Men's Soccer Plays at Missouri State Tonight
10/21/2008 12:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#3 Creighton at Missouri State
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7:00 p.m. ? Plaster Field ? Springfield, Mo.
Following the Jays: Live stats for this week's game at Missouri State will be available by clicking on the ?Live Stats' link on www.gocreighton.com. There is no live video available for this week's game.
This Week: The Bluejays travel to Springfield, Mo., for a Tuesday night contest against Missouri State. The Bears and Jays kick off at 7 p.m. in Creighton's final match in October.
Last Week: Creighton moved its unbeaten streak to eight matches (7-0-1), with a 2-0 win at Bradley last Saturday. Peoria native Nick O'Neill scored his first career goal, the game-winner, in the first-half against the Braves, while Andrei Gotsmanov knocked in his third goal in two MVC games late in the second half. The Jays allowed just five shots and held an opponent without a shot on goal for the second time this season.
Scouting Creighton (10-1-1, 2-0-0 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked as high as No. 2 in three polls this week, have won three straight and are 7-0-1 in their last eight matches. Included in the streak was a school-record six shutouts and school-record 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Creighton is tied for the NCAA lead in shutout percentage (.750), as the Jays have posted nine shutouts in 12 matches this season. The Jays also rank third in the NCAA with a 0.32 goals against average and are seventh with an 87.9 save percentage. The Jays have earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors five times in eight weeks this year. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt has played every minute in net for CU this season, and he leads the MVC and ranks in the NCAA top-10 in both goals against average and save percentage. The Jays have out-scored their opponents 21-4 this season, led by seven goals and 15 points from senior MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Andrei Gotsmanov. Junior Jeff Thayer and freshman Ethan Finlay each have three goals, as Finlay leads the MVC with three game-winners. Five different Bluejays are tied for the team-lead with three assists this season, including junior forward Byron Dacy, who is also on the preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Preseason All-American junior defender Chris Schuler and senior captain Seth Sinovic help anchor a back line which has allowed an average of just 7.3 shots per game. Freshman Greg Jordan, who has helped anchor the Bluejay defense, will miss Tuesday's match at Missouri State after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday at Bradley.
Scouting Missouri State (4-7-3, 1-1-0 MVC): The Bears were picked to finish last in the MVC this season and own the worst overall record in the Valley this season. But following a 1-6-3 start, MSU is 3-1-0 in its last four contests, including wins over Cal Poly and Evansville. MSU has scored two goals in four straight matches, as the offense is led by Heath Melugin with three goals and seven points. Johannes Demarzi is the only Bear with more than one assist this year, leading the team with two helpers. Alex Riggs has played every minute in goal for MSU this year, logging a league-best 64 saves to go along with 17 goals allowed and a 1.31 goals against average.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 177-56-28 (.732) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 370-175-58 (.662) in his 31st 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 sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-MSU Series: The Bluejays lead the all-time series with the Bears, 17-6-2. CU is just 4-4-2 all-time on Missouri State's home field, including a tie and a loss in its last two trips to Springfield. CU last won in Springfield on Oct. 18, 2002. The Jays tied the Bears 1-1 on Oct. 4, 2006 in their last trip to Springfield and topped MSU 1-0 in Omaha last year.
Several Streaks: Creighton is currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak (7-0-1), but that's not their only streak to watch. The Jays are undefeated in their last 11 matches away from Omaha (9-0-2), including 7-0-2 in true road games. With a 2-0-0 mark in Valley play, CU is now unbeaten in its last eight MVC matches (6-0-2). The Jays will play their final match of the month on Tuesday, as they look to wrap up their second straight unbeaten October. The Jays are 4-0-1 this month, after posting a 5-0-2 record last October.
Welcome Home: Freshman Nick O'Neill had appeared in two of CU's first 11 matches this year, playing 19 total minutes in those appearances. Last Saturday, O'Neill returned to his hometown of Peoria, Ill., and had a breakout match. The rookie scored his first career goal, the game-winner, in front of friends and family in the 42nd minute. He played 52 minutes in the 2-0 Bluejay victory.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 3-0-1 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 9-0-2 away from Omaha ? 7-0-2 in true road games ? since the beginning of last season. CU is the only Division I men's soccer team that has not lost away from home over the past two seasons. CU's last road loss came in its final game of the 2006 season, an NCAA Tournament loss at Washington.
