No. 2 Men's Soccer Hosts No. 6 Tulsa in NCAA Tournament
11/23/2008 7:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#2 Creighton hosts #6 Tulsa ? NCAA Tournament Second Round
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 7:00 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium ? Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Free live stats and free live video for every NCAA Tournament home match can be viewed free by clicking on the appropriate links at www.gocreighton.com.
This Week: The No. 2-ranked Bluejays return to the NCAA Tournament for the 17th straight season, earning the No. 7 seed in this year's tournament. Creighton will play host to sixth-ranked and unseeded Tulsa in the second round on Tuesday. The longtime Midwest Region rivals will kick off at 7 p.m. at Morrison Stadium. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the No. 10-seed Virginia vs. Connecticut match in the third round. (All-time NCAA Tournament results and records on page seven of this week's notes).
MVC Tournament Recap: Creighton added to its league record by winning its 11th MVC Tournament title with a pair of wins in Evansville on Nov. 14 and 16. CU beat Bradley 2-0 in the semifinals, behind goals from Tim Walters and Ethan Finlay, then shutout Missouri State 1-0 in the championship match. Finlay scored the only goal of the title match and was named to the all-tournament team along with Chris Schuler, Brian Holt and tournament MVP Andrei Gotsmanov.
Ticket Information: Ticket prices for the second-round NCAA match are $15 (upper level adult or youth reserved), $8 (lower level adult reserved or general admission) and $5 (lower level youth reserved or general admission, ages 3-18). Fans can purchase tickets to the second-round match at Rev. Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium (Monday: 9am-430pm; Tuesday starting at 9 am), all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (402) 422-1212. Men's soccer supporters who received a packet of parking passes to the South lot of Morrison Stadium prior to the season should use the one marked “NCAA Tournament Home Match #1” for entry to that area on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Scouting Creighton (14-1-2, 4-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the third straight week, are undefeated in their last 13 games (11-0-2). The MVC regular-season and tournament champions, CU is on its longest unbeaten streak since 1993 because of its outstanding defense. The Bluejays have logged a school-record 13 shutouts this year and enter the NCAA Tournament ranked first in the NCAA with a 76.5 shutout percentage (13 in 17 matches). CU ranks second in the nation with a 0.40 goals against average, while MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt, ranks third in the NCAA with a 0.43 GAA. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Junior Chris Schuler is the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, anchoring the Bluejay back line. The Bluejay offense is led by MVC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Andrei Gotsmanov. The senior MAC Hermann Trophy candidate leads the team with nine goals and 20 points. Freshman Ethan Finlay is second on the team with six goals and 15 points, while his four game-winning goals lead the MVC. First-team all-MVC forward Jeff Thayer also adds 15 points (5 g, 5 a) for the Bluejay attack. Senior captain and first-team all-MVC defender Seth Sinovic not only is a leader in the back, but he tops the team with six assists.
Scouting Tulsa (16-3-3, 7-0-1 C-USA): After a 1-0 win over UMKC in the first round, the Golden Hurricane enter the second round of the NCAA Tournament tied for the longest current unbeaten streak in the country, having not lost in their last 16 matches (14-0-2). TU's last loss came on the same day of CU's last defeat ? Sept. 13. Tulsa won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles. Ashley McInnes is the C-USA Player of the Year and Austin Neil is C-USA Freshman of the Year. Neil leads the team with 10 goals and 24 points, while McInnes tops the team with seven assists and ranks third with 17 points. Jose Parada is second on the squad with seven goals and 19 points. TU has out-scored opponents 43-14 this year. Tyrel Lacey has played over 1,900 minutes in goal, made 73 saves, logged eight shutouts and owns a 0.57 goals against average.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 181-56-29 (.735) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 374-175-59 (.664) 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 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and ? including this year ? is a three-time MVC Coach of the Year. The 2005 NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year, he ranked sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-TU Series: The Bluejays own the all-time series lead with Tulsa, 13-8-2, but have not won any of the last three meetings with the Hurricane (0-2-1). Tulsa handed the Jays their only regular-season loss in 2007, a 3-1 TU win on Sept. 22, 2007 in Omaha. The Jays tied Tulsa 1-1 in the final meeting between the teams as members of the MVC, in Omaha at the 2004 MVC Tournament. Tulsa topped CU 1-0 in Tulsa in 2005. The Jays are 7-2-1 against Tulsa in 10 all-time meetings in Omaha, including a 4-0 win during the 2004 regular-season.
