Women's Soccer Returns Home Tuesday to Face North Dakota
10/20/2008 4:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Bluejay Season Leaders
Category Leader Number
Goals Gans 13
Assists Fyles 3
Gans 3
Gunther 3
Zapapas 3
Orbell 3
Mauer 3
Points Gans 29
Saves Casey 79
GAA Casey 1.11
About the Jays
The 10-5-0 Creighton women's soccer team is a mix of youth and experience. The squad, which is coming off a 2007 MVC Tournament Championship, has secured its sixth 10-win season since Bruce Erickson became head coach in 1999, and is hoping to make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for just the second time in program history.
Three of the Bluejays' top five scorers this season were preseason all-MVC selections (Marcy Gans, Emily Orbell and Lindsay Vaught). Gans, who is the most prolific scorer in school history with 36 goals and 86 total points, leads the team in 2008 with 13 goals and 29 points. Her 13 goals are the most in the MVC this season, while her 29 points are second. Orbell, the reining MVC Rookie of the Year, is second with 11 (4 G, 3 A). Shawn Magrum is third with eight points (3 G, 2 A), Mary Zapapas is fourth with seven points (2 G, 3 A), while Vaught (2 G, 2 A) is fifth with six.
Kristen Casey, who is fourth on the all-time Creighton wins and shutout list with 28 and 17 respectively, is first in the MVC this season with a .832 save percentage.
Last Week Recap
Creighton finished its three-game roadtrip Sunday, with a 3-2 loss to Missouri State in Springfield, Mo.
The Bluejays came back from a 3-0 deficit in the 65th minute to close the game to 3-2, with two goals in a six--minute span. Tara Bailey opened the scoring for Creighton in the 65th minute with her first goal of the season, and the second of her career. Marcy Gans scored her team and MVC leading, 13th goal of the season in the 71st minute to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Successful Trip
Creighton's loss to Missouri State capped its three-game roadtrip. The team went 2-1 on the trip, its most successful since Sept. 12-17 in 2003, when the team also went 2-1.
A Rarity
Creighton's 3-2 loss to Missouri State on Sunday was somewhat of a first for the team. Coming into the game, the Bluejays had not been defeated when scoring two goals in a game. With the loss, the team dropped to 5-1 on the season in that category.
Another Threat
The Bluejays had their eighth different scorer of the year on Sunday as sophomore Tara Bailey opened the scoring for Creighton against Missouri State. It was Bailey's first goal of the season, and just the second of her career. Bailey had a goal and an assist a year ago.
Tied for Third
Marcy Gans' goal in the 71st minute on Sunday was her 13th of the season, as well as her 29th point. She is now tied for third in both categories in Creighton's single-season record book. Gans has tied her output from last year when she had 13 goals and 29 points as well.
Good to Meet You
Tuesday's game against North Dakota will be the first meeting between the two schools. The game will be the fourth time the Bluejays have met a team from the Dakotas this season, previously defeating South Dakota, South Dakota State and North Dakota State.
Group Effort
The Bluejays' offensive output has been a group effort this season. The team has already had five players who have double digits in shots on goal. That is the most number of players with that production since 2005 when the team had nine players with 10+ shots on goal.
Saving the Day Again
On the season the Creighton defense has combined for 86 saves. That number equals the output from the last two years, when the team had 86 saves each year respectively.
Top 20 Performance
With her goal on Sunday against Missouri State, Marcy Gans has 29 points on the year, (13 G, 3 A). The mark puts her among the top players in the nation in both goals and total points. As of Oct. 14 she was ranked 14th in goals per game with 0.867 and 20th in points per game with 1.93 in the NCAA.
That's Odd
Sunday against Missouri State provided another odd occurence for the Bluejays. Marcy Gans scored the final goal against the Bears, which usually signifies a win for the Blue and White. However Creighton lost for just the third time in 24 games when Gans scores. Dating back to last season the Bluejays are 20-3-1 when Gans scores a point and 1-10-1 when she doesn't.
That's a Winner
Creighton's 2-0 win over Western Illinois on Oct. 14 gave the team 10 wins on the season. That is the sixth time in head coach Bruce Erickson's 10 seasons, the team has accomplished the feat. The team is also just one win away from an eighth consecutive winning season.
