Men's Soccer Hosts MVC Tournament This Week
11/13/2007 7:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#7 Creighton plays host to the State Farm MVC Soccer Tournament
First Round ? Wednesday, Nov. 14, 5 & 7:30 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
Semifinals ? Friday, Nov. 16, 5 & 7:30 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
Championship ? Sunday, Nov. 18, 1:05 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
This Week: The Bluejays play host to the State Farm MVC Tournament at Morrison Stadium. Play begins Wednesday with first round games, while the Bluejays will not play until the semifinals on Friday. The Jays are the No. 2 seed for the third straight year and will play the winner of the match between No. 3 Evansville and No. 6 Missouri State. CU's semifinal will kick off at 5:00 p.m. Friday, followed by the No. 1 seed Bradley playing the winner of the No. 4 Drake and No. 5 Eastern Illinois match at 7:30 p.m. The championship match is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday and will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest. (Complete tournament information on page seven of this week's notes.)
Last Week: Creighton concluded the regular-season with a 3-1 road win at Evansville to clinch its eighth MVC regular-season title and go undefeated in Valley play for the first time since 1996. CU fell behind 1-0 to UE, but a Tim Walters goal in the first half brought the Jays even before halftime. Jeff Thayer and Tucker Sindlinger scored in the second half to secure the road win and move CU to 6-0-1 away from Omaha this year. Thayer was named MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Scouting Creighton (10-1-5, 4-0-2 MVC): The Bluejays have claimed their eighth MVC regular-season championship, making an undefeated run through conference play (4-0-2) for the first time since 1996. CU enters the regular-season finale on a 10-match unbeaten streak, going 7-0-3 since its only loss of the year on Sept. 22. The 10-match unbeaten streak is the longest by the Jays since winning 11 straight leading up to the 2000 NCAA title game. The Bluejays are 4-1-4 at home this season, and 6-0-1 away from Omaha. CU has the top defense in the league, allowing just 15 goals in 16 games for a 0.86 goals against average. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund is Creighton's leading scorer, with six goals in 12 games played. He is tied with junior Andrei Gotsmanov for the team-lead with 13 points, while senior Tim Bohnenkamp is tied with Gotsmanov's five assists for the team-lead. Gotsmanov is joined by Tony Schmitz and Tim Walters with four goals each. CU is having success despite the loss of preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. The CU defense is anchored by sophomores Chris Schuler and Jeff Thayer, along with junior Seth Sinovic. Senior Matt Allen, the only goalkeeper on the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list, has played every minute in net this year and has played more career minutes than any keeper in school history. On the season he has made 60 saves and has a 0.86 goals against average along with five shutouts.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 165-53-27 (.729) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 358-172-57 (.658) in his 30th year of coaching. Warming, the MVC All-Centennial Coach and the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and is a two-time MVC Coach of the Year. He was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and ranked eighth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open the year.
MVC Tournament History: The Bluejays enter the weekend with a 26-5-1 all-time MVC tournament record, the most tournament victories in league history (Bradley is next with 10). CU has won more tournament titles, 10, than all other MVC teams combined, earning its 10th with a 2-1 overtime victory at Bradley in the title game last season. The Jays have lost in the quarterfinals once, the semifinals three times, lost twice in the championship match and won the other 10 tournaments in which they've appeared. The Jays are the only team in league history with more than three tournament titles. CU is 11-2-1 all-time in MVC tournament games played in Omaha, including 1-1-1 in its three MVC tourney games at Morrison Stadium.
Defending Champs: Creighton has won the last two MVC Tournament titles and will be aiming for a “three-peat” this week. CU won four straight titles from 1992-95.
Home Field Advantage?: No team has won the MVC tournament title on its home field since Creighton did so in 1994. The Bluejays also won at home in 1992 and 1993, while Tulsa hosted and won the event in 1991. The event was at a neutral site from 2000-03, and returned to campus sites in 2004. SMU won in Omaha in 2004, while Creighton has won in Peoria the last two seasons.
Up Next: Creighton will face the winner of the Evansville-Missouri State match. CU defeated Evansville 3-1 at UE last Saturday and topped Missouri State 1-0 in Omaha on Oct. 27. The Jays are 4-1-0 against the Purple Aces in the MVC Tournament, including a 3-1 win in Omaha the last time the team's met in the postseason. The Jays are 5-1-0 against MSU in the MVC tourney, with the Bears pulling of a 1-0 upset over CU in 2003 in Omaha.
Defense Wins Championships: The Bluejays have posted three shutouts in their last four MVC Tournament matches and have logged 12 shutouts in 32 Valley tourney games all-time. The Bluejays have a 0.85 goals against average in 3,066 minutes all-time in the MVC postseason.
MVC Tournament Recognition: Current Bluejays Tim Bohnenkamp, Byron Dacy and Chris Schuler were each named to the MVC All-Tournament Team last year, with Dacy earning tournament MVP honors. Dacy also earned all-tournament honors as a freshman in 2005.
