No. 17 Bluejays Host Vanderbilt Saturday on Senior Day
11/1/2005 2:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
#17 Creighton hosts Vanderbilt
Saturday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m. Morrison Stadium
This Week: The 17th-ranked Bluejays wrap up the regular-season, while still competing for their seventh Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title. A win guarantees the Bluejays a bye in the Valley tournament as one of the top-two seeds, while some help can give the Jays a share of the conference title. CU takes on a surprising first-place Vanderbilt team on Senior Day, Saturday at 1 p.m. The Jays will honor their five seniors after the match.
Last Week: Creighton concluded its season-long four-game road trip by splitting a pair of MVC matches. CU lost to Drake in Des Moines last Wednesday, 3-2, falling to the Bulldogs for the first time in 24 meetings. The Jays rebounded to end their two-game losing streak, with a 2-0 victory over Evansville last Saturday.
Scouting Creighton (9-4-3, 4-2-0 MVC): The Bluejays have experienced an up and down season. After starting the season 4-0-1 the Jays suffered through just their second four-game winless streak since 1990, going 0-2-2 over their next four matches. CU returned to form with a four-match winning streak, including a 3-0-0 start in Valley play. Losses on the road at Western Kentucky and Drake followed, before a win at UE last Saturday. The Jays are happy to return home, where they are 6-1-1 this season, just 3-3-2 away from Omaha. The Jays lead the MVC with 46 assists, 16.1 shots per game and 6.8 corner kicks per game. Matt Allen has played all but 20 minutes in goal for CU this fall, making 52 saves and owning a 0.97 GAA. Tim Bohnenkamp leads the MVC and ranks in the NCAA top 20 with nine assists. Rookie Byron Dacy tops the team with six goals and 17 points, while junior Jarod Tarver adds four goals and six assists for 14 points.
Scouting Vanderbilt (9-5-1, 4-1-1 MVC): The Commodores are perhaps the surprise of the MVC this year, as they are playing for their first conference championship and can clinch at least a share of the title with a win Saturday. Vandy was picked to finish fifth in The Valley, but has rattled off three straight shutouts in conference action. Goalkeeper Kenny Schoeni has stopped 58 shots and owns a 1.18 goals against average. Senior John Krause leads the team with 12 goals and 26 points, while he has launched an MVC high 65 shots on the season. The 2004 MVC Freshman of the Year Joe Germanese adds six goals and 15 points for the VU attack.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 136-46-19 (.724) record in his 10 seasons at CU. His overall mark is 330-162-49 (.655) in 28 years of coaching. Warming, the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided his teams to 11 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. He began the year ranked 12th among active NCAA Division I coaches in career winning percentage.
CU-VU Series: The Bluejays have never lost to the Commodores in eight meetings (7-0-1) since Vanderbilt joined the MVC. The Jays have won six straight meetings, including a 3-1 win over VU last year in Omaha. CU is 4-0 against Vandy at home, out-scoring the Commodores 16-1 in those four contests.
MVC Race Scenario: The top four teams in the MVC are all still playing for a chance at the regular-season title with just one conference match remaining. Bradley and Vanderbilt are both 4-1-1 (13 points) and Creighton and Missouri State are both 4-2 (12 points) heading into the weekend, with BU playing MSU and CU facing VU Saturday. Outlined are a few scenarios for this weekend, centered around CU's possibilities.
? A CU win locks up a bye in the MVC tournament as one of the top two seeds.
? A CU win and MSU win will give the Jays a share of the title with the Bears, while CU would claim the top seed in the tournament.
? A CU win and a BU win will give the Jays the second seed in the tournament.
? A CU tie or loss prevents the Jays from finishing in the top two.
Senior Day: Creighton will honor its five seniors following Saturday's match. A brief synopsis of each follows:
? Brian Biggerstaff is a fifth-year senior, after redshirting due to injury in his second year on campus (2002). He has started 26 of the 64 matches he's appeared in, with 40 points (16 g, 8 a). Biggs topped the team with eight goals in 2004 and was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
? Brian Kallman has started 10 of 16 matches in his only season at CU after spending three years at Jacksonville. A hard-nosed defender, he scored CU's lone goal in the Jays' 1-1 tie with Portland to open the season.