Best in the Midwest: Creighton is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the fourth straight week, ahead of conference foes Drake (3), Evansville (9) and Bradley (10).
Poll Position: Creighton remains in the exact same position as it has been for the last two weeks in each of the four major polls. The Jays are ranked third in the NSCAA/adidas poll, while College Soccer News, Soccer Times and Soccer America each rank the Bluejays second. TopDrawerSoccer.com's 48-team NCAA prediction poll has the Jays ranked third this week.
October Dominance: Creighton has remained undefeated in the month of October over the past two seasons, as the Jays are 4-0-1 this month, after posting a 5-0-2 mark last year in October. Since 2002, Creighton is now 39-7-7 (.802) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003.
Got Gotsmanov?: The Bluejays do. Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with seven goals this year, already surpassing his total of six from last year. His first six goals came at home, as he has tied Julian Nash's Morrison Stadium record with six goals in a season. The MAC Hermann Trophy candidate scored twice in CU's win over Evansville (Oct. 11), the second multiple-goal match of his Bluejay career and the fifth multi-goal match of his college career. He has scored three goals in his last two games heading in to Tuesday's match.
Tucker Time: Tucker Sindlinger earned his second start of the season and it paid off for the Bluejays against Evansville (Oct. 11). The sophomore assisted both of Andrei Gotsmanov's second-half goals, including the game-winner with 51 seconds left in regulation. He is now in a five-way tie for the team-lead with three assists on the year.
Holt On: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt and the Bluejay defense have been impressive this season. Holt has twice been honored as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week, while the Jays have posted nine shutouts and allowed just four goals in 12 matches. His 0.32 goals against average leads the MVC and ranks fourth in the NCAA this week, while his .879 save percentage ranks ninth in the nation this week. Holt established a school record for goalkeepers by logging 722:12 straight minutes without allowing a goal between Sept. 13 and Oct. 11, bettering the previous record by 160 minutes.
Consecutive CU Shutout Minutes Streak
Brian Holt - 722:12, Sept. 13-Oct. 11, 2008
Kevin Doyle - 562:44, Oct. 11-Nov. 7, 1992
Tom Zawislan - 500:20, Oct. 1-29, 1999
Matt Allen - 480:00, Oct. 26-Nov. 22, 2005
Tom Zawislan - 467:35, Sept. 5-24, 1999
Not a Chance: Not only is Creighton shutting out opponents, but it is rarely even allowing the opposition to get into a position to take shots. Through 12 matches, opponents have managed only 7.3 shots per game and a lowly 2.8 shots on goal per game. Both numbers are by far the lowest in school history. The Jays have twice kept opponents from attempting a shot on goal in a match this year and have allowed just three shots on goal combined in their last three games.
CU Opponents Shots & Shots on Goal
Year Shots PG SOG PG
2008 87 7.3 33 2.8
2007 251 12.6 94 4.7
2006 238 11.3 94 4.5
2005 293 12.7 102 4.4
2004 288 14.4 109 5.5
2003 279 12.7 109 5.0
2002 262 10.9 110 4.6
2001 242 11.5 114 5.4
2000 294 11.3 127 4.9
1999 164 9.1 74 4.1
1998 230 10.5 103 4.7
1997 251 11.4 127 5.8
1996 251 10.5 122 5.1
1995 214 11.9 110 6.1
1994 248 11.8 105 5.0
1993 242 12.1 101 5.1
1992 NA NA 79 4.4
1991 NA NA 127 6.7
1990 209 10.5 134 6.7
Top D in MVC: Creighton begins the week tied for the NCAA lead with a 75.0 shutout percentage - posting nine shutouts in 12 matches. The Jays rank third in the nation with a 0.32 goals against average and are seventh in the NCAA with an 87.9 save percentage. The Jays are taking aim at the record-setting 1999 team, which led the NCAA and set a school record with a 0.47 GAA and tied the school mark with 11 shutouts.
Winners: Junior Byron Dacy had a three-point night against Evansville (Oct. 11), scoring the first goal of the match and assisting the second. The Jays are now 4-0-0 this year when he records at least one point in a match. Creighton is now 23-2-0 since 2005 when Dacy scores or assists a goal. In addition to CU's outstanding record when Dacy logs a point, reserve Trent Senske is a proven winner, as the Jays are now 11-0-0 since 2006 when Senske appears in a match.