Undefeated: Creighton went 4-0-2 in the MVC regular-season this year, its first undefeated Valley slate since the 1996 team went 5-0-0. CU was also unbeaten in MVC play in 1995 (4-0-1), 1993 (5-0-0) and 1992 (4-0-1). Along with Bradley's 4-0-2 record this season, only 12 teams have gone undefeated through an entire Valley slate since the league started in 1991.
NCAA Tournament: The Bluejays will be looking to lock up the MVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament this week. Should CU not win the event, it appears a lock to make its 16th straight NCAA Tournament. Only Indiana, St. John's, UCLA and Virginia have been to the last 15 NCAA postseasons.
Thayer Honored: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his part in helping CU to a 3-1 road victory at Evansville in the regular-season finale last Saturday. Thayer scored his second goal and second game-winning tally of the year and combined with his teammates to limit the MVC's top offense to just one goal and only four shots on goal. He is the seventh different Bluejay to earn MVC Player of the Week recognition this year. Thayer was also tabbed to the Soccer America National Team of the Week for his play.
Other Honors: Including Jeff Thayer, the Bluejays have been tabbed MVC Player of the Week eight times this season. The others are ? Offensive: Tim Walters (9/17), Tony Schmitz (10/15), Thomas Gjoesund (10/22); Defensive: Chris Schuler (9/10), Seth Sinovic (9/24, 10/8) and Matt Allen (10/15).
Streak at 10: Creighton enters the MVC tournament on a 10-match unbeaten streak (7-0-3), its longest since 2000. The Jays had not gone unbeaten in 10 straight matches since the 2000 team won 11 consecutive matches leading up to the NCAA Tournament Championship match.
Duran Returns: Highly touted freshman Andrew Duran returned to the Bluejay lineup last Saturday after missing the last 10 games due to a bout with mononucleosis. Duran not only returned to play, he started and played all 90 minutes. Duran filled a spot in the midfield which was vacated by regular starter Danny Minutillo, who had to miss the match due to yellow card accumulation.
Flair for the Dramatic: Junior Tim Walters spent last Thursday night in an Omaha hospital and could not travel with the team to Evansville. He did however travel after the team had left, made the match and came off the bench to score the equalizer as the Bluejays overcame a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 road victory. Earlier this season Walters was named the Saint Louis Nike Classic Tournament MVP in his home town, scoring the game-winning goal against No. 2 Indiana - his father's alma mater.
RPI Numbers: The NCAA released its final RPI list on Nov. 13. Creighton was fifth in the initial RPI report, eighth in the second report and 11th in the final one. Notably, CU opponents Indiana (3), Tulsa (17), Washington (24) and UCLA (29) and are in the top 30. See the top 12 Below:
NCAA Men's Soccer RPI Top 12
1. Wake Forest 7. UC Santa Barbara
2. Boston College 8. Connecticut
3. Indiana 9. Santa Clara
4. Ohio State 10. Maryland
5. Brown 11. Creighton
6. Northwestern 12. Akron
Speaking of the Top 10: Creighton is in the top 10 of the four major soccer polls this week, remaining at its highest NSCAA spot this year at No. 7. Soccer Times also ranks the Jays seventh, College Soccer News has CU ninth and Soccer America ranks the Jays 10th.
Attendance Figures: Creighton is on pace to shatter its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 3,117 fans through nine home matches this season. While the NCAA does not release attendance figures until the end of the season, an unofficial look around the country shows Creighton leading the nation in average attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/13)
1. Creighton - 3,117
2. Connecticut - 3,018
3. Duke - 2,788
4. UC Santa Barbara - 2,702
5. Indiana - 2,455
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 35-6-10 (.784) all-time, including 4-1-4 this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 137-22-15 at home. The Bluejays are 51-4-3 at home all-time in Missouri Valley Conference play, including 16-1-2 at Morrison Stadium. CU's lone Valley loss at Morrison Stadium was a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. Since then, the Bluejays have gone unbeaten in their last 13 MVC regular-season home matches. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans have turned out in record numbers this season, including a school record 5,812 for the UCLA match on Sept. 8. CU's match with Tulsa on Sept. 22 drew 4,023. The 4,023 fans ranked as the sixth-highest game attendance in school history.
Top Six Creighton Home Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 ? 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
5 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
6 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
5 ? 3,746 vs. Georgetown, Sept. 1, 2006
Three's Company: Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha this year, recording a 4-0-1 mark in road games and 2-0-0 at neutral sites. The Jays are joined by just two other teams in the nation which can make the same claim. No. 4 Brown is 5-0-0 in road games and 0-0-1 in neutral sites, while Lafayette is 1-0-5 in road games and 2-0-1 in neutral games this season.
No Road Trip Ups: CU has not lost away from Omaha this year, notching a 6-0-1 mark outside of Morrison Stadium. CU is 4-0-1 in true road matches. The Bluejays have lost at least two games away from Omaha every year since 1996. The 1995 squad was an unblemished 7-0-0 away from home.