CU-TU in the Postseason: While Creighton and Tulsa have never met in the NCAA Tournament, the teams played in the MVC together from 1991 through 2004 and met in the Valley tournament three times. The Jays are 2-0-1 against the Hurricane in the postseason, with CU winning in the 1993 and 2000 tournaments and the teams playing to a 1-1 draw in their final meeting as MVC squads in the 2004 MVC Tournament. Tulsa advanced 4-3 on PKs in Omaha in the 2004 MVC postseason.
NCAA at Morrison: Tuesday's match will be the sixth NCAA Tournament match in Morrison Stadium history, with the Jays posting a 4-1-0 mark at home in the NCAA Tournament since 2003. The Jays have out-scored opponents 15-3 in the five matches, scoring at least three goals in each of their four victories. 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 topped fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 in the second round last year before falling to Illinois-Chicago 1-0 to end their 2007 season.
Similar Foes: Creighton and Tulsa have played three of the same opponents this season; Memphis, Missouri State and UMKC. Against those teams, the Jays went 2-1-1, while TU was 3-0-0. CU defeated Memphis and MSU, lost to UMKC and also tied MSU. Tulsa blanked MSU and UMKC 1-0 and defeated Memphis 5-1.
Against the Field: Creighton went 3-1-1 against the five teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over California, Denver and Drake, tied Saint Louis and lost to UMKC. All five teams are on the same side of the bracket as the Jays this year.
Select Company: Creighton is joined by some elite company in making its 17th 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 16 NCAA postseasons. Indiana, UCLA and Virginia have joined Creighton in each NCAA tournament since 1992.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of the second round match featuring No. 22 Connecticut (10-4-6) at 10th-seeded and 21st-ranked Virginia (11-8-1). Should the Bluejays win, they would host that winner on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 45-9-10 (.781) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including an 8-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 147-25-15 (.826) at home. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance all five years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Battling the Best: The Bluejays are 2-0-1 against the top-25 this year. The topped No. 24 Drake 2-0 on Nov. 1. CU defeated No. 6 California 2-0 in September and tied Saint Louis 0-0 on Oct. 4, both on the road. CU is now a 49-37-10 all-time against the coaches top 25. The Jays are 20-8-2 (.690) at home all-time against NSCAA top 25 opponents, including a sparkling 10-1-1 at Morrison Stadium.
When Streaks Collide: Tulsa enters its second round match with Creighton on a school-record 16 match unbeaten streak (14-0-2), tied with Akron (13-0-3) for the longest streak in the nation. The Jays are third in the nation with a 13 match unbeaten streak (11-0-2). The 13 match undefeated streak is CU's longest streak since the 1993 team won 19 straight to start the season. Tulsa is also on a 16 match unbeaten road streak, having not lost a true road contest since Oct. 17, 2006.
Undefeated: Creighton went 4-0-1 in the MVC regular-season this year ? its second straight unbeaten conference slate. CU went 4-0-2 in league play last year. The Jays have also gone undefeated in Valley play in 1996 (5-0-0), 1995 (4-0-1), 1993 (5-0-0) and 1992 (4-0-1). CU's unbeaten campaign was just the 13th in league history.
Poll Position: Creighton is ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the third consecutive week in the final regular-season poll by the coaches. Prior to the No. 2 ranking, the Jays spent four straight weeks at No. 3. This is Creighton's first No. 2 ranking in the NSCAA poll since the 2001 preseason poll and 2000 final poll. The Jays have not been ranked this high in the regular-season coaches poll since earning the top spot on Sept. 15, 1999.
Where We Rank: In addition to their No. 2 ranking in the coaches poll, the Jays are also ranked No. 2 this week by Soccer Times, Soccer America and College Soccer News. The Jays spent the entire season ranked in the top-10 of Soccer Times and College Soccer News polls and dropped out of the top-10 just once in the NSCAA and Soccer America polls.
