Top 10 Men's Soccer Travels to Tulsa Tournament
9/21/2005 3:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
#9 Creighton at Tulsa
Friday, Sept. 23, 8:05 p.m. Tulsa, Okla.
#9 Creighton vs. SMU
Sunday, Sept. 25, 11:00 a.m. Tulsa, Okla.
This Week: The ninth-ranked Bluejays travel to Tulsa to participate in the Microtel Inn & Suites Golden Hurricane Classic. The Jays will face former MVC soccer affiliate members Tulsa and SMU at the tournament. CU plays host Tulsa on Friday night and concludes tournament play against SMU on Sunday morning.
Last Week: Creighton handed No. 23 Memphis its first loss of the season in a 3-1 CU win last Friday and shut out Mercer 1-0 on Sunday and won the title in the ninth annual Diadora Challenge. Michael Kraus scored the game-winning goal in both victories for the Bluejays, earning tournament MVP honors, while CU's defense was outstanding in the wins. Defenders Matt Wieland and Brian Kallman and goalkeeper Matt Allen were each named to the all-tournament team.
Scouting Creighton (4-0-1): The MVC preseason favorite is off to an undefeated start through five games for the first time since 2000, out-scoring the opposition 12-6 in that span. Junior Michael Kraus, the reigning MVC Offensive Player of the Week, leads the team with three goals, all of which have served as game-winners. Freshman Byron Dacy (2 g, 2 a) and junior Jarod Tarver (1 g, 4 a) are tied with Kraus for the team lead with six points. Tim Bohnenkamp has chipped in three assists and seven other Bluejays have scored one goal. Matt Allen has played every minute in net for the Jays this fall, stopping 16 shots and allowing six goals for a 1.15 goals against average.
Scouting Tulsa (2-1-3): The Golden Hurricane lost two-time MVC Player of the Year and 2004 National Player of the Year Ryan Pore and are off to a 2-1-3 start this season. Kyle Brown and Jonathan Lange both have three goals to lead Tulsa, while Eric Burkholder's three assists top the team. Dominic Cervi has played every minute in net for the Hurricane, making 23 saves and allowing 11 goals for a 1.62 goals against average. TU has out-shot its opponents 113-83, but out-scored them just 13-11.
Scouting SMU (2-3-1): The Mustangs are off to an unusually slow start, compiling a losing record through their first six matches, while playing a difficult schedule. SMU has given up four goals in each of its three losses and has been out-scored 14-7 on the season. Jay Needham leads the team with three goals, while not one Mustang player has more than one assist. Replacing the 2004 MVC Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Tomasso in goal is sophomore Steve Sandbo who has made 22 saves and carries a 2.30 goals against average.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea College, 1975) is in his second stint as the Jays' head coach with a 131-42-17 (.734) record in his 10 seasons at CU. His overall mark is 325-158-47 (.658) 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-Tulsa Series: The Bluejays own the all-time series lead with Tulsa, 13-6-2. The Jays and Hurricane met 13 times as members of the MVC, including postseason play. CU topped Tulsa 4-0 last year in Omaha behind a Julian Nash hat trick, but then tied the Hurricane 1-1 in the MVC tournament, where Tulsa advanced in penalty kicks. CU has lost its last two matches at Tulsa.
CU-SMU Series: The Mustangs have defeated CU more than any other program, as SMU owns a 16-5-0 series edge. SMU handed CU its only home loss last year, topping the Jays 1-0 on Oct. 1. CU's last win over SMU came on Oct. 31, 2003 in Dallas
Top 10: The Bluejays have earned a top-10 ranking in each of the soccer polls released this week. The Jays are the No. 1 team in the NSCAA/adidas Midwest Region, and ranked ninth in the top-25 coaches poll. CU is ranked third by CollegeSoccerNews.com, seventh by Soccer Times and eighth by Soccer America.
High Five: Creighton is 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. The Jays have not only opened with a 4-0-1 record this season, they have gone nine straight games without suffering defeat dating back to last season. Despite being eliminated from the MVC and NCAA tournaments, the Jays went 2-0-2 in their last four matches last year.
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.
Debuts: Redshirt freshman Trevor Eastman made his collegiate debut against Memphis last Friday, scoring a goal in the 87th minute to put away the Tigers 3-1. Rookie Michael Stillmock also appeared in his first college match against Memphis. Eastman and Stillmock both played in CU's win over Mercer as well, while sophomore Sam Eid made his season debut against Mercer.
Hello Again: Creighton travels to Tulsa this weekend where it will face former MVC foes Tulsa and Southern Methodist. Tulsa and SMU were affiliate soccer members in the Valley from 2000 through 2004, and Creighton joined both schools in representing the MVC in the NCAA post-season last year. SMU won the MVC regular-season title in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005 and won the tournament title in 2001, 2003 and 2004. SMU (3) and Tulsa (2) split the five MVC Player of the Year honors from 2000 through 2004.
Bluejays on Primetime TV: Creighton's four-overtime match with Bradley played for the 2000 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer championship has been pulled out of the archives and will be used in the background of a segment on the FOX sitcom Arrested Development, scheduled to air 7 p.m. (CST), Sept. 26. The Jays won 2-1 in the longest tournament match in league history (Brian Mullan's game winner was scored in the 141st minute).
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 has now scored three goals in five matches this year, all of which have been game-winners, accounting for three of CU's four game-winning goals this year. 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 two game-winning goals last weekend.
