No. 17 Men's Soccer Hosts MVC Tournament This Weekend
11/10/2004 2:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Tulsa at #17 Creighton State Farm MVC Tournament Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 12 Morrison Stadium Omaha, Neb. 7:30 p.m.
This Week: The 17th-ranked Bluejays play host to the semifinals and championship of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship this weekend. Creighton battles Tulsa in Friday night's second semifinal match, following the SMU and Bradley contest which kicks off at 5 p.m. at Morrison Stadium on the Creighton campus. The winners of each Friday semifinal will face each other in the MVC championship match on Sunday at 1 p.m. The championship will be televised live on Fox Sports Net.
Special Notes: For ticket information on the State Farm MVC Men's Soccer Championship contact the CU ticket office at 402-280-JAYS. The championship match will be televised live on FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Fox College Sports. The match will also be shown on tape-delay on FSN South at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 14, on Metro Sports at 4 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 14 and on FSN Southwest at noon (CST) on Nov. 15.
Fox College Sports, which is comprised of FCS Atlantic, Central and Pacific digital cable outlets, will be televising the match live at 1 p.m. (CST) on FCS Central and re-airing the match at 7:30 p.m. (CST) on FCS Central on same-day delay.
Last Week: Jarod Tarver scored twice in a physical match as the Bluejays topped Evansville 3-1 in MVC quarterfinal action. Tim Bohnenkamp put CU on the board with the first goal of the match in the eighth minute. Six yellow cards and one red card was issued in the win. Brian Biggerstaff, CU's leading scorer, received the red card and must sit out the Jays' semifinal match against Tulsa on Friday.
Scouting Tulsa (10-5-2, 5-3-1 MVC): The Golden Hurricane enter the weekend on a four-match winning streak, which includes three shutouts. Tulsa has out-scored its opposition by a 14-1 margin in its last four games. Sparking a recent defensive turn around is the return of goalkeeper Terry Boss. Boss has played just five matches (4-1) after returning from an injury, recording a 0.82 goals against average in over 440 minutes. The TU offense is led by All-American and 2003 MVC Player of the Year Ryan Pore. The MVC's leading scorer has 17 goals and 10 assists for 44 points this year. Rookie Todd Goddard adds seven goals for the league's second-highest scoring offense, 2.41 goals per game. Prior to last week's win, TU had not won an MVC tournament match since 1993.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 126-42-14 (.731) record in his ninth season at CU. His overall mark is 320-158-44 (.659) in 27 years of coaching. His 320 wins rank 12th among active men's soccer coaches in the NCAA. Warming, the all-time winningest soccer 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.
MVC Tournament History: The Bluejays enter the weekend with a 22-5-0 all-time MVC tournament record, the most tournament victories in league history (SMS is next with nine). CU has won more tournament titles, eight, than any other MVC team, its last championship coming in 2002. After a surprising quarterfinal exit last year, the Jays have also lost twice in the semifinals, lost twice in the championship match and won the other eight tournaments in which they've appeared. The Jays are the only team in league history with more than two tournament titles. After defeating Evansville, 3-1, last weekend at home, the Bluejays are now 11-2-0 all-time in home MVC tournament matches.
Pulling Rank: The Bluejays remain in the top-20 of all four major polls released this week. The NSCAA/adidas top-25 ranks the Bluejays 17th this week. Other ranks include 10th by CollegeSoccerNews.com, 12th by Soccer Times and 13th by Soccer America. For a list of CU's weekly ranking throughout the season, see page 4.
Back in Omaha: For the first time since 1996, the State Farm MVC Men's Soccer Championship semifinals and championship match will be played in Omaha. Evansville defeated host Creighton 3-2 in overtime to win that season's championship. CU also hosted the entire event in 1992 and 1993, and hosted the 1994 championship match, a 1-0 CU win over Drake.
Home Field Advantage: Creighton improved to 9-1-0 at home this season, with a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Evansville last Friday. The win also gave the Bluejays an 11-2-0 record at home all-time in the MVC tournament. Since 1990, the Bluejays have gone 118-19-6 (.846) in home games and own a 16-3-2 (.810) record at the Morrison Stadium since its opening last year.
Home Cooking: According to the numbers, Creighton's offense prefers playing at Morrison Stadium this season. The Bluejays are scoring twice as many goals at home than on the road. CU averages 2.5 goals per game at home and just 1.2 goals on the road. Freshman and Omaha native Tim Bohnenkamp has scored all four of his goals this year at Morrison Stadium and Julian Nash has not scored any of his six goals away from Omaha.
Fantastic Fanatics: Barring sparse crowds in the MVC and NCAA tournaments, CU will establish a single-season home attendance record this year. The Jays have brought in over 20,000 fans to 10 home contests this year. Last year, in eleven home dates, CU welcomed 14,273 fans to Morrison Stadium in its first season. CU is averaging 2,088 fans this season, a mark that would far surpass the current home attendance record of 1,745 set in 1994.