Year Away Neutral
2007 4-0-1 2-0-0
2006 5-3-1 2-1-0
2005 5-4-1 2-0-1
2004 3-2-1 1-1-0
2003 5-2-1 0-2-1
2002 7-2-1 3-1-0
2001 3-3-0 1-4-0
2000 9-2-0 4-1-0
1999 4-4-1 0-0-0
1998 5-4-2 3-0-0
1997 4-3-1 3-1-0
1996 6-1-2 4-1-0
1995 5-0-0 2-0-0
OT Info: Creighton established a school record by playing in its fifth tie of the season at Drake (Nov. 3). The Jays trumped the former record of four set by the 2003 team. CU's overtime match at DU also tied the school record for overtime matches in a season at eight, set just last year when the team was 3-2-3 in overtime matches. CU is 3-0-5 in OT this season.
Minute Man: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen has established the school record for career minutes played in net. The four-year starter has now played 6,171 minutes, topping the former record of 5,974 set by Jim Dalla Riva from 1981-84.
Another Allen Record: With back-to-back shutouts of UNC Greensboro (Oct. 20) and Missouri State (Oct. 27), Matt Allen has tied the school record for shutouts in a career. Allen has 24 shutouts to tie the record Jay Fitzgerald set from 1991-95.
More on Matt: And yet another achievement by senior goalkeeper Matt Allen. The Omaha native became the third player in school history to win at least 40 games in his career with a 1-0 shutout over Missouri State (Oct. 27). With the win over Evansville, he is now tied for second place in CU history with current goalkeeper coach Mike Gabb at 41 victories.
Foreign Connection: Creighton's co-leading point-scorers this year were not born in the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 13 points. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov is tied for the team-lead with five assists and 13 points in his first season with the Bluejays.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton has just one loss through its first 16 matches. The last time the Jays went this deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
Thayer Scores: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was a member of the MVC All-Freshman team when he scored four goals and 12 points as a forward last year. This season Thayer has played the majority of the season in the back. Against Missouri State (Oct. 27) he earned on a start in the midfield and scored his first goal of the year and his first career game-winner.
Time to Turn it Up: Since 2002, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .677, while their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is now .756, including a 6-0-3 mark this year. See the chart below:
Year Pre-Oct. Oct.-On NCAA
2002 5-2-1 13-2-1 College Cup
2003 3-3-2 9-3-2 Quarterfinals
2004 6-1-0 8-3-2 Third Round
2005 4-1-2 11-4-1 Quarterfinals
2006 6-3-2 7-2-1 First Round
2007 4-1-2 6-0-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 54-14-10
October Success: Since 2002, Creighton is now 34-7-6 (.787) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003. The Bluejays were unbeaten in October (5-0-2) this year.
CK Record: After twice previously tying the Morrison Stadium record for corner kicks this season, the Bluejays established a new record for corner kicks in their 1-0 win over Missouri State (Oct. 27). CU attempted 15 corners in the win, trumping the old record of 13, which had been accomplished three times previously.
Go to the Corner: Creighton's record-setting corner kick performance is a continuation of a year-long trend in which the Bluejays are dominating in the CK stat category. CU leads the MVC with 8.2 corner kicks per game and owns a 131-64 edge in corners.
Holy Schmitz: Senior Tony Schmitz scored the game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois with just 0.4 seconds showing on the clock in double overtime on Oct. 13. He also scored the equalizer in CU's 2-2 tie with Bradley on Oct. 1.
We're Even: Eight of Creighton's 16 matches this season have gone into overtime, with the Jays owning a 3-0-5 mark in extra time. Of Creighton's record setting five ties this year, the first four came at home, as the Bluejays have now recorded 10 ties at Morrison Stadium since the venue opened in 2003. Prior to 2003, the Bluejays had just five home draws combined between 1990 and 2002. CU is 17-10-27 all-time under Bob Warming in overtime games.
Hawaii Two-O: Hawaii native Jeremy Wittig (jersey No. 20) scored his first career goal and added his first career assist in Creighton's 2-2 draw with Bradley (Oct. 10). The redshirt freshman headed in CU's first goal in the 29th minute and then assisted on Tony Schmitz's goal in the 57th minute. Making the night all the more special for Wittig, his family had traveled from Hawaii to watch the match.
Go Gjoesund: Thomas Gjoesund's first career goal was a memorable one against 24th-ranked Washington (Sept. 29). The defender-turned-attacker scored the game-winning goal in overtime, as his direct free kick was blasted past the UW keeper to give CU a 2-1 win in the 98th minute. The sophomore had played just 18 minutes off the bench in the match, while playing out of position due to several Bluejay injuries. It was just his 10th career shot in his 22nd career game.
Oh Shoot: Andrei Gotsmanov led a record-setting night against Bradley (Oct. 10). The junior unleashed 10 shots to set the CU record for shots at Morrison Stadium and tie the venue record set by Alejandro Bedoya of Fairleigh Dickinson (vs. Missouri State on Sept. 1, 2006). CU's 28 shots against BU also established a school record for shots at Morrison Stadium and fell one shy FDU's record set against MSU that same day. Gotsmanov has established a Morrison Stadium record for shots in a season, with 38 shots attempted at home this year.