? Christian Mangrum has been a part of the program since 2000, when he appeared in one match as a rookie before leaving on a two-year church mission. Over the past three years he has played in five matches, including three this year.
? Vince Odorisio is in his third year at CU, making 25 starts in 55 matches, after transferring from IUPUI. He has 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 career points. He ranked second on the team with seven assists and six goals last year.
? Matt Wieland has started all but two matches during his career (78 of 80). The 2003 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, he's earned second-team all-Midwest Region honors the last two years and earned MVC Scholar-Athlete team notice. He has 22 career points (8 g, 6 a). He's the only current Bluejay to have played in the College Cup (2002).
So Close: Each of CU's four losses this season have been one-goal defeats. In fact the Bluejays have not lost by more than one goal since a 2-0 loss to UNLV on Sept. 12, 2003, meaning the Jays' last 12 defeats have all been by just one-goal.
Regular-Season Home Finales: CU has a habit of wrapping up the season at home in style, with a 14-1-0 record in its final regular-season home match of the year since 1990. CU's only loss in that span was a 2-1 loss to No. 4 SMU in 2002. The Jays have out-scored their opposition 47-10 in those contests, while posting seven shutouts in the 15 matches.
One More Try: Creighton entered the season without having ever lost to three MVC opponents Drake, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. DU and WKU ended CU's dominance last month by topping the Jays. The Jays have one more try to remain undefeated against a league foe when they host Vandy this week. CU has never lost to VU, with a 7-0-1 mark against the Commodores all-time.
Perfect 10: With one more assist this season, sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp will become the first Bluejay to dish 10 assists in a year since current MLS player David Wagenfuhr had 10 helpers in 2001. The CU and MVC single-season record for assists is held by another MLS star, Richard Mulrooney with 16, in both 1996 and 1998.
Matt's Move: Sophomore Goalkeeper Matt Allen surpassed 2,000 career minutes last week to qualify for CU's career top-10 goals against average. Allen's career GAA is now 0.89 to rank third in school history, while his 0.97 GAA this season would rank seventh on the single-season list.
The Captain: Senior Matt Wieland, a three-year captain for CU, has exploded on the offensive end over the last two weeks. The defensive midfielder did not have a point this season through the first 11 matches, before logging an assist against Bradley on Oct. 15. He has now scored four goals in the last four matches, after having four career goals in his previous 76 matches. Included in the streak was the first two-goal match of his career.
Junge Guns: Defender Ryan Junge has been a major contributor on the offensive end for CU this season, ranking second on the team with four goals. His four assists give him 12 points to rank third on the squad. In his first season at CU last year, Junge had just one point on an assist.
Four Score: Five different Bluejays have scored exactly four goals through 16 matches, while freshman Byron Dacy leads the team with six goals. Defender Ryan Junge is the surprise of the group, having just one assist prior to this year's 4-goal, 4-assist campaign. Jarod Tarver, Brian Biggerstaff, Michael Kraus and Matt Wieland are the remaining four with four goals each thus far.
Spread Offense: Creighton's opponents might have a hard time figuring out who to mark on the Bluejay attack as six players have unloaded between 22 and 29 shots through 16 matches. Byron Dacy leads the team with 29 shots, followed Brian Biggerstaff's 27. Joan Carvajal and Michael Kraus have taken 26 shots each. Jarod Tarver (23) and Tim Bohnenkamp (22) round out the group.
Back Home: CU returns home following its season-long four-game road trip and a 3-3-2 mark away from Omaha this year. With a 6-1-1 record at Morrison Stadium this season, the Jays are 25-4-4 (.818) in three seasons at their new facility. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 125-20-8 (.843) at home. The Jays ranked in the top-five in the nation in attendance last year, up from a top-10 ranking in 2003.
Some Good Things Must Come to an End: The Bluejays have learned that lesson the hard way this season, as they have lost to teams which had never before defeated them. The Jays lost a 1-0 decision at Western Kentucky (Oct. 22) while carrying a 9-0-0 all-time record against WKU into the match. CU then fell 3-2 to Drake on Oct. 26, the first Bluejay loss to the Bulldogs in 24 all-time meetings. CU is now 18-1-5 all-time against Drake.