Attendance Analysis: Since the NCAA does not release attendance figures until the end of the season, let us compare CU's home attendance to last year's leaders. Only six schools brought in over 20,000 fans to home contests last year. And CU's current average of 2,088 fans would have ranked fourth in the country in 2003.
Score More, Win More: Sounds like an easy equation, and the Bluejays have made it work this season. The Jays are 13-4-0 heading into the weekend, topping last year's win total of 12. In 2003, the Bluejays netted 36 goals and 106 points in 22 matches. This year, through 17 contests, the Jays have scored 35 goals and 107 points. CU has four players with at least six goals this year, while only one Bluejay reached that plateau in 2003.
Good Signs for CU: There are many good signs pointing in Creighton's favor this weekend. Beginning with Friday night's match, the Jays' topped Tulsa 4-0 during the regular season, keeping the NCAA's leading scorer off the board. Since 1990, the Bluejays have never defeated a team by at least four goals and then lost to that team later in the season
? The Jays are 11-2-0 at home all-time in the MVC tournament.
? CU has never gone more than two years without winning the MVC tournament and its last title came in 2002.
? CU has won the MVC tournament every even-numbered year since its inception, with the exception of 1996.
Spreading the Wealth: While Brian Biggerstaff leads the Bluejays with seven goals, three of his teammates are on his heals for the scoring lead. Four CU players have at least six goals this year, marking the first time that has happened at CU since the 1998 squad also had four Jays with six or more goals. Julian Nash, Vince Odorisio and Jarod Tarver all have six goals for CU this fall.
Player of the Year Candidate: Senior Julian Nash was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer's top honor, last week.. He leads the team with eight assists and 20 points this season, inching closer to the CU career top-10 in goals, assists and points. Nash has 18 goals, 21 assists and 57 career points. Nash joins a long list of Bluejays named National Player of the Year candidates.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2004 Julian Nash
2003 David Wagenfuhr
2002 Mike Tranchilla
2001 Mike Tranchilla
1997 Johnny Torres (Won)
1996 Ross Paule
1993 Keith DeFini & Brian Kamler
Carded: Brian Biggerstaff was given the first Creighton red card of the season in CU's 3-1 win over Evansville last weekend. Not known for rough play, Biggerstaff does not even have a yellow card on the season.. CU's leading goal-scorer must sit out the Jays' match against Tulsa. Biggerstaff led the team in goals (5), assists (4) and points (14) in Valley action.
All-Tourney Team Past: Julian Nash was named to the MVC All-Tournament team as a sophomore in 2002. The forward scored the game-winning goal in the semifinals against SMS and had an assist on the game-winner in the championship match against Bradley. Andrew Brown earned the honor as a sophomore in 2001 for his outstanding play in wins over Evansville and SMS, while he stopped seven shots in a four overtime loss to SMU in the championship match.
Academic Honors: Four Bluejays were honored for their academic excellence last week. Seniors Andrew Brown and Brett Rodriguez and juniors Matt Wieland and Brian Biggerstaff were each named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First-Team for their classroom efforts. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. Biggerstaff has also been named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week three times this year.
The Big Birds: Brian Biggerstaff, Julian Nash and Vince Odorisio carried the Bluejay offense through MVC play this year. The trio combined for 14 of CU's 15 goals in MVC play and contributed 38 of the 49 Bluejay points in Valley action. Biggerstaff had three game-winning goals and Odorisio two in MVC play, while Jarod Tarver added the sixth game-winner.
Biggs' Big Year: Junior Brian Biggerstaff scored the game-winning goal against Drake (Oct. 23) in a 2-1 CU victory. The goal gave him at least one point in six consecutive matches. During those six contests, the forward scored 14 of his 18 points on the year, including five goals and four assists. He scored the game-winning goal in each of his first three starts of the season.
Crowded Net: With an injury to senior Andrew Brown and one of the deepest and most talented goalkeeper corps in CU history, the Bluejays have had new experiences in net this year. Never in CU's history have three different goalkeepers ever started at least two matches in one season, nor have three different keepers appeared in four or more matches in one year.. Freshmen Zac Gibbens and Matt Allen have combined with Brown to lead the MVC with a 0.94 goals against average this season.
November Nights: Appearing in 12 consecutive NCAA appearances, the Bluejays have played many November matches in their history. Since the program was re-started in 1990, the Jays are 43-20-4 (.672) in November. The Jays are 17-5-1 in November since 2000, including an 8-3-1 mark over the last two years.
My Cousin Vinny: Cousins and Omaha natives, Vince and Tony Odorisio, worked their family connection for CU's first goal against Tulsa on Oct. 3. Tony set up Vince for the game-winning tally in the first half. The assist was Tony's first career helper.
Welcome Matt: Freshman Matt Allen's 14-save contest against Bradley on Oct. 8 ranks as the fourth-best single-game save performance in school history. The 14 saves are the most by a Bluejay keeper since Tom Zawislan made 15 stops against Air Force on Nov. 23, 1997. The save total was also the second-best performance ever turned in by a Bradley opponent.