Top Two in the Midwest: Creighton was ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the final eight weeks of the season. Tulsa was ranked second in the region for most of CU's run at the top, and ended the season just behind the Jays.
NCAA Rankings: Creighton enters the NCAA Tournament leading the nation with a 76.5 shutout percentage (13 clean sheets in 17 matches). The Jays are second in the nation with a 0.40 goals against average and rank third in the NCAA with an 88.2 winning percentage. The Jays rank ninth in the NCAA with an 85.7 save percentage. Bluejay goalkeeper and MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt ranks third in the NCAA with a 0.43 goals against average and is seventh in the nation with an 84.4 save percentage.
Third Time's a Charm: Creighton clinched its third consecutive MVC regular-season title and ninth overall this season. The championship gave CU its first out-right title since 2003, as the Jays have shared their last two championships with Bradley.
All-Conference Honors: The Bluejays swept the MVC specialty awards this season, with Player of the Year Andrei Gotsmanov, Defensive Player of the Year Chris Schuler, Freshman of the Year Brian Holt and Coaching Staff of the Year led by Bob Warming. Listed below are the other 2008 all-conference Bluejays.
Bluejays on MVC First-Team
Andrei Gotsmanov, Sr., M
Chris Schuler, Jr., D
Seth Sinovic, Sr., D
Jeff Thayer, Jr., F
Bluejays on MVC Second-Team
Sergio Castillo, So., D/M
Bluejays on MVC Honorable-Mention Brian Holt, Fr., GK
Bluejays on MVC All-Freshman Team
Ethan Finlay, M
Brian Holt, GK
Greg Jordan, M/D
MVC Tournament Recognition: In capturing their 11th MVC Tournament title, several Bluejays stepped up to lead the squad. Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov was named tournament MVP and he was joined by freshman midfielder Ethan Finlay, junior defender Chris Schuler and freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt on the all-tournament team.
Finlay's a Winner: Freshman midfielder Ethan Finlay has scored six goals this season, four of which have been game-winners. His four game-winning goals lead the team and MVC. He ranks second on the team with six goals and 15 points, and he was honored on the MVC All-Freshman Team and MVC All-Tournament Team, after scoring a goal in both Valley tourney matches.
Andrei the Giant: Senior Andrei Gotsmanov is the MVC Player of the Year and the MVC Tournament MVP. He leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with nine goals and three game-winners, while his 20 points top the team as well. He was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3 after scoring both of Creighton's goals in a 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake (Nov. 1). Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, the attacker has established Morrison Stadium career records for points scored and goals scored. He has scored 13 career goals at home, including a venue-record eight this year. His 30 career points at home have tied Michael Kraus for the stadium record.
More on Andrei: Of Gotsmanov's 15 career Bluejay goals, 13 have come at home. The Bluejays are now 17-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match. He tops the team with his nine goals and 20 points, despite missing two games this year, including the regular-season finale (due to a yellow card suspension).
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 6-0-2 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 12-0-3 away from Omaha ? 8-0-3 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.
Seth Can Help: Senior Seth Sinovic had three assists entering CU's regular-season finale at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8), before doubling his total with three assists against the Panthers. He now tops the team with a career-best six assists (he had five career helpers entering the season). His three-assist day was one shy of the school record. He is the seventh player in school history to log at least three helpers in a game and the first since Joan Carvajal on Oct. 8, 2005 (also against EIU).
That's Offensive: CU scored a season-high five goals against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8). The five goals scored were the most by the Jays since a 6-1 win over Central Arkansas on Sept. 27, 2006. The five goals were the most by CU on the road since a 6-0 win at Georgetown on Oct. 19, 2005 and were the most by the Jays in an MVC regular-season match since a 5-0 win over EIU on Oct. 8, 2005.
Thayer's Bookends: Junior forward Jeff Thayer, an Omaha native, opened the year with his first career multiple-goal match, scoring twice against Gonzaga on Aug. 29. He wrapped up the regular-season with another two-goal performance at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8). He ranks second on the team with five assists and 15 points.
