Creighton University Athletics
Men's Soccer Hosts Illinois-Chicago in NCAA Third Round
11/30/2007 12:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#7 Creighton hosts UIC ? NCAA Tournament Third Round
Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:00 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium ? Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Free live video is being provided for the match. Fans can access the video feed, which will have play-by-play from Peter Della Penna, by clicking on the live video link on the Creighton athletics homepage. Live stats for the third-round match can also be found on the Bluejays' homepage.
This Week: The seventh-ranked and eighth-seeded Bluejays continue their 16th straight NCAA Tournament run by playing host to unseeded Illinois-Chicago. Creighton and UIC will kickoff at Morrison Stadium in Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals where it will face the winner of the match between Massachusetts and Central Connecticut State. (All-time NCAA Tournament results and records on page seven of this week's notes).
Second Round Recap: Creighton knocked off fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 on Wednesday night in Omaha. Tim Bohnenkamp scored on the first shot of the game just 5:13 into the match to put the Jays up for good. In the 26th minute SMU's Ben Shuleva picked up a red card and the Jays played with a man advantage for the final 64 minutes. CU made it 2-0 before halftime with Andrei Gotsmanov's goal in the 37th minute and concluded scoring with a Mo Travis tally in the 87th minute. Matt Allen made five of his six saves in the second half for CU's seventh shutout of the season and Allen's 26th career clean sheet.
Scouting Creighton (12-2-5, 4-0-2 MVC): The Bluejays head to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with just one loss in their last 13 matches, going 9-1-3 in that span. The Bluejays are 6-2-4 at home this year and 37-7-10 all-time at Morrison Stadium. The Jays went undefeated (4-0-2) in conference play for the first time since 1996 and shared the MVC regular-season title for the second straight year to claim their eighth regular-season crown. CU is making its 16th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, where it is 20-14-3 all-time, including a perfect 4-0-0 mark at Morrison Stadium, out-scoring opponents 15-2 in those four matches. The Bluejay defense anchors the team, led by two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year Matt Allen in goal. Allen has allowed just 16 goals in 19 games for a 0.78 goals against average while playing every minute in net for the Jays this year. He has played more minutes in net than any keeper in school history and owns the CU record with 26 career shutouts. First-team all-conference defender Chris Schuler is joined by second-teamer Seth Sinovic and all-freshman honoree Sergio Castillo to form a solid backline which posted seven shutouts this year. Second-team all-MVC midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with 17 points and is tied for the team-lead with six goals, while fellow second-teamer Tim Bohnenkamp leads the squad with six assists. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund also has six goals in just 14 games for the Jays this fall. First-team forward Tony Schmitz adds 13 points (4 g, 5 a). CU's success if coming despite preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy missing the year with a torn ACL.
Scouting UIC (12-5-6, 4-1-3 Horizon): The Flames are 6-0-1 in their last seven matches, allowing just one goal in that span, as UIC owns a minute 0.57 team goals against average this year. UIC upset No. 9 seed Northwestern 2-0 to arrive here. The Horizon League Tournament champions have four first-team all-conference selections. Sophomore goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja has made 51 saves and owns a 0.52 GAA. Three of UIC's four midfielders join Bubonja on the first-team, with the top-two scorers leading the way. Cesar Zambrano leads the team with six goals, seven assists and 19 points, while Pavle Dundjer is second with five goals and 13 points. Baggio Husidic (3 g, 1 a) also earned first-team conference honors. UIC has out-scored opponents 35-14 this year.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 167-54-27 (.728) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 360-173-57 (.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 14 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.
CU-UIC Series: The Jays and Flames have met just once previously, a 2-1 UIC victory on Oct. 5, 2005 at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays out-shot UIC 26-6 in the match, but the only two shots the Flames put on goal found the back of the net. UIC earned five yellow cards in the match, while CU was handed two cards. All three goals came after the half, including the game-winner in the 81st minute.
