No. 23 Men's Soccer Heads to MVC Tournament
11/8/2005 2:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
#23 Creighton plays at State Farm MVC Soccer Tournament
Semifinals Friday, Nov. 11, 5 pm Peoria, Ill.
Championship Sunday, Nov. 13, 1 pm Peoria, Ill. MVC TV
This Week: The 23rd-ranked and No. 2-seeded Bluejays head to Peoria, Ill., in search of their ninth Missouri Valley Conference tournament title. CU's record eight tournament titles are more than all other Valley teams combined. The Jays' opponent will be determined in a first round match played Wednesday between No. 3 seed Vanderbilt and No. 6 seed Eastern Illinois. The winner will advance to play the Bluejays on Friday at 5 p.m. The championship match will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday and be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest.
? Special tournament notes on page five of this week's PDF release.
Last Week: Creighton wrapped up the regular season with a 1-0 home victory over Vanderbilt on Senior Day last Saturday. Freshman Byron Dacy scored the Jays' lone goal in the win which secured a first-round tournament bye for the Bluejays.
Scouting Creighton (10-4-3, 5-2-0 MVC): An up and down season for the Bluejays has the Jays on the ?up? entering this weekend. CU ended the regular-season with two straight shutout victories to move to 10-4-3 on the year. 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 before losses on the road at Western Kentucky and Drake. The Jays are just 3-3-2 away from Omaha this season, while they are 7-1-1 at home. The Jays lead the MVC with 48 assists, 15.9 shots per game and 6.8 corner kicks per game. Tim Bohnenkamp leads the MVC and ranks in the NCAA top 20 with nine assists on the year, while he, Joan Carvajal and Michael Kraus each led the MVC with four helpers in conference play. Rookie Byron Dacy tops the team with seven goals and 19 points. Matt Allen has played all but 20 minutes in goal for CU, helping the Jays post seven shutouts and a 0.91 GAA, while three-year captain Matt Wieland anchors the CU defense.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 137-46-19 (.725) record in his 10 seasons at CU. His overall mark is 331-162-49 (.656) 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.
MVC Tournament History: The Bluejays enter the weekend with a 22-5-1 all-time MVC tournament record, the most tournament victories in league history (Bradley, Missouri State and SMU each have nine). CU has won more tournament titles, eight, than all other MVC teams combined, its last championship coming in 2002. The Jays have lost in the quarterfinals once, the semifinals three times, 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 three tournament titles. CU is 11-3-0 all-time in MVC tournament matches away from Omaha and they have not played a tournament match away on the road since winning the title in 2002.
Next Up: Creighton will match up with the Vanderbilt-Eastern Illinois winner on Friday night. If history is any indicator, the Jays should like their match up. CU has never lost to VU, owning an 8-0-1 record against the Commodores. The Jays are 11-0-1 against EIU since the Panthers became an affiliate member in the MVC. The Jays defeated VU 1-0 last weekend in Omaha, and topped EIU 5-0 on Oct. 5 in Omaha.
Title Drought: While an MVC tournament title in 2002 may seem recent to some, for the Bluejays it represents a title drought. Since the MVC first held a postseason tournament in 1991, the Bluejays had never gone more than two years between tournament titles until now. With tournament titles in 1992-95, 1997-98, 2000 and 2002 the Jays are the dominant team in the MVC and will look to make that claim again this weekend.
In Peoria: The Bluejays have never played a neutral site match at the home of the Braves. CU is 6-3-0 all-time in Peoria against Bradley, including a 1-0 loss in the 1999 MVC tournament semifinals.
Road Struggles: Creighton is just 3-3-2 away from Omaha this year, including 2-3-1 in true road games, while they were 7-1-1 at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. The Jays allowed nine goals in those eight contests outside of Omaha, while surrendering seven in nine home matches. CU has played four of its last five matches on the road.
Allen Back at Shea: Last year as a freshman, CU goalkeeper Matt Allen had a career-day at Shea Stadium against Bradley. The keeper made a career-high 14 saves in CU's 1-0 victory over the Braves on Oct. 8, 2004. His 14 saves rank as the fourth highest single-game total in school history.
Fresh Face: Freshman Byron Dacy has made a quick transition to the college game this season, leading the team with seven goals and 19 points. His three game-winning goals also tie Michael Kraus for the team-lead. All three of his game-winners came in MVC play, to tie for the league-lead.
Carvajal Comes Back: Sophomore Joan Carvajal sat out the Bluejays' regular-season finale with Vanderbilt after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Evansville (Oct. 29). The midfielder, who ranks second on the team and MVC with seven assists, will return to action this weekend.
Strike First: Creighton is undefeated this year when it scores first. The Jays are now 10-0-1 on the season when they find the back of the net first this season and are a perfect 6-0 when holding the lead at halftime.