Strange Days: CU's loss at Drake (Oct. 26) was strange for more reasons than just the first DU win over CU ever. The Bulldogs scored two goals in the first half. Prior to the match, the Jays had allowed only two goals in the first half through its first 14 matches. It also marked the first time this season the Jays had trailed at halftime. The three goals allowed by CU were the most by the Jays since a 3-2 loss to St. John's in the 2003 NCAA quarterfinals.
Perfect Start: Creighton's 3-0 start in MVC play was its best Valley start since the 1999 team opened 4-0. CU finished second with a 5-1-1 record in the MVC that year - the last season the Jays played just seven conference games.
Assists Leaders: The Bluejays continue to lead the MVC in assists, with 46 helpers in 16 matches. Sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp leads the MVC with nine assists, which ranks 17th in the NCAA this week. Joan Carvajal has seven assists to rank second in the MVC and Jarod Tarver ranks third with six assists. Carvajal's three helpers against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 8) made him just the sixth player in school history to record at least three assists in a match.
In This Corner: The Bluejays lead the MVC with 109 corner kicks, an impressive 6.8 per game. The Jays attempted a season-high 13 corner kicks against Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5). The 13 corners established a Morrison Stadium record.
Wieland Honored: Senior Matt Wieland was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the period of October 17-23. The defensive midfielder scored his first two goals of the season in CU's 6-0 romp over Georgetown last Wednesday, including a spectacular bicycle kick goal. The two goals marked the first time in his career Wieland recorded a multiple-goal match.
Scoring Leaders: Four Bluejays have cracked the career 30-point plateau this season. Jarod Tarver and Brian Biggerstaff both have 35 points to lead all active Bluejays in scoring, while Biggerstaff leads all players with 14 career goals. Michael Kraus is close behind with 34, while Vince Odorisio adds 30 points.
Active CU Career Point Leaders
Brian Biggerstaff - 40 (16 g, 8 a)
Jarod Tarver - 37 (13 g, 11 a)
Michael Kraus - 35 (11 g, 13 a)
Vince Odorisio - 30 (10 g, 10 a)
Shock-tober: The Bluejays went just 5-3-1 in October this season after highly successful Octobers during the 2002 through 2004 seasons. Over the previous three Octobers, the Bluejays compiled a 19-3-2 record, including two undefeated October campaigns (??02,'03).
Shut Down: Creighton's defense was outstanding in its 2-0 victory over ninth-ranked Missouri State (Oct. 12). The Bears entered the match leading the MVC in scoring, but could not even muster a shot on goal in the CU win. The Valley's leading scorer Ryan Anderson managed only one shot attempt in the match. It was the first time CU had held a conference opponent without a shot on goal since Oct. 10, 2003 in a 1-0 win over Evansville. And marked the first CU opponent to not fire a shot on goal since UMKC, Nov. 22, 2003.
For the Record: CU exploded out of the MVC opening gates with a 5-0 victory over Eastern Illinois (Oct 8). The Bluejays recorded nine assists on their five goals, totalling 19 points in the match. Both the nine helpers and 19 points established Morrison Stadium records, while sophomore Joan Carvajal's three assists in the win also set a facility record. CU set a stadium record with 13 corner kicks against Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5).
Home Away From Home: Tim Bohnenkamp, a sophomore from Omaha, finally broke through on the scoring column away from his home town and Morrison Stadium. His two assists at Georgetown (Oct. 19) marked the first time in his career he notched a point on the road. He now has 20 career points (4 g, 12 a), including his first 17 points at home. He currently leads the MVC and ranks 17th in the NCAA with with nine assists this year.
Oh-Four: Creighton's loss to Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5) dropped the Jays to 0-2-2 over a four-match span for only its second four-game winless streak since the program was re-started in 1990. Not since the final four matches of that 1990 season had the Bluejays gone four matches without a victory. Not only is the four-game winless streak a rarity, but the Jays have had only three other three-game winless streaks since 1990; 1997 (0-3-0), 2001 (0-3-0) and 2003 (0-2-1).
20-20-20 Vision: Creighton attempted at least 20 shots in three straight games from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8 for a total of 77 shots in those matches. The Bluejays had not put together three straight 20-shot games since the 2002 team did so from Nov. 9-17. The 2002 squad attempted 68 total shots in that span. This year's team out-scored its opponents just 6-2 during those three games, while the 2002 team had a 10-1 goals advantage during their streak.