Battling the Best: Creighton's win over second-ranked Indiana (Sept. 13) was the Bluejays' best win against a top 25 team since topping No. 2 SMU in 2000. The win improved the Bluejays to 5-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll. CU is 2-0-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams this year, while also playing to a scoreless draw with No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 8) and defeating No. 24 Washington 2-1 on Sept. 29. The Bluejays are now 8-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 18-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 46-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Dacy Has Surgery: Junior forward Byron Dacy underwent surgery to repair his torn left ACL on Oct. 10. Dacy suffered the injury in the 13th minute of CU's exhibition match with Ohio State on Aug. 18. He attempted to rehabilitate the knee and played in two regular-season matches - two minutes against UCLA (Sept. 8) and 19 minutes against Loyola Marymount (Sept. 15). He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against LMU.
Write the Script: Junior forward Tim Walters enjoyed an outstanding homecoming at the Saint Louis Nike Classic (Sept. 13-15). The St. Louis native scored the game-winning goal against second-ranked Indiana in a 2-1 win (Sept. 13). Making the homecoming all the more special, Tim's father played soccer at IU from 1976-79. Walters was rewarded with his first start as a Bluejay on Sept. 15 and he assisted the game-winning goal in overtime of CU's 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount. For his efforts in leading CU to the co-championship of the tournament, he was named co-MVP, MVC Offensive Player of the Week and to three national teams of the week.
Three of a Kind: CU's backline of Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic and Jeff Thayer were each named to the Saint Louis Nike Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 13-15) for their efforts in shutting down No. 2 Indiana, 2-1, and shutting out Loyola Marymount. 1-0. Sinovic also earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, one week after Schuler earned the award.
Andrei the Giant: Junior Andrei Gotsmanov paid immediate dividends in his first weekend at Creighton, scoring CU's first game-winning goal of the year and notching a multiple goal match in the Jays' 3-0 win over Green Bay. The multiple goal match was the fourth of Gotsmanov's career, after recording two hat tricks and a two-goal match at St. John's as a freshman in 2004 (his only other year of collegiate competition).
Rookie Watch: Freshmen Andrew Duran and Tucker Sindlinger have been named among the Top 100 Freshmen to Watch by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Duran, a two-time prep All-American, was named the NSCAA National Player of the Year last season as a midfielder at Lincoln-Way (Ill.) East High. Sindlinger, a forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has extensive international playing experience as part of the Region II Olympic Development Program.
Homecoming: Two former Bluejay standouts have returned to the Bluejay bench this season. Mike Gabb, a two-time College Cup participant and CU goalkeeper from 1998-2002, has returned as an assistant coach working with the keepers. Two-time National Player of the Year and CU Athletics Hall of Famer Johnny Torres is back as an undergraduate manager as he finishes his degree. Torres, arguably the greatest player in school and league history, played at CU from 1994-97 and played professionally for the past 10 years.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen and junior forward Byron Dacy have been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Allen enters this season on pace to set CU career records for shutouts and minutes played. Dacy has led the team in scoring in each of his first two seasons, but will miss the remainder of this year due to a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. Allen joins Dacy on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current manager, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2007 Byron Dacy & Matt Allen
2006 Byron Dacy
2004 Julian Nash
2003 David Wagenfuhr
2002 Mike Tranchilla
2001 Mike Tranchilla
1997 Johnny Torres (Won)
1996 Ross Paule
1993 Keith DeFini & Brian Kamler
Exhibition Recap: Creighton played just one exhibition match this year, tying Ohio State 2-2 at home on Aug. 18. CU twice trailed and twice scored the equalizer, with senior Sam Eid providing the first goal and redshirt freshman Jeremy Wittig scoring the second goal in the 88th minute to even the match up. No overtime was played. Preseason National Player of the Year Candidate Matt Allen made five saves in goal for CU, while the Bluejays' other representative on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, Byron Dacy, did not fare as well. Dacy was injured in the 13th minute, suffering a torn left ACL and played just two matches in the regular-season before opting for season-ending surgery.
Last Season in Short: Creighton finished the 2006 season with a 13-5-3 record, after losing a first-round NCAA Tournament match at Washington, 3-0. The tournament appearance was Creighton's 15th straight, as they are one of just five teams in Division I to have appeared in each of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments. The Bluejays won both the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles last year, while they also had the MVC Player of the Year (Michael Kraus) and MVC Defensive Player of the Year (Matt Allen). Allen returns this year, as does the MVC Tournament MVP Byron Dacy and Freshman All-American Chris Schuler. Dacy topped the team with six assists and 16 points last year, while Kraus, who now plays in the MLS with the Kansas City Wizards, led the team with six goals, including five game-winners.