Allen's Assist: Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Allen turned in a rare performance against Vandberbilt last Saturday. He assisted on CU's only goal in the victory, becoming just the second Bluejay goalkeeper since 1990 to record an assist. Current CU keeper coach Kevin Doyle had two assists during his career, logging them in back-to-back games in 1992.
Dacy's Darts: Freshman Byron Dacy unloaded a personal and team-high seven shots in CU's 1-0 win over Vanderbilt last Saturday. No Bluejay had attempted more than five shots in a match this season. His seven shots fell one shy of the CU Morrison Stadium record held by Julian Nash.
Sharing is Caring: The Bluejays lead the MVC with 48 assists. Sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp leads the league with nine assists, which ranks 18th in the NCAA this week. Joan Carvajal has seven assists to rank second on the team and the MVC. 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. Bohnenkamp, Carvajal and Michael Kraus tied for the MVC lead with four assists in conference games.
Smart Birds: Seniors Brian Biggerstaff and Matt Wieland have repeated on the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First-Team this season. Biggerstaff owns a 3.48 grade point average in physics, while Wieland carries a 3.57 GPA in finance.
In This Corner: The Bluejays lead the MVC with 115 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.
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.
Half-n-Half: Creighton's defense has played well this season, but has played exceptionally well in the first half. The Jays have surrendered only four first-half goals all season and have trailed at the half just once this year. CU's goals against average is 0.47 in the first half this year. The Jays have allowed 12 goals in second half action this year.
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 has surpassed 2,000 career minutes this season to qualify for CU's career top-10 goals against average. Allen's career GAA is now 0.85 to rank second in school history, while his 0.92 GAA this season would rank sixth on the single-season list.
Home Grown: 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.
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 then scored four goals in four matches from Oct. 19 through 29. He notched his first career two-goal match at Georgetown. His four-goals doubled his career output as he had four goals in his first 76 career games prior to his streak.
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.
Spread Offense: Creighton's opponents might have a hard time figuring out who to mark on the Bluejay attack as five players have unloaded between 23 and 28 shots behind Byron Dacy's team-leading 36 shots. Brian Biggerstaff follows with 28 shots, while both Joan Carvajal and Michael Kraus have taken 26 shots each. Jarod Tarver (23) and Tim Bohnenkamp (22) round out the group.
Home Sweet Home: With a 7-1-1 record at Morrison Stadium this season, the Jays are now 26-4-4 (.824) in three seasons at their new facility. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 126-20-8 (.844) 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 only 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 5-1-1 for a second place finish that year. The Jays also finished second this year at 5-2-0 after a perfect start through three games.
Scoring Leaders: Four Bluejays have cracked the career 30-point plateau this season. Brian Biggerstaff leads all active Jays with 16 goals and 40 points. Jarod Tarver (37), Michael Kraus (35) and Vince Odorisio (30) are all at or above 30 career points now as well.
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 and previously unbeaten 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.
Great Start: 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.
Home Away From Home: Sophomore Tim Bohnenkamp, an Omaha native, finally broke through in the scoring column away from his home town and Morrison Stadium this season. His first 17 career points came at home, before he registered two assists at Georgetown (Oct. 19) and dished an assist at Drake. He currently leads the MVC and ranks 18th 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.
Welcome to Creighton: Bluejay newcomers contributed greatly in CU's opening weekend at the Portland Nike Invitational. The Jays' lone goal in their 1-1 tie with Portland was scored by Brian Kallman. The senior played his first three seasons at Jacksonville University, scoring just two goals in that span. Omaha native, freshman Byron Dacy was named the tournament MVP after scoring a goal and adding an assist in CU's 3-2 win over Washington on Sunday. The Bluejays won the tournament title due to a goals-scored tiebreaker over Portland.
Rare Feet: The Bluejays' feet have accomplished a rare feat this year, scoring at least three goals in three straight contests from Sept. 4-16. CU scored three goals against Washington, four against Loyola and three against Memphis to mark the first time since 1998 the Jays scored at least three goals in three consecutive games. The 1998 team put together four straight games with at least a trio of goals from Sept. 12-25.
Kraus is Key: Michael Kraus has again made his presence known in the CU lineup. The junior played in four matches last year because of a broken foot after leading the Jays in goals, assists and points as a rookie in 2003. He scored three goals in CU's first five matches this year, all of which served as game-winners. He was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week, Diadora Challenge MVP and honored on CollegeSoccerNews.com's and Soccer America's National Teams of the Week for his game-winning goals against Mercer and Memphis.
More Strange Stats: CU's offense unloaded 53 shots in a two-game span against UMKC and Illinois-Chicago in early October, including a season-high 27 against UMKC. The Jays also attempted 24 corner kicks in those two matches, including a Morrison Stadium record 13 against UIC. CU's 27 shots tied a stadium record against UMKC. The Jays out-shot UIC 26-6 but lost 2-1, while they played to a scorless tie against UMKC, despite their 27 shots.