Holt On: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt and the Bluejay defense have been impressive this season. Holt, the MVC Freshman of the Year and honorable-mention all-MVC keeper, logged 12 shutouts in his 16 games played. His 0.40 goals against average ranks third in the NCAA 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. During the regular-season, opponents managed only 7.5 shots per game and a lowly 2.9 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.
CU Opponents Shots & Shots on Goal
Year Shots PG SOG PG
2008 127 7.5 49 2.9
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
Another RS-Fr. GK: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nick Goldreich made his collegiate debut against Missouri State on Oct. 21. The rookie made four saves in the double overtime draw.
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 .761, including an 8-0-2 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 8-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 64-16-12
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. On Oct. 18, 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.
Winners: Junior Byron Dacy dished an assist in CU's regular-season finale at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8), moving CU's record to 5-0-0 this year when he records at least one point in a match. Creighton is now 24-2-0 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 13-0-0 since 2006 when Senske appears in a match. The Jays are also 17-0-0 when Andrei Gotsmanov records an assist or goal in a match over the past two seasons.
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.
West Coast Dominance: Creighton's match with Cal State Northridge on 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).
Thanks for Coming: Creighton annually ranks among the NCAA leaders in attendance. Recently the fans have been showing up in record numbers. Against Evansville (Oct. 11), 3,192 fans showed up to establish a school record for home attendance at an MVC game. Then against Drake on Nov. 1, the 2,882 fans that showed up were a record number for a regular-season game in November and it was the second largest home crowd ever to see a game in November (trailing only an NCAA game).
October Dominance: Creighton has not lost a match in October since 2006, after completing its second straight unbeaten October. The Jays went 4-0-2 this season in October, after posting a 5-0-2 mark in the month last year. Since 2002, Creighton is now 39-7-8 (.796) in the month of October, also including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003.
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
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.
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.
Preseason Summary: Creighton finished 2-1-0 in the exhibition season, allowing just one goal in 270 minutes of action. The Jays crushed the Nebraska Club Team, 5-0, in their only home exhibition match on Aug. 15. CU then was narrowly edged by the Kansas City Wizards of MLS, 1-0, on Aug. 18. They bounced back to blank ninth-ranked and 2007 NCAA runner-up, Ohio State, 3-0, in Columbus last Sunday. Junior Jeff Thayer scored two goals and had two assists to lead the Bluejay attack in the preseason. Time in net was split between redshirt freshmen Brian Holt and Nick Goldreich.
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 7:00 p.m. ? Morrison Stadium ? Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Free live stats and free live video for every NCAA Tournament home match can be viewed free by clicking on the appropriate links at www.gocreighton.com.
This Week: The No. 2-ranked Bluejays return to the NCAA Tournament for the 17th straight season, earning the No. 7 seed in this year's tournament. Creighton will play host to sixth-ranked and unseeded Tulsa in the second round on Tuesday. The longtime Midwest Region rivals will kick off at 7 p.m. at Morrison Stadium. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the No. 10-seed Virginia vs. Connecticut match in the third round. (All-time NCAA Tournament results and records on page seven of this week's notes).
MVC Tournament Recap: Creighton added to its league record by winning its 11th MVC Tournament title with a pair of wins in Evansville on Nov. 14 and 16. CU beat Bradley 2-0 in the semifinals, behind goals from Tim Walters and Ethan Finlay, then shutout Missouri State 1-0 in the championship match. Finlay scored the only goal of the title match and was named to the all-tournament team along with Chris Schuler, Brian Holt and tournament MVP Andrei Gotsmanov.
