Creighton University
Bradley
Allen, 11th-Ranked Bluejays Blank Bradley
10/8/2004 3:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
PEORIA, Ill. - Freshman goalkeeper Matt Allen recorded 14 saves as the 11th-ranked Creighton men's soccer team defeated Bradley, 1-0, on Friday night in Missouri Valley Conference play. Allen's 14 saves are the most by a Bluejay keeper since 1997 and the 14 saves tie the fourth-highest single-game total in school history. The Bluejays improve to 8-2-0 overall and 2-1-0 in MVC play with the shutout.
Vince Odorisio registered his second consecutive game-winning goal for the Bluejays in the 70th minute. The junior was able to slip his shot past the diving BU keeper, Chris Dunsheath. The play was started when Julian Nash and Brian Biggerstaff were able to get the ball deep into the box and Nash, with his back turned to the net, passed to an open Odorisio for the game's lone goal. The goal tied Odorisio with Nash for the team-lead, each having four scores this year.
'This was just a great, gut-it-out victory for us,' said Creighton head coach Bob Warming after the victory. 'We got a win on a night when the field gave us difficult conditions to play on. I give a lot of credit to Julian and Biggerstaff for helping set up Vince for the goal.'
Allen, playing for an injured Andrew Brown, earned his second victory of the season and his first career shutout in the game. The rookie stopped five shots in the first half and then blocked 10 more in the final 45 minutes. His 14 saves are the most since Tom Zawislan stopped 15 against Air Force on Nov. 23, 1997.
The Braves (5-5-1, 1-1-0 MVC) were credited with 24 shots, compared to six by the Bluejays. BU owned a 10-1 edge in corner kicks, while Dunsheath stopped two shots in the loss.
The teams played on a wet, sloppy field due to heavy rainfall in Peoria on Thursday night.
The Bluejays have now defeated Bradley is six consecutive meetings. CU will return to MVC road action when it travels to Eastern Illinois for a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday.