Tarver Time: Junior Jarod Tarver tied a Morrison Stadium record with two assists against No. 23 Memphis last Friday, moving his season total to four. His four assists lead the team and have already tied his career high. His next assist will give him 10 career goals and 10 career assists.
Double-Double: While the term double-double is not often used in soccer, a trio of CU teammates are approaching a career double-double in goals and assists. Jarod Tarver and Michael Kraus both have 10 goals and nine assists in his career entering the weekend, while Vince Odorisio has nine goals and assists in his career.
Active CU Career Point Leaders
Brian Biggerstaff - 32 (13 g, 6 a)
Michael Kraus - 29 (10 g, 9 a)
Jarod Tarver - 29 (10 g, 9 a)
Vince Odorisio - 27 (9 g, 9 a)
Allen in Net: Matt Allen has played every minute in goal for the Jays this season, already equalling his five starts and four wins he logged as a rookie last year. With two more full matches this weekend he will equal his 650 minutes played as a rookie.
Diadora Challenge: The Bluejays played host to the ninth annual Diadora Challenge last weekend and remained perfect in the event. The Jays won the tournament and improved to 14-0-3 all-time in the event. Michael Kraus was named the tournament MVP, while Matt Wieland, Brian Kallman and Matt Allen were each honored on the all-tournament team for Creighton.
Tony, Tony, Tony: Sophomore Tony Schmitz has been in CU's starting lineup in four of CU's five matches this season after playing in 13 matches with three starts last year. The Omaha Skutt graduate collected his first career point with an assist on Jarod Tarver's goal against Washington (Sept. 4) and then scored his first career goal in the Jays' 3-1 win over Memphis (Sept. 16).
Junge Guns: Junior Ryan Junge, in his second season at CU after playing one season at Hastings College, scored his first Bluejay goal in CU's win over Loyola (Sept. 10). His header in the 17th minute gave CU a 2-0 lead, after he assisted on CU's first goal of the match in the 13th minute. Junge again added an assist in CU's 3-1 win over Memphis (Sept. 16)
Home Boy: Tim Bohnenkamp, a sophomore from Omaha, has proved his like for Morrison Stadium in his two years of play at CU. The midfielder dished two assists to tie a stadium record against Loyola (Sept. 10). He now has four goals and six assists in his career, with all 14 of his points coming at home.
By Byron: Freshman Byron Dacy made his first collegiate start and it paid immediate dividends against Loyola (Sept. 10). The rookie from Omaha Creighton Prep scored his second goal in just the 13th minute to give CU a 1-0 lead. He is currently tied for the team lead with six points (2 g, 2 a).
Making it Count: Sophomore Danny Minutillo has now scored two goals in his collegiate career, with both serving as game-winners. Last year his first career goal was the game-winner in a 3-2 triumph over UCLA. Minutillo also netted the game-winner against Loyola (Sept. 10), before adding his first career assist on Brian Biggerstaff's insurance tally.
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. 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.
Home Cooking: The Jays went 10-1-1 at home in Morrison Stadium last year and have started 3-0-0 this season to move their overall mark to 20-3-3 at the facility since its opening in 2003. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 122-19-7 (.848) at home. The Jays ranked in the top-five in the nation in attendance last year, up from a top-10 ranking in 2003.
Opening Acts: The Bluejays are now 8-0-2 all-time in home openers under head coach Bob Warming, while they are 7-0-3 in season-openers under Warming. The Bluejays had not allowed a goal in a home opener since 1995 before its 4-2 win over Loyola this season. The Jays have now out-scored the opposition 29-3 in home openers under Warming.
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.
Road Trip: CU's trip to Portland to open this season was a rare one, as only once since 1990 had the Jays opened the year away from home prior to last weekend. The only other time in the last 15 years the Jays opened on the road was Aug. 29, 1997. CU tied Saint Louis 1-1 that day. Since 1990, the Jays are now 11-1-4 in road openers, with their only loss coming at No. 11 SMU in 1998. The Bluejays had not allowed a goal in any season opener since a 1-1 tie with SLU in 1997.
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 CU 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
For Starters: The Bluejays return eight starters from last year's 14-4-2 team, including the 2003 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, senior Matt Wieland. Sophomores Matt Allen and Tim Bohnenkamp were both named to the MVC All-Freshman Team as rookies last year, while Joan Carvajal earned honorable-mention all-freshman accolades. Junior defender Tony Odorisio was tabbed to all-MVC honorable-mention. Senior Vince Odorisio, and juniors Jarod Tarver and Andrew Peterson all started every match for CU last year. Junior Ryan Junge is CU's eighth returning starter.
Four Gone: The Bluejays lost only four seniors from last year's team,including two MLS draft picks and three starters. Julian Nash and Brett Rodriguez were both first-team all-MVC picks last year before being taken in the MLS draft, while Andrew Brown started 12 matches in goal and Kama Bennah made six starts while appearing in every match.
MVC Trims Down: Valley affiliates SMU and Tulsa have departed to join Conference USA in all sports. Both squads made the NCAA tournament last season and both remain on CU's schedule this fall. The Jays play the pair as part of Tulsa's tournament in late September.
Schedule Notes: With the departure of SMU and Tulsa from the MVC, there now remain eight teams in MVC soccer. With that change, the conference office has opted to alter the league scheduling from Friday-Sunday matched to Wednesday-Saturday contests. There will no longer be ?travel partners? and this format will allow for easier travel and better recovery for teams.
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.