First Round ? Wednesday, Nov. 14, 5 & 7:30 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
Semifinals ? Friday, Nov. 16, 5 & 7:30 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
Championship ? Sunday, Nov. 18, 1:05 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium
This Week: The Bluejays play host to the State Farm MVC Tournament at Morrison Stadium. Play begins Wednesday with first round games, while the Bluejays will not play until the semifinals on Friday. The Jays are the No. 2 seed for the third straight year and will play the winner of the match between No. 3 Evansville and No. 6 Missouri State. CU's semifinal will kick off at 5:00 p.m. Friday, followed by the No. 1 seed Bradley playing the winner of the No. 4 Drake and No. 5 Eastern Illinois match at 7:30 p.m. The championship match is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday and will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest. (Complete tournament information on page seven of this week's notes.)
Last Week: Creighton concluded the regular-season with a 3-1 road win at Evansville to clinch its eighth MVC regular-season title and go undefeated in Valley play for the first time since 1996. CU fell behind 1-0 to UE, but a Tim Walters goal in the first half brought the Jays even before halftime. Jeff Thayer and Tucker Sindlinger scored in the second half to secure the road win and move CU to 6-0-1 away from Omaha this year. Thayer was named MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Scouting Creighton (10-1-5, 4-0-2 MVC): The Bluejays have claimed their eighth MVC regular-season championship, making an undefeated run through conference play (4-0-2) for the first time since 1996. CU enters the regular-season finale on a 10-match unbeaten streak, going 7-0-3 since its only loss of the year on Sept. 22. The 10-match unbeaten streak is the longest by the Jays since winning 11 straight leading up to the 2000 NCAA title game. The Bluejays are 4-1-4 at home this season, and 6-0-1 away from Omaha. CU has the top defense in the league, allowing just 15 goals in 16 games for a 0.86 goals against average. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund is Creighton's leading scorer, with six goals in 12 games played. He is tied with junior Andrei Gotsmanov for the team-lead with 13 points, while senior Tim Bohnenkamp is tied with Gotsmanov's five assists for the team-lead. Gotsmanov is joined by Tony Schmitz and Tim Walters with four goals each. CU is having success despite the loss of preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. The CU defense is anchored by sophomores Chris Schuler and Jeff Thayer, along with junior Seth Sinovic. Senior Matt Allen, the only goalkeeper on the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list, has played every minute in net this year and has played more career minutes than any keeper in school history. On the season he has made 60 saves and has a 0.86 goals against average along with five shutouts.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 165-53-27 (.729) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 358-172-57 (.658) in his 30th year of coaching. Warming, the MVC All-Centennial Coach and the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and is a two-time MVC Coach of the Year. He was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and ranked eighth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open the year.
MVC Tournament History: The Bluejays enter the weekend with a 26-5-1 all-time MVC tournament record, the most tournament victories in league history (Bradley is next with 10). CU has won more tournament titles, 10, than all other MVC teams combined, earning its 10th with a 2-1 overtime victory at Bradley in the title game last season. The Jays have lost in the quarterfinals once, the semifinals three times, lost twice in the championship match and won the other 10 tournaments in which they've appeared. The Jays are the only team in league history with more than three tournament titles. CU is 11-2-1 all-time in MVC tournament games played in Omaha, including 1-1-1 in its three MVC tourney games at Morrison Stadium.
Defending Champs: Creighton has won the last two MVC Tournament titles and will be aiming for a “three-peat” this week. CU won four straight titles from 1992-95.
Home Field Advantage?: No team has won the MVC tournament title on its home field since Creighton did so in 1994. The Bluejays also won at home in 1992 and 1993, while Tulsa hosted and won the event in 1991. The event was at a neutral site from 2000-03, and returned to campus sites in 2004. SMU won in Omaha in 2004, while Creighton has won in Peoria the last two seasons.
Up Next: Creighton will face the winner of the Evansville-Missouri State match. CU defeated Evansville 3-1 at UE last Saturday and topped Missouri State 1-0 in Omaha on Oct. 27. The Jays are 4-1-0 against the Purple Aces in the MVC Tournament, including a 3-1 win in Omaha the last time the team's met in the postseason. The Jays are 5-1-0 against MSU in the MVC tourney, with the Bears pulling of a 1-0 upset over CU in 2003 in Omaha.
Defense Wins Championships: The Bluejays have posted three shutouts in their last four MVC Tournament matches and have logged 12 shutouts in 32 Valley tourney games all-time. The Bluejays have a 0.85 goals against average in 3,066 minutes all-time in the MVC postseason.
MVC Tournament Recognition: Current Bluejays Tim Bohnenkamp, Byron Dacy and Chris Schuler were each named to the MVC All-Tournament Team last year, with Dacy earning tournament MVP honors. Dacy also earned all-tournament honors as a freshman in 2005.
Undefeated: Creighton went 4-0-2 in the MVC regular-season this year, its first undefeated Valley slate since the 1996 team went 5-0-0. CU was also unbeaten in MVC play in 1995 (4-0-1), 1993 (5-0-0) and 1992 (4-0-1). Along with Bradley's 4-0-2 record this season, only 12 teams have gone undefeated through an entire Valley slate since the league started in 1991.