Battling the Best: Creighton faced its second ranked opponent of the season at No. 11 Saint Louis (Oct. 4). The Jays defeated No. 6 California earlier this season and after its draw at SLU, CU is now a 48-37-10 all-time against the coaches top 25, including 21-15-7 in true road games against ranked foes. The Jays are 7-1-2 in their last nine true road meetings with top 25 teams.
West Coast Dominance: Creighton's match with Cal State Northridge (Oct. 1) was its sixth against a team from the West Coast this year. The Bluejays are 6-0-0 against West Coast teams, including 4-0-0 against teams from California this season. The Jays out-scored California-based teams 6-0 this year, posting shutouts of UC Riverside (2-0), Stanford (1-0), No. 6 California (2-0) and Cal State Northridge (1-0).
Start Me Up: Sophomores Sergio Castillo and Tucker Sindlinger both earned their first starts of the season in CU's 1-0 win over Cal State Northridge (Oct. 1). Castillo started 19 of 20 matches last year, but was slowed by a shoulder injury to start this year, and Sindlinger made seven starts as a freshman last year.
Time to Turn it Up: Including this season, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .700 since 2002. Their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is .753, including an 4-0-1 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 8-2-3 Third Round
2008 6-1-0 4-0-1 ???
?02-07 34-12-9 60-16-11
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 44-9-10 (.778) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 7-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 146-25-15 (.825) at home. CU is now 52-4-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 17-1-2 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 all five years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Freshman Finlay: Ethan Finlay has scored three goals in his rookie season this year, each of them accounting for the game-winning goal. His three game-winners not only lead the team, but also top the conference.
Thayer of Omaha: Junior forward Jeff Thayer, an Omaha native, scored three goals in 2007, all of which were game winners. While he hasn't scored a game-winner this year, he's already equalled last season's goal total and surpassed his assist total of last year. He notched his first career multiple-goal match against Gonzaga (Aug. 29).
Powering Past Pac-10: The Bluejays topped a pair of Pac-10 foes in September, knocking off Stanford, 1-0, and blanking sixth-ranked California, 2-0. The Jays are 3-0-2 against the Pac-10 in their last five meetings. Creighton is now 7-3-3 against the Pac-10 since Bob Warming returned to Omaha in 2001.
Early Arrivals: In Creighton's 2-0 win over UC Riverside (Sept. 7), both Bluejay goals were scored by true freshmen. However this isn't the first semester on the CU campus for either rookie, as both Ethan Finlay and Greg Jordan graduated high school early and joined the Bluejays for training in the spring semester. Their early arrival has paid dividends already, as both have started all four matches, and Finlay scored both game-winning goals on the Sept.5-7 weekend. Jordan recorded an assist and goal against UCR, in addition to his stellar defensive midfield play which contributed to a pair of Bluejay shutouts. Both were honored on the Diadora Challenge All-Tournament Team and Finlay was named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week.
Fantastic Fanatics: For the third time in school history, more than 4,000 fans turned out for a Bluejay regular-season home match, as 4,071 fans showed up for Creighton's season-opener. The Jays followed with over 3,000 fans for their second game to give the Bluejays two of the largest 10 crowds in all of college soccer through two weekends of play. The 4,071 fans ranks as the third-largest regular-season home crowd and the fifth-largest crowd in CU home history (including exhibitions).
Top Five 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 ? 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Offensive Output: Creighton's four goals in its season opener were the most since 2004, while the Bluejays followed with three goals in their second game. The seven goals through two games were the most for the Jays since the 1992 team poured in 13 goals in its first two matches.
No Shots For You: The Bluejay defense did not allow a shot on goal in their 2-0 win over UC Riverside (Sept. 7), marking the first time since 2005 that the Jays limited their opponent to zero shots on goal in a game. CU again equalled that feat against Bradley on Oct. 18. UCR managed only four total shots in the game, followed by just three attempts by UMKC (Sept. 13) and again just three by Memphis (Oct. 8). The three shots were the fewest by a Bluejay foe since Brown attempted only three shots against CU on Sept. 19, 2003.