Offensive Explosion: Creighton has out-scored its opponents 15-2 in the four NCAA Tournament matches held at Morrison Stadium, while it has won five straight NCAA postseason home games by an 18-4 count. The Jays have won each of their previous four NCAA tourney matches at this venue, scoring at least three goals in each match. Three of the four tournament matches at Morrison Stadium have been shutouts as CU defeated UMKC 6-0 in the 2003 first round, out-did nationally-ranked Northwestern 3-2 in the 2004 second round, blanked Lafayette 3-0 in the first round in 2005 and knocked off fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Similar Foes: Creighton and UIC have played five of the same opponents this season; Bradley, Missouri State, Indiana, Western Illinois and Green Bay. Against those teams, CU went 3-1-2, while the Flames were 3-3-0. The Jays had wins over UWGB, IU and MSU, lost to BU and tied WIU and BU. UIC defeated WIU, BU and UWGB, and lost to MSU, IU and UWGB.
Against the Field: Creighton is 3-2-2 against the six teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over SMU, Indiana and Washington, were defeated by Bradley and Tulsa and tied UCLA and Bradley.
Select Company: Creighton is joined by some elite company in making its 16th straight NCAA tournament appearance. There are only three other schools in the nation which can boast the same feat of having appeared in each of the last 15 NCAA postseasons. Indiana, UCLA and Virginia have joined Creighton in each NCAA tournament since 1992. Of the four, only CU remains alive in this year's tournament.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of the third round match featuring Central Connecticut State (10-8-3) at Massachusetts (15-7-1). Should the Bluejays win, they would host that winner on Friday, Dec. 7 at Morrison Stadium at 7 p.m.
News of Note: History continues to play in Creighton's favor as evidenced by the bullet points below:
? CU is 6-2-4 at home this year. The Jays have never lost three matches at Morrison Stadium in one season. The last time CU lost three home matches in a season was 1996 when it went 7-3-0.
? No opponent has recorded two wins over Creighton at Morrison Stadium.
? CU has won five straight home matches in the NCAA tournament, including all four NCAA matches played at Morrison Stadium.
? Last year CU lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the previous time CU fell in the first round was 2001. It followed that season with a 2002 trip to the College Cup.
? The last time CU was ranked in the top 10 heading into the NCAA Tournament, it advanced to the NCAA Championship match in 2000.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 37-7-10 (.778) all-time, including 6-2-4 this year and 4-0-0 in the NCAA tournament at Morrison Stadium. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 139-23-15 at home. CU is 51-4-3 at home all-time in MVC 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. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Sinovic the Scholar: Junior Seth Sinovic was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team this week. The economics major owns a 3.08 grade point average.
Beware the Eid: Senior Sam Eid earned an assist in Wednesday's 3-0 win over SMU, as his rocket shot bounced off the post and Mo Travis was able to put it in the net. The assist was just the third point in Eid's career, his other two also came in the NCAA Tournament on a goal at Penn State in 2005.
All-Conference Honors: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen became the first player in league history to twice be named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year. Listed below are the other 2007 all-conference Bluejays.
Bluejays on MVC First-Team
Matt Allen, Sr., GK
Tony Schmitz, Sr., M/F
Chris Schuler, So., D
Bluejays on MVC Second-Team
Tim Bohnenkamp, Sr., M/F
Andrei Gotsmanov, Jr., M
Seth Sinovic, Jr., D
Bluejays on MVC All-Freshman Team
Sergio Castillo, D/M
Tucker Sindlinger, F
MVC Tournament Recognition: The Bluejay defense shined in CU's MVC Tournament run, shutting out the highest-scoring offense in the league - Evansville - and allowing just one goal to Bradley in the championship match. Goalkeeper Matt Allen was joined by defenders Seth Sinovic and Sergio Castillo on the all-tournament team.
Streak Snapped at 11: Creighton had its unbeaten streak snapped at 11 matches with a loss to Bradley (Nov. 18). The Jays went 8-0-3 during the streak, its longest since winning 11 straight matches in 2000. That team won 11 straight leading up to the NCAA Tournament title match.