Fresh Faces
In the Oct. 14 game against Western Illinois, a couple of Creighton freshmen saw playing time for the first time this season. Carey Dahlquist and Ariel Rank played 18 and 52 minutes respectively, for their first collegiate action.
Streak Snapper
With the Bluejays' 2-0 win over Western Illinois on Oct. 14, the Bluejays snapped the Westerwinds 14-game home unbeaten streak. Western Illinois had not lost since Sept. 15, 2006 against Valparaiso.
Shutting Down the Opponent
On Oct. 14 against Western Illinois, Kristen Casey posted her fourth shutout of the season. The shutout was also the 17th of her career. The mark moves her into a tie with Maggie Phelan (1989-92) for fourth all time on the Creighton career shutout list.
Special Season
Seniors Marcy Gans and Kristen Casey have each had remarkable seasons up to this point in the season. Gans has 13 goals, and three assists for 29 total points, while Casey has 10 wins and four shutouts.
Gans is currently tied for third on the Creighton single season mark in both goals and points with her marks, while Casey is one win away from a tie for third with 11.
Doubling Up
Overall Creighton has almost doubled the opposition's output, outscoring opponents 29-16. A large reason for the team's success has been doubling its opponents' success in the first half. The Bluejays have outscored their opponents 16-7 in the first 45 minutes.
Perfect 10
With the team's 2-0 victory over Western Illinois on Oct. 14, Creighton (10-4-0) now has 10 wins on the season. That mark is the tied for the most of any team in the MVC with Evansville (10-3-2) which also has 10.
Potent Attack
With three goals scored Oct. 11 against Indiana State, Creighton has now scored at least three goals five times this season. That is the most since 2005, when the team accomplished the feat eight times.
Three is a Lucky Number
The win over Indiana State on Oct. 11 marked the fifth time this season Creighton has scored three times in a game. The game also marked the 31st straight time that the Bluejays have been victorious when scoring three or more goals. In program history, the team is 105-2-2 in those situations, a .972 winning percentage.
Having Their Number
With the win against Indiana State on Oct. 11, Creighton improved its record in Terre Haute, Ind., to 4-0-0 all-time. Overall, Creighton has gone 11-0-0 in the series.
Most Prolific
This season Marcy Gans has rewritten the Creighton record books, by breaking the all-time goals scored list, as well as breaking numerous Morrison Stadium records. On Oct. 11 against Indiana State, Gans broke another record, scoring her 82nd career point, with a goal in the 57th minute.
She has since added two more goals to give her 86 career points. Gans has now scored the most points of any Bluejay for a career, surpassing Gretta Matthews who scored 81 from 1989-92.
Season High
Emily Orbell's three points Oct. 11 were a season-high for her, surpassing her previous high of two. Last year's MVC Rookie of the Year tied her assist total from last year when she also had three.
Career Best
With Shawn Magrum's goal Oct. 11 against Indiana State, she now has eight points on the season (3 G, 2 A). That mark is a career high for Magrum, surpassing her previous total of 3 (1 G, 1 A) in 2006 and 2007.
First Time For Everything
The Oct. 4, 1-0 loss to Illinois State was the first loss at home for Creighton this season. Besides being the first loss of the season, it snapped an 11 game home winning streak dating back to last season. The team had also been unbeaten in its last 14 at Morrison Stadium (13-0-1). The loss was just the second in the last 16 games (13-2-1).
Must Score Situation
The Oct. 4, 1-0 loss to Illinois State, showed the importance of scoring at least one goal. In the last 37 games they've scored at least one goal, the Bluejays are 28-6-3, an .797 win percentage.
100th Victory
Creighton's 2-0 win over Drake on Sept. 28, gave Creighton head coach Bruce Erickson his 100th victory as a Bluejay. He is the first coach in Creighton women's soccer history to accomplish the feat. During his 10 years in Omaha, Erickson is 102-81-18 and 172-142-24 in his 17-year career overall.
Season First
Junior forward Jordan Bruch had a couple of season firsts on Sept. 28 against Drake. Bruch made her first start of the season as well as getting her first assist.
The assist was her first since Aug. 30, 2006 against South Dakota State, and her first point since Oct. 22, 2006 against Evansville.
Pack ?Em In
Creighton has gotten great support from its fans this season, helping to its good start. The team averages 578 fans per home contest, through eight games this season. That number is tops in the MVC.