NCAA Tournament: The Bluejays will be looking to lock up the MVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament this week. Should CU not win the event, it appears a lock to make its 16th straight NCAA Tournament. Only Indiana, St. John's, UCLA and Virginia have been to the last 15 NCAA postseasons.
Thayer Honored: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his part in helping CU to a 3-1 road victory at Evansville in the regular-season finale last Saturday. Thayer scored his second goal and second game-winning tally of the year and combined with his teammates to limit the MVC's top offense to just one goal and only four shots on goal. He is the seventh different Bluejay to earn MVC Player of the Week recognition this year. Thayer was also tabbed to the Soccer America National Team of the Week for his play.
Other Honors: Including Jeff Thayer, the Bluejays have been tabbed MVC Player of the Week eight times this season. The others are ? Offensive: Tim Walters (9/17), Tony Schmitz (10/15), Thomas Gjoesund (10/22); Defensive: Chris Schuler (9/10), Seth Sinovic (9/24, 10/8) and Matt Allen (10/15).
Streak at 10: Creighton enters the MVC tournament on a 10-match unbeaten streak (7-0-3), its longest since 2000. The Jays had not gone unbeaten in 10 straight matches since the 2000 team won 11 consecutive matches leading up to the NCAA Tournament Championship match.
Duran Returns: Highly touted freshman Andrew Duran returned to the Bluejay lineup last Saturday after missing the last 10 games due to a bout with mononucleosis. Duran not only returned to play, he started and played all 90 minutes. Duran filled a spot in the midfield which was vacated by regular starter Danny Minutillo, who had to miss the match due to yellow card accumulation.
Flair for the Dramatic: Junior Tim Walters spent last Thursday night in an Omaha hospital and could not travel with the team to Evansville. He did however travel after the team had left, made the match and came off the bench to score the equalizer as the Bluejays overcame a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 road victory. Earlier this season Walters was named the Saint Louis Nike Classic Tournament MVP in his home town, scoring the game-winning goal against No. 2 Indiana - his father's alma mater.
RPI Numbers: The NCAA released its final RPI list on Nov. 13. Creighton was fifth in the initial RPI report, eighth in the second report and 11th in the final one. Notably, CU opponents Indiana (3), Tulsa (17), Washington (24) and UCLA (29) and are in the top 30. See the top 12 Below:
NCAA Men's Soccer RPI Top 12
1. Wake Forest 7. UC Santa Barbara
2. Boston College 8. Connecticut
3. Indiana 9. Santa Clara
4. Ohio State 10. Maryland
5. Brown 11. Creighton
6. Northwestern 12. Akron
Speaking of the Top 10: Creighton is in the top 10 of the four major soccer polls this week, remaining at its highest NSCAA spot this year at No. 7. Soccer Times also ranks the Jays seventh, College Soccer News has CU ninth and Soccer America ranks the Jays 10th.
Attendance Figures: Creighton is on pace to shatter its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 3,117 fans through nine home matches this season. While the NCAA does not release attendance figures until the end of the season, an unofficial look around the country shows Creighton leading the nation in average attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/13)
1. Creighton - 3,117
2. Connecticut - 3,018
3. Duke - 2,788
4. UC Santa Barbara - 2,702
5. Indiana - 2,455
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 35-6-10 (.784) all-time, including 4-1-4 this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 137-22-15 at home. The Bluejays are 51-4-3 at home all-time in Missouri Valley Conference play, including 16-1-2 at Morrison Stadium. CU's lone Valley loss at Morrison Stadium was a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. Since then, the Bluejays have gone unbeaten in their last 13 MVC regular-season home matches. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans have turned out in record numbers this season, including a school record 5,812 for the UCLA match on Sept. 8. CU's match with Tulsa on Sept. 22 drew 4,023. The 4,023 fans ranked as the sixth-highest game attendance in school history.
Top Six Creighton Home Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 ? 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
5 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
6 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
5 ? 3,746 vs. Georgetown, Sept. 1, 2006
Three's Company: Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha this year, recording a 4-0-1 mark in road games and 2-0-0 at neutral sites. The Jays are joined by just two other teams in the nation which can make the same claim. No. 4 Brown is 5-0-0 in road games and 0-0-1 in neutral sites, while Lafayette is 1-0-5 in road games and 2-0-1 in neutral games this season.
No Road Trip Ups: CU has not lost away from Omaha this year, notching a 6-0-1 mark outside of Morrison Stadium. CU is 4-0-1 in true road matches. The Bluejays have lost at least two games away from Omaha every year since 1996. The 1995 squad was an unblemished 7-0-0 away from home.