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 Jays are 6-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll, after a 3-0 win over No. 5 SMU (Nov. 28). CU is 3-0-1 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 Jays are now 9-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 19-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 47-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Allen's Numbers: Matt Allen continues to move up the CU career statistical charts. The senior goalkeeper posted his 26th career shutout against SMU (Nov. 28) to extend his career record for clean sheets. He also owns the school record, playing in 6,441 minutes in his four seasons. The Omaha native ranks second in school history with 43 wins, a 0.82 goals against average and 258 saves in his career.
That's a Winner: Sophomore Jeff Thayer has scored three goals this year, each of them accounting for game-winners. Thayer started much of the year on the backline for the Bluejays, but has recently moved to a midfield spot and has produced on offense. He has scored each of CU's last three game-winning goals in victories over Missouri State and twice over Evansville.
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.
Attendance Figures: This season Creighton will surpass its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 2,758 fans through 12 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 among the NCAA leaders in attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/30)
1. UC Santa Barbara - 3,435
2. Connecticut - 3,126
3. Duke - 2,788
4. Creighton - 2,758
5. Virginia - 2,345
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans 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 (Sept. 22) drew 4,023 ? 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
Bluejays and Brown: Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha this year, going 4-0-1 in road games and 2-0-0 at neutral sites. Brown is the only other school in the country that can make the same claim. The fourth-ranked Bears went 5-0-0 in road games and 0-0-1 in neutral sites this year.
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
Duran Returns: Highly touted freshman Andrew Duran has returned to the Bluejay lineup after missing 10 games due to a bout with mononucleosis. Duran not only returned to play at Evansville (Nov. 10), he started and played all 90 minutes. Duran, the National High School Player of the Year last year, has started CU's last three games.
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 on Nov. 10. 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 was one of seven different Bluejays 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 were 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).
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.
Foreign Connection: Creighton's leading point-scorer and goal-scorer do not hail from the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 13 points in just 14 matches. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov is tied with Gjoesund with six goals, while he adds five assists and leads the team with 17 points.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton had just one loss through its first 17 matches. The last time the Jays went that deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
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 .753, including a 8-1-3 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 8-1-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 56-15-10
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 7.6 corner kicks per game and owns a 145-78 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 19 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 44 shots attempted at home this year.
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.
Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:00 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium ? Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Free live video is being provided for the match. Fans can access the video feed, which will have play-by-play from Peter Della Penna, by clicking on the live video link on the Creighton athletics homepage. Live stats for the third-round match can also be found on the Bluejays' homepage.
This Week: The seventh-ranked and eighth-seeded Bluejays continue their 16th straight NCAA Tournament run by playing host to unseeded Illinois-Chicago. Creighton and UIC will kickoff at Morrison Stadium in Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals where it will face the winner of the match between Massachusetts and Central Connecticut State. (All-time NCAA Tournament results and records on page seven of this week's notes).
Second Round Recap: Creighton knocked off fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 on Wednesday night in Omaha. Tim Bohnenkamp scored on the first shot of the game just 5:13 into the match to put the Jays up for good. In the 26th minute SMU's Ben Shuleva picked up a red card and the Jays played with a man advantage for the final 64 minutes. CU made it 2-0 before halftime with Andrei Gotsmanov's goal in the 37th minute and concluded scoring with a Mo Travis tally in the 87th minute. Matt Allen made five of his six saves in the second half for CU's seventh shutout of the season and Allen's 26th career clean sheet.
Scouting Creighton (12-2-5, 4-0-2 MVC): The Bluejays head to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with just one loss in their last 13 matches, going 9-1-3 in that span. The Bluejays are 6-2-4 at home this year and 37-7-10 all-time at Morrison Stadium. The Jays went undefeated (4-0-2) in conference play for the first time since 1996 and shared the MVC regular-season title for the second straight year to claim their eighth regular-season crown. CU is making its 16th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, where it is 20-14-3 all-time, including a perfect 4-0-0 mark at Morrison Stadium, out-scoring opponents 15-2 in those four matches. The Bluejay defense anchors the team, led by two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year Matt Allen in goal. Allen has allowed just 16 goals in 19 games for a 0.78 goals against average while playing every minute in net for the Jays this year. He has played more minutes in net than any keeper in school history and owns the CU record with 26 career shutouts. First-team all-conference defender Chris Schuler is joined by second-teamer Seth Sinovic and all-freshman honoree Sergio Castillo to form a solid backline which posted seven shutouts this year. Second-team all-MVC midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with 17 points and is tied for the team-lead with six goals, while fellow second-teamer Tim Bohnenkamp leads the squad with six assists. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund also has six goals in just 14 games for the Jays this fall. First-team forward Tony Schmitz adds 13 points (4 g, 5 a). CU's success if coming despite preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy missing the year with a torn ACL.