High Flyers: Creighton's No. 3 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas poll in four weeks this season is the highest the Bluejays have been ranked in the regular-season since the 2000 team, which finished as the NCAA runners-up, was ranked third on Sept. 18. The Jays were then ranked second in the 2000 postseason poll and the 2001 preseason poll, but had not been this high since.
First Things First: Freshman Kris Clark and sophomore Andrew Duran teamed up with Jeff Thayer on the final goal of the match against Gonzaga (Aug. 29). Duran and Clark both were credited with their first career assists on Thayer's second goal of the match. Sophomore Tucker Sindlinger recorded his first game-winning goal in the win as well.
National Player of the Year Candidates: For the second straight season, two Bluejays have been placed on the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List, a preseason list for the award annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Junior Byron Dacy is on the preseason watch list for the third straight year, even after playing just two matches and redshirting last year because of a torn ACL. Senior Andrei Gotsmanov, who led the team with six goals and 17 points last year, joins Dacy on the list. Last year, Matt Allen was nominated along with Dacy to begin the season. Gotsmanov and Dacy are now on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current assistant coach, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2008 Byron Dacy & Andrei Gotsmanov
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
Keeping Keepers: There is no doubt experience in goal helps, but there is proof in Creighton's past that demonstrates that experience isn't necessary for success. This season the Bluejays return zero career minutes in goal, with three redshirt freshmen goalkeepers on the roster. The Jays have never previously returned zero minutes in net. In fact, both previous times CU returned 202 career minutes in goal or fewer, it reached the College Cup.
The fewest career goalkeeping minutes the Jays have returned prior to this season came during the 2000 campaign. Mike Gabb had played 179 career minutes before the 2000 season, a year the Bluejays would lead the NCAA with 22 wins and appear in the NCAA championship match. The second-fewest minutes the Jays have returned came in 1996, when Jon Epperson entered the year with 202 career minutes. He helped lead the Bluejays to their first College Cup Final Four that season.
Senior Citizens: Creighton has three seniors ? Andrei Gotsmanov, Seth Sinovic, Tim Walters ? listed on its roster this season, the fewest since the 1998 team also had just three seniors on the squad - Marc Madeley, Richard Mulrooney and Patrick Parker. Gotsmanov and Sinovic demonstrated their senior leadership and ability by combining on the first CU goal of the season this year.
In Attendance: Creighton ranked third in the nation in overall attendance in 2007, while it finished fourth in average attendance last year. The Jays brought in 34,308 fans for an average of 2,639 per game. CU's match against UCLA last year drew a school-record 5,812 fans, while two other 2007 crowds ranked in the CU top-10.
Preseason Favorites: The Missouri Valley Conference coaches have tabbed the Bluejays as preseason favorites for the fourth straight season. CU received five of the six first-place votes to total 35 points. Evansville is picked to finish second with 27 points, while Missouri State picked up the other first-place vote, despite being picked to finish last in the league.
Nine Newcomers: CU's incoming class of nine players ? six true freshmen and three transfers ? was ranked as the 16th-best recruiting class in the country according to College Soccer News. The Jays have 12 freshmen on their roster, five of whom redshirted with the Bluejays last year. Junior Akin Akinrinade (Central Florida), sophomore Kyle Deremer (St. Mary's) and freshman Tim Krueger (Hastings) have transferred into the program. Deremer and Krueger were teammates on Millard North's undefeated state championship team in 2007. Akinrinade, Krueger, along with freshmen Greg Jordan and Ethan Finlay all enrolled and trained at Creighton this spring.
Dairy State Products: A pair of freshmen from Wisconsin have been tabbed among “100 Freshmen to Keep an Eye On” according to College Soccer News. Ethan Finlay and Stew Brown, club teammates for FC Milwaukee, both earned the notice. Finlay was recognized by Rise Magazine as a top-30 national recruit and was an NSCAA Youth All-American, while Brown was an NSCAA High School All-American and named the most outstanding player at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in 2007.
Last Year in Brief: Creighton lost just one regular-season match in 2007 and finished the year with a 12-3-5 record in the third round of the NCAA Tournament - its 16th straight appearance in the NCAA postseason. The Jays ran off an 11-match unbeaten streak during their season, while posting a 4-0-2 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play for their first unbeaten record in MVC play since 1996. CU shared the MVC regular-season crown with Bradley for the second straight year. All-American Matt Allen became the first player in league history to twice be named MVC Defensive Player of the Year, while he wrapped up his career with CU records for minutes played and shutouts.