Ticket Information: Ticket prices for the second-round NCAA match are $15 (upper level adult or youth reserved), $8 (lower level adult reserved or general admission) and $5 (lower level youth reserved or general admission, ages 3-18). Fans can purchase tickets to the second-round match at Rev. Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium (Monday: 9am-430pm; Tuesday starting at 9 am), all Ticketmaster locations (Baker's, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (402) 422-1212. Men's soccer supporters who received a packet of parking passes to the South lot of Morrison Stadium prior to the season should use the one marked “NCAA Tournament Home Match #1” for entry to that area on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Scouting Creighton (14-1-2, 4-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the third straight week, are undefeated in their last 13 games (11-0-2). The MVC regular-season and tournament champions, CU is on its longest unbeaten streak since 1993 because of its outstanding defense. The Bluejays have logged a school-record 13 shutouts this year and enter the NCAA Tournament ranked first in the NCAA with a 76.5 shutout percentage (13 in 17 matches). CU ranks second in the nation with a 0.40 goals against average, while MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt, ranks third in the NCAA with a 0.43 GAA. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Junior Chris Schuler is the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, anchoring the Bluejay back line. The Bluejay offense is led by MVC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Andrei Gotsmanov. The senior MAC Hermann Trophy candidate leads the team with nine goals and 20 points. Freshman Ethan Finlay is second on the team with six goals and 15 points, while his four game-winning goals lead the MVC. First-team all-MVC forward Jeff Thayer also adds 15 points (5 g, 5 a) for the Bluejay attack. Senior captain and first-team all-MVC defender Seth Sinovic not only is a leader in the back, but he tops the team with six assists.
Scouting Tulsa (16-3-3, 7-0-1 C-USA): After a 1-0 win over UMKC in the first round, the Golden Hurricane enter the second round of the NCAA Tournament tied for the longest current unbeaten streak in the country, having not lost in their last 16 matches (14-0-2). TU's last loss came on the same day of CU's last defeat ? Sept. 13. Tulsa won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles. Ashley McInnes is the C-USA Player of the Year and Austin Neil is C-USA Freshman of the Year. Neil leads the team with 10 goals and 24 points, while McInnes tops the team with seven assists and ranks third with 17 points. Jose Parada is second on the squad with seven goals and 19 points. TU has out-scored opponents 43-14 this year. Tyrel Lacey has played over 1,900 minutes in goal, made 73 saves, logged eight shutouts and owns a 0.57 goals against average.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 181-56-29 (.735) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 374-175-59 (.664) 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 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and ? including this year ? is a three-time MVC Coach of the Year. The 2005 NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year, he ranked sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-TU Series: The Bluejays own the all-time series lead with Tulsa, 13-8-2, but have not won any of the last three meetings with the Hurricane (0-2-1). Tulsa handed the Jays their only regular-season loss in 2007, a 3-1 TU win on Sept. 22, 2007 in Omaha. The Jays tied Tulsa 1-1 in the final meeting between the teams as members of the MVC, in Omaha at the 2004 MVC Tournament. Tulsa topped CU 1-0 in Tulsa in 2005. The Jays are 7-2-1 against Tulsa in 10 all-time meetings in Omaha, including a 4-0 win during the 2004 regular-season.
CU-TU in the Postseason: While Creighton and Tulsa have never met in the NCAA Tournament, the teams played in the MVC together from 1991 through 2004 and met in the Valley tournament three times. The Jays are 2-0-1 against the Hurricane in the postseason, with CU winning in the 1993 and 2000 tournaments and the teams playing to a 1-1 draw in their final meeting as MVC squads in the 2004 MVC Tournament. Tulsa advanced 4-3 on PKs in Omaha in the 2004 MVC postseason.
NCAA at Morrison: Tuesday's match will be the sixth NCAA Tournament match in Morrison Stadium history, with the Jays posting a 4-1-0 mark at home in the NCAA Tournament since 2003. The Jays have out-scored opponents 15-3 in the five matches, scoring at least three goals in each of their four victories. 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 topped fifth-ranked SMU 3-0 in the second round last year before falling to Illinois-Chicago 1-0 to end their 2007 season.
Similar Foes: Creighton and Tulsa have played three of the same opponents this season; Memphis, Missouri State and UMKC. Against those teams, the Jays went 2-1-1, while TU was 3-0-0. CU defeated Memphis and MSU, lost to UMKC and also tied MSU. Tulsa blanked MSU and UMKC 1-0 and defeated Memphis 5-1.
Against the Field: Creighton went 3-1-1 against the five teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over California, Denver and Drake, tied Saint Louis and lost to UMKC. All five teams are on the same side of the bracket as the Jays this year.