Year Away Neutral
2007 4-0-1 2-0-0
2006 5-3-1 2-1-0
2005 5-4-1 2-0-1
2004 3-2-1 1-1-0
2003 5-2-1 0-2-1
2002 7-2-1 3-1-0
2001 3-3-0 1-4-0
2000 9-2-0 4-1-0
1999 4-4-1 0-0-0
1998 5-4-2 3-0-0
1997 4-3-1 3-1-0
1996 6-1-2 4-1-0
1995 5-0-0 2-0-0
OT Info: Creighton established a school record by playing in its fifth tie of the season at Drake (Nov. 3). The Jays trumped the former record of four set by the 2003 team. CU's overtime match at DU also tied the school record for overtime matches in a season at eight, set just last year when the team was 3-2-3 in overtime matches. CU is 3-0-5 in OT this season.
Minute Man: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen has established the school record for career minutes played in net. The four-year starter has now played 6,171 minutes, topping the former record of 5,974 set by Jim Dalla Riva from 1981-84.
Another Allen Record: With back-to-back shutouts of UNC Greensboro (Oct. 20) and Missouri State (Oct. 27), Matt Allen has tied the school record for shutouts in a career. Allen has 24 shutouts to tie the record Jay Fitzgerald set from 1991-95.
More on Matt: And yet another achievement by senior goalkeeper Matt Allen. The Omaha native became the third player in school history to win at least 40 games in his career with a 1-0 shutout over Missouri State (Oct. 27). With the win over Evansville, he is now tied for second place in CU history with current goalkeeper coach Mike Gabb at 41 victories.
Foreign Connection: Creighton's co-leading point-scorers this year were not born in the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 13 points. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov is tied for the team-lead with five assists and 13 points in his first season with the Bluejays.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton has just one loss through its first 16 matches. The last time the Jays went this deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
Thayer Scores: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was a member of the MVC All-Freshman team when he scored four goals and 12 points as a forward last year. This season Thayer has played the majority of the season in the back. Against Missouri State (Oct. 27) he earned on a start in the midfield and scored his first goal of the year and his first career game-winner.
Time to Turn it Up: Since 2002, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .677, while their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is now .756, including a 6-0-3 mark this year. See the chart below:
Year Pre-Oct. Oct.-On NCAA
2002 5-2-1 13-2-1 College Cup
2003 3-3-2 9-3-2 Quarterfinals
2004 6-1-0 8-3-2 Third Round
2005 4-1-2 11-4-1 Quarterfinals
2006 6-3-2 7-2-1 First Round
2007 4-1-2 6-0-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 54-14-10
October Success: Since 2002, Creighton is now 34-7-6 (.787) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003. The Bluejays were unbeaten in October (5-0-2) this year.
CK Record: After twice previously tying the Morrison Stadium record for corner kicks this season, the Bluejays established a new record for corner kicks in their 1-0 win over Missouri State (Oct. 27). CU attempted 15 corners in the win, trumping the old record of 13, which had been accomplished three times previously.
Go to the Corner: Creighton's record-setting corner kick performance is a continuation of a year-long trend in which the Bluejays are dominating in the CK stat category. CU leads the MVC with 8.2 corner kicks per game and owns a 131-64 edge in corners.
Holy Schmitz: Senior Tony Schmitz scored the game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois with just 0.4 seconds showing on the clock in double overtime on Oct. 13. He also scored the equalizer in CU's 2-2 tie with Bradley on Oct. 1.
We're Even: Eight of Creighton's 16 matches this season have gone into overtime, with the Jays owning a 3-0-5 mark in extra time. Of Creighton's record setting five ties this year, the first four came at home, as the Bluejays have now recorded 10 ties at Morrison Stadium since the venue opened in 2003. Prior to 2003, the Bluejays had just five home draws combined between 1990 and 2002. CU is 17-10-27 all-time under Bob Warming in overtime games.
Hawaii Two-O: Hawaii native Jeremy Wittig (jersey No. 20) scored his first career goal and added his first career assist in Creighton's 2-2 draw with Bradley (Oct. 10). The redshirt freshman headed in CU's first goal in the 29th minute and then assisted on Tony Schmitz's goal in the 57th minute. Making the night all the more special for Wittig, his family had traveled from Hawaii to watch the match.
Go Gjoesund: Thomas Gjoesund's first career goal was a memorable one against 24th-ranked Washington (Sept. 29). The defender-turned-attacker scored the game-winning goal in overtime, as his direct free kick was blasted past the UW keeper to give CU a 2-1 win in the 98th minute. The sophomore had played just 18 minutes off the bench in the match, while playing out of position due to several Bluejay injuries. It was just his 10th career shot in his 22nd career game.
Oh Shoot: Andrei Gotsmanov led a record-setting night against Bradley (Oct. 10). The junior unleashed 10 shots to set the CU record for shots at Morrison Stadium and tie the venue record set by Alejandro Bedoya of Fairleigh Dickinson (vs. Missouri State on Sept. 1, 2006). CU's 28 shots against BU also established a school record for shots at Morrison Stadium and fell one shy FDU's record set against MSU that same day. Gotsmanov has established a Morrison Stadium record for shots in a season, with 38 shots attempted at home this year.