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7:00 p.m. ? Plaster Field ? Springfield, Mo.
Following the Jays: Live stats for this week's game at Missouri State will be available by clicking on the ?Live Stats' link on www.gocreighton.com. There is no live video available for this week's game.
This Week: The Bluejays travel to Springfield, Mo., for a Tuesday night contest against Missouri State. The Bears and Jays kick off at 7 p.m. in Creighton's final match in October.
Last Week: Creighton moved its unbeaten streak to eight matches (7-0-1), with a 2-0 win at Bradley last Saturday. Peoria native Nick O'Neill scored his first career goal, the game-winner, in the first-half against the Braves, while Andrei Gotsmanov knocked in his third goal in two MVC games late in the second half. The Jays allowed just five shots and held an opponent without a shot on goal for the second time this season.
Scouting Creighton (10-1-1, 2-0-0 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked as high as No. 2 in three polls this week, have won three straight and are 7-0-1 in their last eight matches. Included in the streak was a school-record six shutouts and school-record 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Creighton is tied for the NCAA lead in shutout percentage (.750), as the Jays have posted nine shutouts in 12 matches this season. The Jays also rank third in the NCAA with a 0.32 goals against average and are seventh with an 87.9 save percentage. The Jays have earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors five times in eight weeks this year. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt has played every minute in net for CU this season, and he leads the MVC and ranks in the NCAA top-10 in both goals against average and save percentage. The Jays have out-scored their opponents 21-4 this season, led by seven goals and 15 points from senior MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Andrei Gotsmanov. Junior Jeff Thayer and freshman Ethan Finlay each have three goals, as Finlay leads the MVC with three game-winners. Five different Bluejays are tied for the team-lead with three assists this season, including junior forward Byron Dacy, who is also on the preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Preseason All-American junior defender Chris Schuler and senior captain Seth Sinovic help anchor a back line which has allowed an average of just 7.3 shots per game. Freshman Greg Jordan, who has helped anchor the Bluejay defense, will miss Tuesday's match at Missouri State after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday at Bradley.
Scouting Missouri State (4-7-3, 1-1-0 MVC): The Bears were picked to finish last in the MVC this season and own the worst overall record in the Valley this season. But following a 1-6-3 start, MSU is 3-1-0 in its last four contests, including wins over Cal Poly and Evansville. MSU has scored two goals in four straight matches, as the offense is led by Heath Melugin with three goals and seven points. Johannes Demarzi is the only Bear with more than one assist this year, leading the team with two helpers. Alex Riggs has played every minute in goal for MSU this year, logging a league-best 64 saves to go along with 17 goals allowed and a 1.31 goals against average.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 177-56-28 (.732) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 370-175-58 (.662) in his 31st 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 sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-MSU Series: The Bluejays lead the all-time series with the Bears, 17-6-2. CU is just 4-4-2 all-time on Missouri State's home field, including a tie and a loss in its last two trips to Springfield. CU last won in Springfield on Oct. 18, 2002. The Jays tied the Bears 1-1 on Oct. 4, 2006 in their last trip to Springfield and topped MSU 1-0 in Omaha last year.
Several Streaks: Creighton is currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak (7-0-1), but that's not their only streak to watch. The Jays are undefeated in their last 11 matches away from Omaha (9-0-2), including 7-0-2 in true road games. With a 2-0-0 mark in Valley play, CU is now unbeaten in its last eight MVC matches (6-0-2). The Jays will play their final match of the month on Tuesday, as they look to wrap up their second straight unbeaten October. The Jays are 4-0-1 this month, after posting a 5-0-2 record last October.
Welcome Home: Freshman Nick O'Neill had appeared in two of CU's first 11 matches this year, playing 19 total minutes in those appearances. Last Saturday, O'Neill returned to his hometown of Peoria, Ill., and had a breakout match. The rookie scored his first career goal, the game-winner, in front of friends and family in the 42nd minute. He played 52 minutes in the 2-0 Bluejay victory.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 3-0-1 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 9-0-2 away from Omaha ? 7-0-2 in true road games ? since the beginning of last season. CU is the only Division I men's soccer team that has not lost away from home over the past two seasons. CU's last road loss came in its final game of the 2006 season, an NCAA Tournament loss at Washington.