Select Company: Creighton is joined by some elite company in making its 17th 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 16 NCAA postseasons. Indiana, UCLA and Virginia have joined Creighton in each NCAA tournament since 1992.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of the second round match featuring No. 22 Connecticut (10-4-6) at 10th-seeded and 21st-ranked Virginia (11-8-1). Should the Bluejays win, they would host that winner on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 45-9-10 (.781) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including an 8-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 147-25-15 (.826) at home. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance all five years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Battling the Best: The Bluejays are 2-0-1 against the top-25 this year. The topped No. 24 Drake 2-0 on Nov. 1. CU defeated No. 6 California 2-0 in September and tied Saint Louis 0-0 on Oct. 4, both on the road. CU is now a 49-37-10 all-time against the coaches top 25. The Jays are 20-8-2 (.690) at home all-time against NSCAA top 25 opponents, including a sparkling 10-1-1 at Morrison Stadium.
When Streaks Collide: Tulsa enters its second round match with Creighton on a school-record 16 match unbeaten streak (14-0-2), tied with Akron (13-0-3) for the longest streak in the nation. The Jays are third in the nation with a 13 match unbeaten streak (11-0-2). The 13 match undefeated streak is CU's longest streak since the 1993 team won 19 straight to start the season. Tulsa is also on a 16 match unbeaten road streak, having not lost a true road contest since Oct. 17, 2006.
Undefeated: Creighton went 4-0-1 in the MVC regular-season this year ? its second straight unbeaten conference slate. CU went 4-0-2 in league play last year. The Jays have also gone undefeated in Valley play in 1996 (5-0-0), 1995 (4-0-1), 1993 (5-0-0) and 1992 (4-0-1). CU's unbeaten campaign was just the 13th in league history.
Poll Position: Creighton is ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the third consecutive week in the final regular-season poll by the coaches. Prior to the No. 2 ranking, the Jays spent four straight weeks at No. 3. This is Creighton's first No. 2 ranking in the NSCAA poll since the 2001 preseason poll and 2000 final poll. The Jays have not been ranked this high in the regular-season coaches poll since earning the top spot on Sept. 15, 1999.
Where We Rank: In addition to their No. 2 ranking in the coaches poll, the Jays are also ranked No. 2 this week by Soccer Times, Soccer America and College Soccer News. The Jays spent the entire season ranked in the top-10 of Soccer Times and College Soccer News polls and dropped out of the top-10 just once in the NSCAA and Soccer America polls.
Top Two in the Midwest: Creighton was ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the final eight weeks of the season. Tulsa was ranked second in the region for most of CU's run at the top, and ended the season just behind the Jays.
NCAA Rankings: Creighton enters the NCAA Tournament leading the nation with a 76.5 shutout percentage (13 clean sheets in 17 matches). The Jays are second in the nation with a 0.40 goals against average and rank third in the NCAA with an 88.2 winning percentage. The Jays rank ninth in the NCAA with an 85.7 save percentage. Bluejay goalkeeper and MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt ranks third in the NCAA with a 0.43 goals against average and is seventh in the nation with an 84.4 save percentage.
Third Time's a Charm: Creighton clinched its third consecutive MVC regular-season title and ninth overall this season. The championship gave CU its first out-right title since 2003, as the Jays have shared their last two championships with Bradley.
All-Conference Honors: The Bluejays swept the MVC specialty awards this season, with Player of the Year Andrei Gotsmanov, Defensive Player of the Year Chris Schuler, Freshman of the Year Brian Holt and Coaching Staff of the Year led by Bob Warming. Listed below are the other 2008 all-conference Bluejays.
Bluejays on MVC First-Team
Andrei Gotsmanov, Sr., M
Chris Schuler, Jr., D
Seth Sinovic, Sr., D
Jeff Thayer, Jr., F
Bluejays on MVC Second-Team
Sergio Castillo, So., D/M
Bluejays on MVC Honorable-Mention Brian Holt, Fr., GK
Bluejays on MVC All-Freshman Team
Ethan Finlay, M
Brian Holt, GK
Greg Jordan, M/D
MVC Tournament Recognition: In capturing their 11th MVC Tournament title, several Bluejays stepped up to lead the squad. Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov was named tournament MVP and he was joined by freshman midfielder Ethan Finlay, junior defender Chris Schuler and freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt on the all-tournament team.