CU Single-Game Saves Records
1. 18, Kevin Doyle at Notre Dame, 10-7-90
2. 16, Jim Dalla Riva vs. Tulsa, 10-31-81
3. 15, Tom Zawislan at Air Force, 11-23-97
4. 14, Matt Allen at Bradley, 10-8-04
14, Jim Dalla Riva at E. Illinois, 9-17-82
Blue Fan Group: The 4,029 fans that showed up for CU's only exhibition home match of the season (Aug. 27) marked the third largest home crowd in school history and just the third crowd of more than 4,000. Two of CU's three largest all-time crowds have witnessed exhibition matches and four of the five largest crowds have come in August.
Top Three CU Home Crowds
1 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
2 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
3 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
Top Three Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
2 3,483 vs. Butler, Aug. 29, 2003
3 2,925 vs. Air Force, Sept. 25, 2004
Home Boys: Five of Creighton's usual starters this year are from Omaha. Last year's MVC Defensive Player of the Year, Matt Wieland, cousins, Tony and Vince Odorisio, and newcomers Ryan Junge and Tim Bohnenkamp have demonstrated the growth and excellence of soccer in the Omaha area. Omaha freshmen Tony Schmitz and Matt Allen have also started during the season and Lincoln, Neb. native Brian Biggerstaff leads the team with a career-high seven goals.
Morrison Stadium: On October 15 the new Creighton soccer facility received a name. In between games of the men's and women's doubleheader, Creighton officials named the stadium in honor of the Rev. Michael G. Morrison, S.J., who served as Creighton's president from 1981 until 2000. Morrison served longer than any other Creighton president. The Bluejays opened play in the $13 million Morrison Stadium in 2003, while further construction has been completed this season.
Big Wins: Creighton's 4-0 win over No. 23 Tulsa (Oct. 3) matched the Jays' largest margin of victory over a ranked team in school history. CU also won by four, 6-2, over No. 6 Boston College on Dec. 8, 2002 in the NCAA quarterfinals. The 4-0 victory was the largest shutout margin over a ranked team in CU history.
Nash's Trick: Senior Julian Nash logged his first career hat trick against No. 23 Tulsa on Oct. 3. It is the first time in 77 all-time games against the top-25 in Creighton history a Bluejay has scored three goals against a ranked foe.
Battling the Best: Creighton's split (2-2) against top-25 opponents this year moves CU's all-time record against nationally-ranked foes to 37-34-6. The Jays defeated #6 UCLA on Sept. 10, marking their highest-ranked victory since defeating #6 Boston College on Dec. 8, 2002.
Quick Score: Vince Odorisio raced to the net and scored the second-fastest goal from the start of a game in school history against UCLA (Sept. 10). Odorisio took a pass from Julian Nash and scored just 26 seconds into the game. The fastest CU goal came in 16 seconds, by All-American Brian Kamler on Oct. 9, 1992 against Bradley.
Fastest goal from the start of the game in Creighton History
1. 0:16, B. Kamler, vs. Bradley, 10-9-92
2. 0:26, V. Odorisio, vs. UCLA, 9-10-04
3. 0:30, L. Hill, vs. SMS, 11-5-94
National Recognition: Freshman Tim Bohnenkamp scored two goals and added an assist in CU's wins over Wisconsin and Marquette on Sept. 17 and 19. For his efforts, the rookie midfielder was named to the CollegeSoccerNews.com and Soccer America National Teams of the Week. Brian Biggerstaff and Jarod Tarver have also been named to the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week, on Oct. 18 and Nov. 8 respectively.
Bye High School: Freshman goalkeeper Matt Allen is breaking ground in Creighton soccer. Allen should be a senior at Burke High School this fall, but graduated a year early in order to come to Creighton. He is the first player in CU soccer history to come to campus a year early. Allen made his collegiate debut in CU's 4-0 win
over Western Michigan in the season-opener, recording two saves in the victory. Allen led the team with 33 saves in MVC play.
Redshirt No More: Due to injuries, two CU newcomers have shed possible redshirts and contributed to the Bluejay success this season. California native Danny Minutillo made his collegiate debut against UCLA in Las Vegas on Sept. 10 and scored the game-winning goal. Omaha native Tony Schmitz made his debut in the third weekend of the season and was part of the game-winning tally against Marquette.
Memphis Blues: Michael Kraus, a sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., and the Bluejays' leading scorer in 2003 will miss the entire 2004 season after undergoing surgery on an injured ankle the second week of September. The forward injured the ankle in CU's final exhibition match, but made a brief appearance in the Jays' 2-1 win over Loyola Marymount during the regular-season.
Watch These Guys: Senior Julian Nash has been named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List. The MAC Hermann Trophy is annually awarded to the top player in collegiate soccer. Rookie Joan Carvajal has been tabbed as one of 100 freshmen in the nation to watch this season by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