Battling the Best: Creighton's win over second-ranked Indiana (Sept. 13) was the Bluejays' best win against a top 25 team since topping No. 2 SMU in 2000. The win improved the Bluejays to 5-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll. CU is 2-0-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams this year, while also playing to a scoreless draw with No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 8) and defeating No. 24 Washington 2-1 on Sept. 29. The Bluejays are now 8-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 18-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 46-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Dacy Has Surgery: Junior forward Byron Dacy underwent surgery to repair his torn left ACL on Oct. 10. Dacy suffered the injury in the 13th minute of CU's exhibition match with Ohio State on Aug. 18. He attempted to rehabilitate the knee and played in two regular-season matches - two minutes against UCLA (Sept. 8) and 19 minutes against Loyola Marymount (Sept. 15). He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against LMU.
Write the Script: Junior forward Tim Walters enjoyed an outstanding homecoming at the Saint Louis Nike Classic (Sept. 13-15). The St. Louis native scored the game-winning goal against second-ranked Indiana in a 2-1 win (Sept. 13). Making the homecoming all the more special, Tim's father played soccer at IU from 1976-79. Walters was rewarded with his first start as a Bluejay on Sept. 15 and he assisted the game-winning goal in overtime of CU's 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount. For his efforts in leading CU to the co-championship of the tournament, he was named co-MVP, MVC Offensive Player of the Week and to three national teams of the week.
Three of a Kind: CU's backline of Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic and Jeff Thayer were each named to the Saint Louis Nike Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 13-15) for their efforts in shutting down No. 2 Indiana, 2-1, and shutting out Loyola Marymount. 1-0. Sinovic also earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, one week after Schuler earned the award.
Andrei the Giant: Junior Andrei Gotsmanov paid immediate dividends in his first weekend at Creighton, scoring CU's first game-winning goal of the year and notching a multiple goal match in the Jays' 3-0 win over Green Bay. The multiple goal match was the fourth of Gotsmanov's career, after recording two hat tricks and a two-goal match at St. John's as a freshman in 2004 (his only other year of collegiate competition).
Rookie Watch: Freshmen Andrew Duran and Tucker Sindlinger have been named among the Top 100 Freshmen to Watch by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Duran, a two-time prep All-American, was named the NSCAA National Player of the Year last season as a midfielder at Lincoln-Way (Ill.) East High. Sindlinger, a forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has extensive international playing experience as part of the Region II Olympic Development Program.
Homecoming: Two former Bluejay standouts have returned to the Bluejay bench this season. Mike Gabb, a two-time College Cup participant and CU goalkeeper from 1998-2002, has returned as an assistant coach working with the keepers. Two-time National Player of the Year and CU Athletics Hall of Famer Johnny Torres is back as an undergraduate manager as he finishes his degree. Torres, arguably the greatest player in school and league history, played at CU from 1994-97 and played professionally for the past 10 years.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen and junior forward Byron Dacy have been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Allen enters this season on pace to set CU career records for shutouts and minutes played. Dacy has led the team in scoring in each of his first two seasons, but will miss the remainder of this year due to a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. Allen joins Dacy on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current manager, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2007 Byron Dacy & Matt Allen
2006 Byron Dacy
2004 Julian Nash
2003 David Wagenfuhr
2002 Mike Tranchilla
2001 Mike Tranchilla
1997 Johnny Torres (Won)
1996 Ross Paule
1993 Keith DeFini & Brian Kamler
Exhibition Recap: Creighton played just one exhibition match this year, tying Ohio State 2-2 at home on Aug. 18. CU twice trailed and twice scored the equalizer, with senior Sam Eid providing the first goal and redshirt freshman Jeremy Wittig scoring the second goal in the 88th minute to even the match up. No overtime was played. Preseason National Player of the Year Candidate Matt Allen made five saves in goal for CU, while the Bluejays' other representative on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, Byron Dacy, did not fare as well. Dacy was injured in the 13th minute, suffering a torn left ACL and played just two matches in the regular-season before opting for season-ending surgery.
Last Season in Short: Creighton finished the 2006 season with a 13-5-3 record, after losing a first-round NCAA Tournament match at Washington, 3-0. The tournament appearance was Creighton's 15th straight, as they are one of just five teams in Division I to have appeared in each of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments. The Bluejays won both the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles last year, while they also had the MVC Player of the Year (Michael Kraus) and MVC Defensive Player of the Year (Matt Allen). Allen returns this year, as does the MVC Tournament MVP Byron Dacy and Freshman All-American Chris Schuler. Dacy topped the team with six assists and 16 points last year, while Kraus, who now plays in the MLS with the Kansas City Wizards, led the team with six goals, including five game-winners.
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/ Men's SoccerCreighton Media Availability Men's Soccer - 11/5/25
Wednesday, November 05
Creighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Seton Hall 11 1 25
Sunday, November 02
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability - 10/29/25
Wednesday, October 29
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights at Butler -10-25-25
Saturday, October 25
