Creighton University
UCLA
First Half Flurry Lifts #13 Men's Soccer Past #6 UCLA
9/10/2004 3:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The 13th-ranked Creighton men's soccer team moved its mark to 3-0-0 to start the season with an impressive 3-2 victory over sixth-ranked UCLA (2-1-0) at the UNLV FILA Invitational Friday evening. The Bluejays jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half and did not surrender a goal until the final 10 minutes of the match.
The Bluejays wasted no time in attacking the UCLA defense, scoring just 26 seconds into play. Vince Odorisio was credited with the goal when he was crossing the ball across the box to Matt Wieland, but the ball was deflected off a Bruin defender. The goal is the second fastest from the start of a match in CU history (0:16 by Brian Kamler, Oct. 9, 1992).
CU scored again on a brilliant passing display from freshman Joan Carvajal and sophomore Jarod Tarver. Carvajal and Tarver exchanged three passes back and forth, with Carvajal setting up Tarver to chip the ball over the UCLA goalkeeper, giving the Jays a 2-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Freshman Danny Minutillo completed the CU scoring in the first half. Appearing in his first college contest, the rookie from California tallied his first career goal in the 42nd minute off of a feed from Jonathan Welsh. Minutillo was pulled out of a possible redshirt season on Friday due to an injury to 2003 leading scorer Michael Kraus.
The Creighton defense held strong for the remainder of the match, allowing only two goals in the final 10 minutes of the match. The first UCLA goal was a disputed goal, appearing to find the back of the net after deflecting off of a Bruin's hand. The second goal came in the final minute, as the Bruins sent all players forward.
Senior Andrew Brown earned the win in goal for the Bluejays, making six saves in the win.
The Bluejays are now 3-0-0 for the first time since 2000, when they led the NCAA with 22 wins.
CU returns to top-25 action when it faces 18th-ranked Washington on Sunday in Las Vegas.
GAME NOTES: CU improves to 2-1-0 all-time against UCLA, including two straight wins ... CU is now 36-32-6 all-time against top-25 teams.