Best in the Midwest: Creighton is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the fourth straight week, ahead of conference foes Drake (3), Evansville (9) and Bradley (10).
Poll Position: Creighton remains in the exact same position as it has been for the last two weeks in each of the four major polls. The Jays are ranked third in the NSCAA/adidas poll, while College Soccer News, Soccer Times and Soccer America each rank the Bluejays second. TopDrawerSoccer.com's 48-team NCAA prediction poll has the Jays ranked third this week.
October Dominance: Creighton has remained undefeated in the month of October over the past two seasons, as the Jays are 4-0-1 this month, after posting a 5-0-2 mark last year in October. Since 2002, Creighton is now 39-7-7 (.802) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003.
Got Gotsmanov?: The Bluejays do. Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with seven goals this year, already surpassing his total of six from last year. His first six goals came at home, as he has tied Julian Nash's Morrison Stadium record with six goals in a season. The MAC Hermann Trophy candidate scored twice in CU's win over Evansville (Oct. 11), the second multiple-goal match of his Bluejay career and the fifth multi-goal match of his college career. He has scored three goals in his last two games heading in to Tuesday's match.
Tucker Time: Tucker Sindlinger earned his second start of the season and it paid off for the Bluejays against Evansville (Oct. 11). The sophomore assisted both of Andrei Gotsmanov's second-half goals, including the game-winner with 51 seconds left in regulation. He is now in a five-way tie for the team-lead with three assists on the year.
Holt On: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt and the Bluejay defense have been impressive this season. Holt has twice been honored as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week, while the Jays have posted nine shutouts and allowed just four goals in 12 matches. His 0.32 goals against average leads the MVC and ranks fourth in the NCAA this week, while his .879 save percentage ranks ninth in the nation this week. Holt established a school record for goalkeepers by logging 722:12 straight minutes without allowing a goal between Sept. 13 and Oct. 11, bettering the previous record by 160 minutes.
Consecutive CU Shutout Minutes Streak
Brian Holt - 722:12, Sept. 13-Oct. 11, 2008
Kevin Doyle - 562:44, Oct. 11-Nov. 7, 1992
Tom Zawislan - 500:20, Oct. 1-29, 1999
Matt Allen - 480:00, Oct. 26-Nov. 22, 2005
Tom Zawislan - 467:35, Sept. 5-24, 1999
Not a Chance: Not only is Creighton shutting out opponents, but it is rarely even allowing the opposition to get into a position to take shots. Through 12 matches, opponents have managed only 7.3 shots per game and a lowly 2.8 shots on goal per game. Both numbers are by far the lowest in school history. The Jays have twice kept opponents from attempting a shot on goal in a match this year and have allowed just three shots on goal combined in their last three games.
CU Opponents Shots & Shots on Goal
Year Shots PG SOG PG
2008 87 7.3 33 2.8
2007 251 12.6 94 4.7
2006 238 11.3 94 4.5
2005 293 12.7 102 4.4
2004 288 14.4 109 5.5
2003 279 12.7 109 5.0
2002 262 10.9 110 4.6
2001 242 11.5 114 5.4
2000 294 11.3 127 4.9
1999 164 9.1 74 4.1
1998 230 10.5 103 4.7
1997 251 11.4 127 5.8
1996 251 10.5 122 5.1
1995 214 11.9 110 6.1
1994 248 11.8 105 5.0
1993 242 12.1 101 5.1
1992 NA NA 79 4.4
1991 NA NA 127 6.7
1990 209 10.5 134 6.7
Top D in MVC: Creighton begins the week tied for the NCAA lead with a 75.0 shutout percentage - posting nine shutouts in 12 matches. The Jays rank third in the nation with a 0.32 goals against average and are seventh in the NCAA with an 87.9 save percentage. The Jays are taking aim at the record-setting 1999 team, which led the NCAA and set a school record with a 0.47 GAA and tied the school mark with 11 shutouts.
Winners: Junior Byron Dacy had a three-point night against Evansville (Oct. 11), scoring the first goal of the match and assisting the second. The Jays are now 4-0-0 this year when he records at least one point in a match. Creighton is now 23-2-0 since 2005 when Dacy scores or assists a goal. In addition to CU's outstanding record when Dacy logs a point, reserve Trent Senske is a proven winner, as the Jays are now 11-0-0 since 2006 when Senske appears in a match.
