningest head coach at CU, has guided his teams to nine 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.
Portland's Loss: Portland Head Coach Clive Charles died on Aug. 26 after a three-year battle with prostate cancer, he was 51. Charles was considered one of the finest people in American soccer, loved by his players, revered by his peers, and respected for his gentle demeanor and intense passion for the sport. Charles posted a 439-144-44 combined record in 17 seasons as coach of Portland's men's team and 14 seasons with its women's team, while leading the Portland women to the NCAA title last year. He also spent eight years as a U.S. Soccer staff coach and played professionally for 17 years. The University of Portland has now established the Clive Charles Soccer Complex on the University campus.
Last Year Against Portland: Creighton played at Portland last Sept. 21, coming away with a 3-2 loss to the Pilots. The Jays took a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the match when Luiz Del Monte scored. UP answered with two goals before the 30th minute to take the lead. Mike Tranchilla then tied the match in the 40th minute. The Pilots scored the game-winner in the 49th minute. Shots were nearly even with Portland holding an 11-10 edge, while the Jays took seven corner kicks to UP's three. The Pilots were whistled for 27 fouls, and the Jays just 14 in the match.
Against the Opponents: The Bluejays have won both meetings with the UNLV Rebels, both of those coming in the mid- 1990s. CU's loss at Portland last year is the only meeting between the two programs.
Double Zero: For the second time in CU's first three matches, the Bluejays finished a match tied 0-0, this time with Santa Clara last Friday night. It marked the 12th scoreless tie in CU history, and just the second time the Jays have had two 0-0 ties in the same season. The other coming in 1996 - the year the Bluejays first appeared in the College Cup.
Working Overtime: Of CU's first four matches this season, the Jays have played in three double overtime affairs. Dating back to last season, five of the Bluejays' last seven matches have gone beyond regulation. Since 2000, the Bluejays are now 7-4-5 in overtime contests.
Ameritas Classic: The Bluejays play host to the 13th Annual Ameritas Classic this weekend at the Creighton Soccer Complex, with UNLV, SMS and Portland joining CU in the field. The Jays are 17-4-1 all-time in the event, and after winning the 2002 title the Jays have won eight tournament championships. SMS won the tournament in 1999 and 2001. The first Ameritas Classic was held in 1990 and after a hiatus in 1991, has been held every year since.
He Got Net: Senior Guido Leon made his CU debut in goal on Aug. 31, and has been solid in net since. He has posted two shutouts and stopped 21 of 24 shots on goal, with a 0.64 goals against average in 419:57 minutes. Leon has been waiting his turn in net for three seasons as a Bluejay after transferring from Valparaiso.
Pulling Rank: The Jays fell out of the NSCAA Top 25 but are still receiving votes and remain in three other polls; NSCAA/adidas (RV) Soccer America (13), Soccer Times (16) and College Soccer News (8).
Coaches' Countdown: Bob Warming needs four more wins to reach 300 in his coaching career, which has spanned 26 years and six schools.
Tie Patterns: Creighton has established a tie pattern for its season opening matches the year following a College Cup appearance. With their 0-0 tie against Butler to open the season, the Bluejays are now 0-0-3 in their season opening matches after a College Cup year. The 1997 opener saw the Jays tie Saint Louis, 1-1, and in 2001 the Jays also opened the year with a 0-0 deadlock against Memphis.
Weekend of Firsts: The first weekend at the new Creighton Soccer Complex had its share of firsts. Senior Zach Piercy's first career goal was also the first Creighton goal scored at the new facility. The Jays' shutout of Butler on Friday night was not only the first shutout at the facility, it was senior goalkeeper Guido Leon's first blanking of an opponent.
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 Complex. The attendance was the fourth largest home crowd in CU history and the largest since Sept. 1994.
MAC Hermann Trophy: Senior David Wagenfuhr was named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy “Watch List” this week. He is one of 15 candidates for collegiate soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy. The midfielder/defender has earned first-team all-Midwest region honors and first-team all-MVC honors over the past two campaigns. Other Bluejays who have been finalists for the National Player of the Year: Ross Paule (1996), Richard Mulrooney (1998), Mike Tranchilla (2001, 2002), while Johnny Torres won the honor in 1997.
Climbing the Charts: David Wagenfuhr's assist in CU's win over Furman was the 22nd of his CU career. That assist moved him out of a 10th place tie with Ross Paule on the all-time career chart. His next assist will tie Brian Adams (1991-94) and Ray Nikodem (1980-82) for eighth-place at CU.
Similar Starts: The Jays' 1-0-1 start to the 2003 season was the same start they had in the previous two seasons. In 2001, the Bluejays also opened the year with a 0-0 double-overtime tie in the Diadora Challenge (vs. Memphis).
Season Openers: The Bluejays have never lost a season-opener under Head Coach Bob Warming. CU has tallied a 6-0-2 mark in Warming's eight season-openers at the helm. Since 1990 the Bluejays have lost just one debut, falling to No. 20 Duke in Bret Simon's first game as head coach, Sept. 2, 1995.
Battling the Best: Creighton's win over No. 15 Furman on Aug. 31 moved its all-time record against Top 25 opponents to 34-30-6, including a 5-3-1 record against ranked opponents in 2002.
Coast to Coast: CU's trip to Los Angeles last weekend was it's first trip to the coast this season. On Sept. 19-21, the Jays will travel to New Haven, Conn., to participate in the Yale Classic and complete their 2003 coast-to-coast tour.
MVC Predictions: For the fourth consecutive season, the Jays have been tabbed for a second-place finish in the Valley, trailing nationally-ranked SMU, which received eight of nine first-place votes this fall.
Preseason Honors: David Wagenfuhr and Julian Nash have been named to the preseason all-Missouri Valley Conference first-team, while Damien Westfield earned honorable mention preseason notice.
Numerology 101: All-American Mike Tranchilla has departed the Jays, but his jersey number will still be on the pitch this fall, as sophomore Zach Kinney has claimed No. 14 in blue. Kinney led the Jays in scoring this spring and in exhibition play, perhaps Tranch left some magic in the jersey. Other notable number changes this fall include Matt Wieland and Jered Turner. Wieland, who wore No. 24 as a freshman, will wear No. 16 this fall, the same number older brother Joe wore his four seasons as a Jay. Turner switches from No. 23 to No. 7, formerly worn by Luiz Del Monte.
2003 Loyola Marymount Fall Classic
All-Tournament Team
Ryan Cochrane, Santa Clara - MVP
Will Weatherly, Santa Clara
Jason Pan, Santa Clara
Matt Upton, Santa Clara
Kellen Gilmore, Santa Clara
Kevin Hudson, SMU
Ramon Nunez, SMU
Mynor Gonzalez, SMU
Matt Kovar, LMU
Kevin Novak, LMU
Bobby Burling, LMU
Guido Leon, Creighton
BLUEJAY SOCCER QUICK KICKS:
? The Jays are one of five programs in the nation to appear in each of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments (Indiana, St. John's, UCLA, Virginia).
? The Jays have won a record eight MVC Tournament Titles in 12 years, while winning a combined 13 of 24 MVC regular-season and tournament championships.
? CU has appeared in three of the last seven NCAA College Cups (Final Fours), 1996, 2000 and 2002.
? Creighton's .755 winning percentage since 1990 (198-58-19) ranks fifth-best in the NCAA during that span.