Scouting UIC (12-5-6, 4-1-3 Horizon): The Flames are 6-0-1 in their last seven matches, allowing just one goal in that span, as UIC owns a minute 0.57 team goals against average this year. UIC upset No. 9 seed Northwestern 2-0 to arrive here. The Horizon League Tournament champions have four first-team all-conference selections. Sophomore goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja has made 51 saves and owns a 0.52 GAA. Three of UIC's four midfielders join Bubonja on the first-team, with the top-two scorers leading the way. Cesar Zambrano leads the team with six goals, seven assists and 19 points, while Pavle Dundjer is second with five goals and 13 points. Baggio Husidic (3 g, 1 a) also earned first-team conference honors. UIC has out-scored opponents 35-14 this year.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 167-54-27 (.728) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 360-173-57 (.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 14 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.
CU-UIC Series: The Jays and Flames have met just once previously, a 2-1 UIC victory on Oct. 5, 2005 at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays out-shot UIC 26-6 in the match, but the only two shots the Flames put on goal found the back of the net. UIC earned five yellow cards in the match, while CU was handed two cards. All three goals came after the half, including the game-winner in the 81st minute.
Offensive Explosion: Creighton has out-scored its opponents 15-2 in the four NCAA Tournament matches held at Morrison Stadium, while it has won five straight NCAA postseason home games by an 18-4 count. The Jays have won each of their previous four NCAA tourney matches at this venue, scoring at least three goals in each match. Three of the four tournament matches at Morrison Stadium have been shutouts as CU defeated UMKC 6-0 in the 2003 first round, out-did nationally-ranked Northwestern 3-2 in the 2004 second round, blanked Lafayette 3-0 in the first round in 2005 and knocked off fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Similar Foes: Creighton and UIC have played five of the same opponents this season; Bradley, Missouri State, Indiana, Western Illinois and Green Bay. Against those teams, CU went 3-1-2, while the Flames were 3-3-0. The Jays had wins over UWGB, IU and MSU, lost to BU and tied WIU and BU. UIC defeated WIU, BU and UWGB, and lost to MSU, IU and UWGB.
Against the Field: Creighton is 3-2-2 against the six teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over SMU, Indiana and Washington, were defeated by Bradley and Tulsa and tied UCLA and Bradley.
Select Company: Creighton is joined by some elite company in making its 16th straight NCAA tournament appearance. There are only three other schools in the nation which can boast the same feat of having appeared in each of the last 15 NCAA postseasons. Indiana, UCLA and Virginia have joined Creighton in each NCAA tournament since 1992. Of the four, only CU remains alive in this year's tournament.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of the third round match featuring Central Connecticut State (10-8-3) at Massachusetts (15-7-1). Should the Bluejays win, they would host that winner on Friday, Dec. 7 at Morrison Stadium at 7 p.m.
News of Note: History continues to play in Creighton's favor as evidenced by the bullet points below:
? CU is 6-2-4 at home this year. The Jays have never lost three matches at Morrison Stadium in one season. The last time CU lost three home matches in a season was 1996 when it went 7-3-0.
? No opponent has recorded two wins over Creighton at Morrison Stadium.
? CU has won five straight home matches in the NCAA tournament, including all four NCAA matches played at Morrison Stadium.
? Last year CU lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the previous time CU fell in the first round was 2001. It followed that season with a 2002 trip to the College Cup.