Battling the Best: Creighton faced its second ranked opponent of the season at No. 11 Saint Louis (Oct. 4). The Jays defeated No. 6 California earlier this season and after its draw at SLU, CU is now a 48-37-10 all-time against the coaches top 25, including 21-15-7 in true road games against ranked foes. The Jays are 7-1-2 in their last nine true road meetings with top 25 teams.
West Coast Dominance: Creighton's match with Cal State Northridge (Oct. 1) was its sixth against a team from the West Coast this year. The Bluejays are 6-0-0 against West Coast teams, including 4-0-0 against teams from California this season. The Jays out-scored California-based teams 6-0 this year, posting shutouts of UC Riverside (2-0), Stanford (1-0), No. 6 California (2-0) and Cal State Northridge (1-0).
Start Me Up: Sophomores Sergio Castillo and Tucker Sindlinger both earned their first starts of the season in CU's 1-0 win over Cal State Northridge (Oct. 1). Castillo started 19 of 20 matches last year, but was slowed by a shoulder injury to start this year, and Sindlinger made seven starts as a freshman last year.
Time to Turn it Up: Including this season, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .700 since 2002. Their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is .753, including an 4-0-1 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 8-2-3 Third Round
2008 6-1-0 4-0-1 ???
?02-07 34-12-9 60-16-11
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 44-9-10 (.778) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 7-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 146-25-15 (.825) at home. CU is now 52-4-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 17-1-2 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 all five years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Freshman Finlay: Ethan Finlay has scored three goals in his rookie season this year, each of them accounting for the game-winning goal. His three game-winners not only lead the team, but also top the conference.
Thayer of Omaha: Junior forward Jeff Thayer, an Omaha native, scored three goals in 2007, all of which were game winners. While he hasn't scored a game-winner this year, he's already equalled last season's goal total and surpassed his assist total of last year. He notched his first career multiple-goal match against Gonzaga (Aug. 29).
Powering Past Pac-10: The Bluejays topped a pair of Pac-10 foes in September, knocking off Stanford, 1-0, and blanking sixth-ranked California, 2-0. The Jays are 3-0-2 against the Pac-10 in their last five meetings. Creighton is now 7-3-3 against the Pac-10 since Bob Warming returned to Omaha in 2001.
Early Arrivals: In Creighton's 2-0 win over UC Riverside (Sept. 7), both Bluejay goals were scored by true freshmen. However this isn't the first semester on the CU campus for either rookie, as both Ethan Finlay and Greg Jordan graduated high school early and joined the Bluejays for training in the spring semester. Their early arrival has paid dividends already, as both have started all four matches, and Finlay scored both game-winning goals on the Sept.5-7 weekend. Jordan recorded an assist and goal against UCR, in addition to his stellar defensive midfield play which contributed to a pair of Bluejay shutouts. Both were honored on the Diadora Challenge All-Tournament Team and Finlay was named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week.
Fantastic Fanatics: For the third time in school history, more than 4,000 fans turned out for a Bluejay regular-season home match, as 4,071 fans showed up for Creighton's season-opener. The Jays followed with over 3,000 fans for their second game to give the Bluejays two of the largest 10 crowds in all of college soccer through two weekends of play. The 4,071 fans ranks as the third-largest regular-season home crowd and the fifth-largest crowd in CU home history (including exhibitions).
Top Five 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 ? 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Offensive Output: Creighton's four goals in its season opener were the most since 2004, while the Bluejays followed with three goals in their second game. The seven goals through two games were the most for the Jays since the 1992 team poured in 13 goals in its first two matches.
No Shots For You: The Bluejay defense did not allow a shot on goal in their 2-0 win over UC Riverside (Sept. 7), marking the first time since 2005 that the Jays limited their opponent to zero shots on goal in a game. CU again equalled that feat against Bradley on Oct. 18. UCR managed only four total shots in the game, followed by just three attempts by UMKC (Sept. 13) and again just three by Memphis (Oct. 8). The three shots were the fewest by a Bluejay foe since Brown attempted only three shots against CU on Sept. 19, 2003.
High Flyers: Creighton's No. 3 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas poll in four weeks this season is the highest the Bluejays have been ranked in the regular-season since the 2000 team, which finished as the NCAA runners-up, was ranked third on Sept. 18. The Jays were then ranked second in the 2000 postseason poll and the 2001 preseason poll, but had not been this high since.