Just Shoot Me: Creighton launched a season-high 27 shots in its 0-0 tie with UMKC (Oct. 1). Michael Kraus and Jarod Tarver led the team with five shots each. The 27 shots by Creighton also tied the Morrison Stadium record set by Maryland against Butler on Aug. 31, 2003.
High Five: Creighton was undefeated through five games for the first time since 2000. The 2000 squad opened the season with six wins en route to an appearance in the NCAA championship match and leading the nation with 22 victories. With the Jays' 4-0-1 start this season, they extended their undefeated streak to nine matches. Despite being eliminated from the MVC and NCAA tournaments, CU went 2-0-2 in its last four matches last year.
Local Flavor: The Jays have a record 13 Nebraska natives on the roster this fall, while eight Nebraskans started in CU's win over Loyola on Sept. 10. CU had three Nebraskans on its first team in 1990 and the 1996 team did not list one Nebraska native on its roster.
Record Crowds: A CU home record crowd of 5,743 fans came out to the Jays' exhibition match against Stanford (Aug. 26). The record shattered the former mark by more than 1,300. Five of the top six home attended games in CU history have now come in the month of August, while three of the top four crows have come to exhibition matches. Listed below are the top three home crowds and top three crowds in Morrison Stadium history:
Top Three CU Home Crowds
1 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
2 4,407 vs. SLU, Aug. 31, 1997
3 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
Top Three Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
2 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
3 3,483 vs. Butler, Aug., 29, 2003
MVC Tournament Format: The Valley has changed its men's soccer tournament format this season, moving from an eight-team to a six-team bracket. The top six teams will now qualify and all matches will be played at one site. The top two teams will earn a bye into the semifinals, while the first round of play will have 3-6 and 4-5 seed match ups. Shea Stadium and Bradley University will host the event in Peoria, Ill., this November.
Global Bluejays: Live video streaming of both men's and women's home soccer matches is available this season. The video streaming schedule includes all remaining men's and women's home matches, which gives CU fans across the globe the chance to see some of the best soccer, in one the finest facilities in the nation right on their desktops. The season pass is just $21.95. For more information on system requirements in order to view the webcasts and how to register for your season pass, go to www.gocreighton.tv or click on the video webcast button on www.gocreighton.com.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m. Morrison Stadium
This Week: The 17th-ranked Bluejays wrap up the regular-season, while still competing for their seventh Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title. A win guarantees the Bluejays a bye in the Valley tournament as one of the top-two seeds, while some help can give the Jays a share of the conference title. CU takes on a surprising first-place Vanderbilt team on Senior Day, Saturday at 1 p.m. The Jays will honor their five seniors after the match.
Last Week: Creighton concluded its season-long four-game road trip by splitting a pair of MVC matches. CU lost to Drake in Des Moines last Wednesday, 3-2, falling to the Bulldogs for the first time in 24 meetings. The Jays rebounded to end their two-game losing streak, with a 2-0 victory over Evansville last Saturday.
Scouting Creighton (9-4-3, 4-2-0 MVC): The Bluejays have experienced an up and down season. After starting the season 4-0-1 the Jays suffered through just their second four-game winless streak since 1990, going 0-2-2 over their next four matches. CU returned to form with a four-match winning streak, including a 3-0-0 start in Valley play. Losses on the road at Western Kentucky and Drake followed, before a win at UE last Saturday. The Jays are happy to return home, where they are 6-1-1 this season, just 3-3-2 away from Omaha. The Jays lead the MVC with 46 assists, 16.1 shots per game and 6.8 corner kicks per game. Matt Allen has played all but 20 minutes in goal for CU this fall, making 52 saves and owning a 0.97 GAA. Tim Bohnenkamp leads the MVC and ranks in the NCAA top 20 with nine assists. Rookie Byron Dacy tops the team with six goals and 17 points, while junior Jarod Tarver adds four goals and six assists for 14 points.
Scouting Vanderbilt (9-5-1, 4-1-1 MVC): The Commodores are perhaps the surprise of the MVC this year, as they are playing for their first conference championship and can clinch at least a share of the title with a win Saturday. Vandy was picked to finish fifth in The Valley, but has rattled off three straight shutouts in conference action. Goalkeeper Kenny Schoeni has stopped 58 shots and owns a 1.18 goals against average. Senior John Krause leads the team with 12 goals and 26 points, while he has launched an MVC high 65 shots on the season. The 2004 MVC Freshman of the Year Joe Germanese adds six goals and 15 points for the VU attack.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 136-46-19 (.724) record in his 10 seasons at CU. His overall mark is 330-162-49 (.655) in 28 years of coaching. Warming, the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided his teams to 11 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. He began the year ranked 12th among active NCAA Division I coaches in career winning percentage.