? The last time CU was ranked in the top 10 heading into the NCAA Tournament, it advanced to the NCAA Championship match in 2000.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 37-7-10 (.778) all-time, including 6-2-4 this year and 4-0-0 in the NCAA tournament at Morrison Stadium. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 139-23-15 at home. CU is 51-4-3 at home all-time in MVC 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. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Sinovic the Scholar: Junior Seth Sinovic was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team this week. The economics major owns a 3.08 grade point average.
Beware the Eid: Senior Sam Eid earned an assist in Wednesday's 3-0 win over SMU, as his rocket shot bounced off the post and Mo Travis was able to put it in the net. The assist was just the third point in Eid's career, his other two also came in the NCAA Tournament on a goal at Penn State in 2005.
All-Conference Honors: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen became the first player in league history to twice be named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year. Listed below are the other 2007 all-conference Bluejays.
Bluejays on MVC First-Team
Matt Allen, Sr., GK
Tony Schmitz, Sr., M/F
Chris Schuler, So., D
Bluejays on MVC Second-Team
Tim Bohnenkamp, Sr., M/F
Andrei Gotsmanov, Jr., M
Seth Sinovic, Jr., D
Bluejays on MVC All-Freshman Team
Sergio Castillo, D/M
Tucker Sindlinger, F
MVC Tournament Recognition: The Bluejay defense shined in CU's MVC Tournament run, shutting out the highest-scoring offense in the league - Evansville - and allowing just one goal to Bradley in the championship match. Goalkeeper Matt Allen was joined by defenders Seth Sinovic and Sergio Castillo on the all-tournament team.
Streak Snapped at 11: Creighton had its unbeaten streak snapped at 11 matches with a loss to Bradley (Nov. 18). The Jays went 8-0-3 during the streak, its longest since winning 11 straight matches in 2000. That team won 11 straight leading up to the NCAA Tournament title match.
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 Jays are 6-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll, after a 3-0 win over No. 5 SMU (Nov. 28). CU is 3-0-1 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 Jays are now 9-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 19-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 47-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Allen's Numbers: Matt Allen continues to move up the CU career statistical charts. The senior goalkeeper posted his 26th career shutout against SMU (Nov. 28) to extend his career record for clean sheets. He also owns the school record, playing in 6,441 minutes in his four seasons. The Omaha native ranks second in school history with 43 wins, a 0.82 goals against average and 258 saves in his career.
That's a Winner: Sophomore Jeff Thayer has scored three goals this year, each of them accounting for game-winners. Thayer started much of the year on the backline for the Bluejays, but has recently moved to a midfield spot and has produced on offense. He has scored each of CU's last three game-winning goals in victories over Missouri State and twice over Evansville.
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.
Attendance Figures: This season Creighton will surpass its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 2,758 fans through 12 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 among the NCAA leaders in attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/30)
1. UC Santa Barbara - 3,435
2. Connecticut - 3,126
3. Duke - 2,788
4. Creighton - 2,758
5. Virginia - 2,345
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans 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 (Sept. 22) drew 4,023 ? 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
Bluejays and Brown: Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha this year, going 4-0-1 in road games and 2-0-0 at neutral sites. Brown is the only other school in the country that can make the same claim. The fourth-ranked Bears went 5-0-0 in road games and 0-0-1 in neutral sites this year.
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
Duran Returns: Highly touted freshman Andrew Duran has returned to the Bluejay lineup after missing 10 games due to a bout with mononucleosis. Duran not only returned to play at Evansville (Nov. 10), he started and played all 90 minutes. Duran, the National High School Player of the Year last year, has started CU's last three games.
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 on Nov. 10. 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 was one of seven different Bluejays 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 were 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).
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.
Foreign Connection: Creighton's leading point-scorer and goal-scorer do not hail from the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 13 points in just 14 matches. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov is tied with Gjoesund with six goals, while he adds five assists and leads the team with 17 points.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton had just one loss through its first 17 matches. The last time the Jays went that deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
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 .753, including a 8-1-3 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 8-1-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 56-15-10
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 7.6 corner kicks per game and owns a 145-78 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 19 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 44 shots attempted at home this year.
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.
Friday, October 16
Monday, October 12
Tuesday, October 06
Wednesday, September 30