First Things First: Freshman Kris Clark and sophomore Andrew Duran teamed up with Jeff Thayer on the final goal of the match against Gonzaga (Aug. 29). Duran and Clark both were credited with their first career assists on Thayer's second goal of the match. Sophomore Tucker Sindlinger recorded his first game-winning goal in the win as well.
National Player of the Year Candidates: For the second straight season, two Bluejays have been placed on the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List, a preseason list for the award annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Junior Byron Dacy is on the preseason watch list for the third straight year, even after playing just two matches and redshirting last year because of a torn ACL. Senior Andrei Gotsmanov, who led the team with six goals and 17 points last year, joins Dacy on the list. Last year, Matt Allen was nominated along with Dacy to begin the season. Gotsmanov and Dacy are now on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current assistant coach, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2008 Byron Dacy & Andrei Gotsmanov
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
Keeping Keepers: There is no doubt experience in goal helps, but there is proof in Creighton's past that demonstrates that experience isn't necessary for success. This season the Bluejays return zero career minutes in goal, with three redshirt freshmen goalkeepers on the roster. The Jays have never previously returned zero minutes in net. In fact, both previous times CU returned 202 career minutes in goal or fewer, it reached the College Cup.
The fewest career goalkeeping minutes the Jays have returned prior to this season came during the 2000 campaign. Mike Gabb had played 179 career minutes before the 2000 season, a year the Bluejays would lead the NCAA with 22 wins and appear in the NCAA championship match. The second-fewest minutes the Jays have returned came in 1996, when Jon Epperson entered the year with 202 career minutes. He helped lead the Bluejays to their first College Cup Final Four that season.
Senior Citizens: Creighton has three seniors ? Andrei Gotsmanov, Seth Sinovic, Tim Walters ? listed on its roster this season, the fewest since the 1998 team also had just three seniors on the squad - Marc Madeley, Richard Mulrooney and Patrick Parker. Gotsmanov and Sinovic demonstrated their senior leadership and ability by combining on the first CU goal of the season this year.
In Attendance: Creighton ranked third in the nation in overall attendance in 2007, while it finished fourth in average attendance last year. The Jays brought in 34,308 fans for an average of 2,639 per game. CU's match against UCLA last year drew a school-record 5,812 fans, while two other 2007 crowds ranked in the CU top-10.
Preseason Favorites: The Missouri Valley Conference coaches have tabbed the Bluejays as preseason favorites for the fourth straight season. CU received five of the six first-place votes to total 35 points. Evansville is picked to finish second with 27 points, while Missouri State picked up the other first-place vote, despite being picked to finish last in the league.
Nine Newcomers: CU's incoming class of nine players ? six true freshmen and three transfers ? was ranked as the 16th-best recruiting class in the country according to College Soccer News. The Jays have 12 freshmen on their roster, five of whom redshirted with the Bluejays last year. Junior Akin Akinrinade (Central Florida), sophomore Kyle Deremer (St. Mary's) and freshman Tim Krueger (Hastings) have transferred into the program. Deremer and Krueger were teammates on Millard North's undefeated state championship team in 2007. Akinrinade, Krueger, along with freshmen Greg Jordan and Ethan Finlay all enrolled and trained at Creighton this spring.
Dairy State Products: A pair of freshmen from Wisconsin have been tabbed among “100 Freshmen to Keep an Eye On” according to College Soccer News. Ethan Finlay and Stew Brown, club teammates for FC Milwaukee, both earned the notice. Finlay was recognized by Rise Magazine as a top-30 national recruit and was an NSCAA Youth All-American, while Brown was an NSCAA High School All-American and named the most outstanding player at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in 2007.
Last Year in Brief: Creighton lost just one regular-season match in 2007 and finished the year with a 12-3-5 record in the third round of the NCAA Tournament - its 16th straight appearance in the NCAA postseason. The Jays ran off an 11-match unbeaten streak during their season, while posting a 4-0-2 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play for their first unbeaten record in MVC play since 1996. CU shared the MVC regular-season crown with Bradley for the second straight year. All-American Matt Allen became the first player in league history to twice be named MVC Defensive Player of the Year, while he wrapped up his career with CU records for minutes played and shutouts.
Players Mentioned
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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