CU-VU Series: The Bluejays have never lost to the Commodores in eight meetings (7-0-1) since Vanderbilt joined the MVC. The Jays have won six straight meetings, including a 3-1 win over VU last year in Omaha. CU is 4-0 against Vandy at home, out-scoring the Commodores 16-1 in those four contests.
MVC Race Scenario: The top four teams in the MVC are all still playing for a chance at the regular-season title with just one conference match remaining. Bradley and Vanderbilt are both 4-1-1 (13 points) and Creighton and Missouri State are both 4-2 (12 points) heading into the weekend, with BU playing MSU and CU facing VU Saturday. Outlined are a few scenarios for this weekend, centered around CU's possibilities.
? A CU win locks up a bye in the MVC tournament as one of the top two seeds.
? A CU win and MSU win will give the Jays a share of the title with the Bears, while CU would claim the top seed in the tournament.
? A CU win and a BU win will give the Jays the second seed in the tournament.
? A CU tie or loss prevents the Jays from finishing in the top two.
Senior Day: Creighton will honor its five seniors following Saturday's match. A brief synopsis of each follows:
? Brian Biggerstaff is a fifth-year senior, after redshirting due to injury in his second year on campus (2002). He has started 26 of the 64 matches he's appeared in, with 40 points (16 g, 8 a). Biggs topped the team with eight goals in 2004 and was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
? Brian Kallman has started 10 of 16 matches in his only season at CU after spending three years at Jacksonville. A hard-nosed defender, he scored CU's lone goal in the Jays' 1-1 tie with Portland to open the season.
? Christian Mangrum has been a part of the program since 2000, when he appeared in one match as a rookie before leaving on a two-year church mission. Over the past three years he has played in five matches, including three this year.
? Vince Odorisio is in his third year at CU, making 25 starts in 55 matches, after transferring from IUPUI. He has 10 goals and 10 assists for 30 career points. He ranked second on the team with seven assists and six goals last year.
? Matt Wieland has started all but two matches during his career (78 of 80). The 2003 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, he's earned second-team all-Midwest Region honors the last two years and earned MVC Scholar-Athlete team notice. He has 22 career points (8 g, 6 a). He's the only current Bluejay to have played in the College Cup (2002).
So Close: Each of CU's four losses this season have been one-goal defeats. In fact the Bluejays have not lost by more than one goal since a 2-0 loss to UNLV on Sept. 12, 2003, meaning the Jays' last 12 defeats have all been by just one-goal.
Regular-Season Home Finales: CU has a habit of wrapping up the season at home in style, with a 14-1-0 record in its final regular-season home match of the year since 1990. CU's only loss in that span was a 2-1 loss to No. 4 SMU in 2002. The Jays have out-scored their opposition 47-10 in those contests, while posting seven shutouts in the 15 matches.
One More Try: Creighton entered the season without having ever lost to three MVC opponents Drake, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. DU and WKU ended CU's dominance last month by topping the Jays. The Jays have one more try to remain undefeated against a league foe when they host Vandy this week. CU has never lost to VU, with a 7-0-1 mark against the Commodores all-time.
Perfect 10: With one more assist this season, sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp will become the first Bluejay to dish 10 assists in a year since current MLS player David Wagenfuhr had 10 helpers in 2001. The CU and MVC single-season record for assists is held by another MLS star, Richard Mulrooney with 16, in both 1996 and 1998.
Matt's Move: Sophomore Goalkeeper Matt Allen surpassed 2,000 career minutes last week to qualify for CU's career top-10 goals against average. Allen's career GAA is now 0.89 to rank third in school history, while his 0.97 GAA this season would rank seventh on the single-season list.
The Captain: Senior Matt Wieland, a three-year captain for CU, has exploded on the offensive end over the last two weeks. The defensive midfielder did not have a point this season through the first 11 matches, before logging an assist against Bradley on Oct. 15. He has now scored four goals in the last four matches, after having four career goals in his previous 76 matches. Included in the streak was the first two-goal match of his career.