Conference Champs
Creighton has prevailed as the Missouri Valley Conference Champions in four of the last six years, by virtue of winning the conference tournament. Besides having success in the conference tournament, the Bluejays have also been successful in the regular season as well. Since 2000, Creighton is 32-17-7 against conference foes in the regular season.
Helping Hand
Junior Mary Zapapas had three assists Sept. 19-21, in helping the Bluejays to go 2-0. With her three assists, including two against Northern Illinois, she set personal career highs while at Creighton for most assists in a season (3) and most assists in a single game (2).
Program Leaders
This season seniors Kristen Casey and Marcy Gans have added to their impressive Creighton careers. They rank among the all time leaders in many categories in program history. Below are their career rankings.
Kristen Casey
Category Rank Number
Goals Against Avg. 2nd 1.12
Saves 4th 240
Goalkeeping Victories 4th 28
Shutouts T-4th 17
Goalkeeper Minutes 4th 4911
Marcy Gans
Category Rank Number
Goals 1st 36
Points 1st 86
Multiple Goal Games 2nd 7
Shots on Goal 3rd 112
Program Milestone
With the Bluejays' 2-0 win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19, they reached the 200 win mark in program history. Here's a look at how the team has evolved through its history.
Win No. Record to No. of Matches 50 50-35-5 90
100 50-34-3 87
150 50-47-5 102
200 50-34-13 97
Morrison Record Setter
On Sept. 28 against Drake, senior Marcy Gans extended her Morrison Stadium single season record for points scored with 20. Gans broke her own record after setting the original mark with 16 Sept. 21. Below are all of Gans' Morrison Stadium Records.
Single Game Record Number
Goals 3
Points 6
Single Season Record
Goals 9
Points 20
Shots on Goal 18
Total Shots 47
Career Record Number
Goals 22
Points 51
Shots on Goal 65
Total Shots 145
Morrison Record Setter Part 2
This season senior goalkeeper Kristen Casey has added more records to an already impressive career at Morrison Stadium. Below are her Morrison Stadium Records.
Single Game Record Number
Saves 9
Single Season Record
Victories 7
Minutes Played 920
Career Record Number
Shutouts 14
Victories 19
Saves 103
Getting Better
Senior Lindsay Vaught was Creighton's high point scorer on Sept. 12 earning a goal and an assist in the Bluejays 3-1 victory over Portland State. Vaught has six points for the year (2 G, 1 A) surpassing her total from last season when she had four points (1 G, 2 A).
Career High
After scoring two goals in the season opener against South Dakota, senior Nicole DeLue tied her career high for goals in a season, when she scored two in 2006. On Aug. 24 against South Dakota State, DeLue added an assist to tie her career high for total points in a season with five.
Another Career High
Junior Mary Zapapas was the only Bluejay to score a goal in both games the first weekend (Aug. 22-24). Her two goals are a season high during her time at Creighton. Prior to joining the Bluejays, Zapapas scored 11 goals and had 4 assists in 2006 at Middle Tennessee.
Welcome Newcomers
This season Creighton features the most freshmen on its team since 2001. The 2008 Bluejays will have 12 college rookies, matching the 2001 squad which also featured a dozen.
All Valley Performers
On Aug. 19, the Missouri Valley Conference released its preseason poll, Creighton was picked to finish in first place, receiving four first place votes.
Individually, the Bluejays tied Evansville and Missouri State for tops in the league with three preseason All-MVC selections. Making the team were sophomore midfielder Emily Orbell, senior forward Marcy Gans and senior midfielder/forward Lindsay Vaught.
Fifth Time's the Charm?
After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last six years last season by virtue of winning the MVC Tournament, the Bluejays will be looking this year to post not only the first NCAA Tournament victory in Creighton history, but also MVC history. Coming into the season, Valley teams are a combined 0-5. Last year the Bluejays lost 3-0 to USC in the first round.
A trip to the NCAA Tournament this year, would be just the second time in the program's history that the team has made the tournament in back to back seasons (2004-05).
National Pride
The Bluejays will be without the services of junior defender Eden Hingwing this season. Hingwing is redshirting the season to train and play for the Canadian National Team in the U-20 World Cup (Nov. 19- Dec. 7).
What's in a Name
Last season, the Bluejays had three sisters on the team in Ally, Katy and Anne Peetz. This season the team has a new set of sisters as senior Marcy Gans and freshman Ariel Rank continue the family tradition.