Junge Guns: Defender Ryan Junge has been a major contributor on the offensive end for CU this season, ranking second on the team with four goals. His four assists give him 12 points to rank third on the squad. In his first season at CU last year, Junge had just one point on an assist.
Four Score: Five different Bluejays have scored exactly four goals through 16 matches, while freshman Byron Dacy leads the team with six goals. Defender Ryan Junge is the surprise of the group, having just one assist prior to this year's 4-goal, 4-assist campaign. Jarod Tarver, Brian Biggerstaff, Michael Kraus and Matt Wieland are the remaining four with four goals each thus far.
Spread Offense: Creighton's opponents might have a hard time figuring out who to mark on the Bluejay attack as six players have unloaded between 22 and 29 shots through 16 matches. Byron Dacy leads the team with 29 shots, followed Brian Biggerstaff's 27. Joan Carvajal and Michael Kraus have taken 26 shots each. Jarod Tarver (23) and Tim Bohnenkamp (22) round out the group.
Back Home: CU returns home following its season-long four-game road trip and a 3-3-2 mark away from Omaha this year. With a 6-1-1 record at Morrison Stadium this season, the Jays are 25-4-4 (.818) in three seasons at their new facility. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 125-20-8 (.843) at home. The Jays ranked in the top-five in the nation in attendance last year, up from a top-10 ranking in 2003.
Some Good Things Must Come to an End: The Bluejays have learned that lesson the hard way this season, as they have lost to teams which had never before defeated them. The Jays lost a 1-0 decision at Western Kentucky (Oct. 22) while carrying a 9-0-0 all-time record against WKU into the match. CU then fell 3-2 to Drake on Oct. 26, the first Bluejay loss to the Bulldogs in 24 all-time meetings. CU is now 18-1-5 all-time against Drake.
Strange Days: CU's loss at Drake (Oct. 26) was strange for more reasons than just the first DU win over CU ever. The Bulldogs scored two goals in the first half. Prior to the match, the Jays had allowed only two goals in the first half through its first 14 matches. It also marked the first time this season the Jays had trailed at halftime. The three goals allowed by CU were the most by the Jays since a 3-2 loss to St. John's in the 2003 NCAA quarterfinals.
Perfect Start: Creighton's 3-0 start in MVC play was its best Valley start since the 1999 team opened 4-0. CU finished second with a 5-1-1 record in the MVC that year - the last season the Jays played just seven conference games.
Assists Leaders: The Bluejays continue to lead the MVC in assists, with 46 helpers in 16 matches. Sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp leads the MVC with nine assists, which ranks 17th in the NCAA this week. Joan Carvajal has seven assists to rank second in the MVC and Jarod Tarver ranks third with six assists. Carvajal's three helpers against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 8) made him just the sixth player in school history to record at least three assists in a match.
In This Corner: The Bluejays lead the MVC with 109 corner kicks, an impressive 6.8 per game. The Jays attempted a season-high 13 corner kicks against Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5). The 13 corners established a Morrison Stadium record.
Wieland Honored: Senior Matt Wieland was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the period of October 17-23. The defensive midfielder scored his first two goals of the season in CU's 6-0 romp over Georgetown last Wednesday, including a spectacular bicycle kick goal. The two goals marked the first time in his career Wieland recorded a multiple-goal match.
Scoring Leaders: Four Bluejays have cracked the career 30-point plateau this season. Jarod Tarver and Brian Biggerstaff both have 35 points to lead all active Bluejays in scoring, while Biggerstaff leads all players with 14 career goals. Michael Kraus is close behind with 34, while Vince Odorisio adds 30 points.
Active CU Career Point Leaders
Brian Biggerstaff - 40 (16 g, 8 a)
Jarod Tarver - 37 (13 g, 11 a)
Michael Kraus - 35 (11 g, 13 a)
Vince Odorisio - 30 (10 g, 10 a)
Shock-tober: The Bluejays went just 5-3-1 in October this season after highly successful Octobers during the 2002 through 2004 seasons. Over the previous three Octobers, the Bluejays compiled a 19-3-2 record, including two undefeated October campaigns (??02,'03).
Shut Down: Creighton's defense was outstanding in its 2-0 victory over ninth-ranked Missouri State (Oct. 12). The Bears entered the match leading the MVC in scoring, but could not even muster a shot on goal in the CU win. The Valley's leading scorer Ryan Anderson managed only one shot attempt in the match. It was the first time CU had held a conference opponent without a shot on goal since Oct. 10, 2003 in a 1-0 win over Evansville. And marked the first CU opponent to not fire a shot on goal since UMKC, Nov. 22, 2003.
For the Record: CU exploded out of the MVC opening gates with a 5-0 victory over Eastern Illinois (Oct 8). The Bluejays recorded nine assists on their five goals, totalling 19 points in the match. Both the nine helpers and 19 points established Morrison Stadium records, while sophomore Joan Carvajal's three assists in the win also set a facility record. CU set a stadium record with 13 corner kicks against Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5).
Home Away From Home: Tim Bohnenkamp, a sophomore from Omaha, finally broke through on the scoring column away from his home town and Morrison Stadium. His two assists at Georgetown (Oct. 19) marked the first time in his career he notched a point on the road. He now has 20 career points (4 g, 12 a), including his first 17 points at home. He currently leads the MVC and ranks 17th in the NCAA with with nine assists this year.
Oh-Four: Creighton's loss to Illinois-Chicago (Oct. 5) dropped the Jays to 0-2-2 over a four-match span for only its second four-game winless streak since the program was re-started in 1990. Not since the final four matches of that 1990 season had the Bluejays gone four matches without a victory. Not only is the four-game winless streak a rarity, but the Jays have had only three other three-game winless streaks since 1990; 1997 (0-3-0), 2001 (0-3-0) and 2003 (0-2-1).
20-20-20 Vision: Creighton attempted at least 20 shots in three straight games from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8 for a total of 77 shots in those matches. The Bluejays had not put together three straight 20-shot games since the 2002 team did so from Nov. 9-17. The 2002 squad attempted 68 total shots in that span. This year's team out-scored its opponents just 6-2 during those three games, while the 2002 team had a 10-1 goals advantage during their streak.
Just Shoot Me: Creighton launched a season-high 27 shots in its 0-0 tie with UMKC (Oct. 1). Michael Kraus and Jarod Tarver led the team with five shots each. The 27 shots by Creighton also tied the Morrison Stadium record set by Maryland against Butler on Aug. 31, 2003.
High Five: Creighton was undefeated through five games for the first time since 2000. The 2000 squad opened the season with six wins en route to an appearance in the NCAA championship match and leading the nation with 22 victories. With the Jays' 4-0-1 start this season, they extended their undefeated streak to nine matches. Despite being eliminated from the MVC and NCAA tournaments, CU went 2-0-2 in its last four matches last year.
Local Flavor: The Jays have a record 13 Nebraska natives on the roster this fall, while eight Nebraskans started in CU's win over Loyola on Sept. 10. CU had three Nebraskans on its first team in 1990 and the 1996 team did not list one Nebraska native on its roster.
Record Crowds: A CU home record crowd of 5,743 fans came out to the Jays' exhibition match against Stanford (Aug. 26). The record shattered the former mark by more than 1,300. Five of the top six home attended games in CU history have now come in the month of August, while three of the top four crows have come to exhibition matches. Listed below are the top three home crowds and top three crowds in Morrison Stadium history:
Top Three CU Home Crowds
1 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
2 4,407 vs. SLU, Aug. 31, 1997
3 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
Top Three Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
2 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
3 3,483 vs. Butler, Aug., 29, 2003
MVC Tournament Format: The Valley has changed its men's soccer tournament format this season, moving from an eight-team to a six-team bracket. The top six teams will now qualify and all matches will be played at one site. The top two teams will earn a bye into the semifinals, while the first round of play will have 3-6 and 4-5 seed match ups. Shea Stadium and Bradley University will host the event in Peoria, Ill., this November.
Global Bluejays: Live video streaming of both men's and women's home soccer matches is available this season. The video streaming schedule includes all remaining men's and women's home matches, which gives CU fans across the globe the chance to see some of the best soccer, in one the finest facilities in the nation right on their desktops. The season pass is just $21.95. For more information on system requirements in order to view the webcasts and how to register for your season pass, go to www.gocreighton.tv or click on the video webcast button on www.gocreighton.com.
Wednesday, November 05
Sunday, November 02
Wednesday, October 29
Saturday, October 25