Finlay's a Winner: Freshman midfielder Ethan Finlay has scored six goals this season, four of which have been game-winners. His four game-winning goals lead the team and MVC. He ranks second on the team with six goals and 15 points, and he was honored on the MVC All-Freshman Team and MVC All-Tournament Team, after scoring a goal in both Valley tourney matches.
Andrei the Giant: Senior Andrei Gotsmanov is the MVC Player of the Year and the MVC Tournament MVP. He leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with nine goals and three game-winners, while his 20 points top the team as well. He was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3 after scoring both of Creighton's goals in a 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake (Nov. 1). Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, the attacker has established Morrison Stadium career records for points scored and goals scored. He has scored 13 career goals at home, including a venue-record eight this year. His 30 career points at home have tied Michael Kraus for the stadium record.
More on Andrei: Of Gotsmanov's 15 career Bluejay goals, 13 have come at home. The Bluejays are now 17-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match. He tops the team with his nine goals and 20 points, despite missing two games this year, including the regular-season finale (due to a yellow card suspension).
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 6-0-2 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 12-0-3 away from Omaha ? 8-0-3 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.
Seth Can Help: Senior Seth Sinovic had three assists entering CU's regular-season finale at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8), before doubling his total with three assists against the Panthers. He now tops the team with a career-best six assists (he had five career helpers entering the season). His three-assist day was one shy of the school record. He is the seventh player in school history to log at least three helpers in a game and the first since Joan Carvajal on Oct. 8, 2005 (also against EIU).
That's Offensive: CU scored a season-high five goals against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8). The five goals scored were the most by the Jays since a 6-1 win over Central Arkansas on Sept. 27, 2006. The five goals were the most by CU on the road since a 6-0 win at Georgetown on Oct. 19, 2005 and were the most by the Jays in an MVC regular-season match since a 5-0 win over EIU on Oct. 8, 2005.
Thayer's Bookends: Junior forward Jeff Thayer, an Omaha native, opened the year with his first career multiple-goal match, scoring twice against Gonzaga on Aug. 29. He wrapped up the regular-season with another two-goal performance at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8). He ranks second on the team with five assists and 15 points.
Holt On: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt and the Bluejay defense have been impressive this season. Holt, the MVC Freshman of the Year and honorable-mention all-MVC keeper, logged 12 shutouts in his 16 games played. His 0.40 goals against average ranks third in the NCAA 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. During the regular-season, opponents managed only 7.5 shots per game and a lowly 2.9 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.
CU Opponents Shots & Shots on Goal
Year Shots PG SOG PG
2008 127 7.5 49 2.9
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
Another RS-Fr. GK: Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nick Goldreich made his collegiate debut against Missouri State on Oct. 21. The rookie made four saves in the double overtime draw.
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 .761, including an 8-0-2 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 8-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 64-16-12
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. On Oct. 18, 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.
Winners: Junior Byron Dacy dished an assist in CU's regular-season finale at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 8), moving CU's record to 5-0-0 this year when he records at least one point in a match. Creighton is now 24-2-0 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 13-0-0 since 2006 when Senske appears in a match. The Jays are also 17-0-0 when Andrei Gotsmanov records an assist or goal in a match over the past two seasons.
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.
West Coast Dominance: Creighton's match with Cal State Northridge on 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).
Thanks for Coming: Creighton annually ranks among the NCAA leaders in attendance. Recently the fans have been showing up in record numbers. Against Evansville (Oct. 11), 3,192 fans showed up to establish a school record for home attendance at an MVC game. Then against Drake on Nov. 1, the 2,882 fans that showed up were a record number for a regular-season game in November and it was the second largest home crowd ever to see a game in November (trailing only an NCAA game).
October Dominance: Creighton has not lost a match in October since 2006, after completing its second straight unbeaten October. The Jays went 4-0-2 this season in October, after posting a 5-0-2 mark in the month last year. Since 2002, Creighton is now 39-7-8 (.796) in the month of October, also including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003.
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
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.
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.
Preseason Summary: Creighton finished 2-1-0 in the exhibition season, allowing just one goal in 270 minutes of action. The Jays crushed the Nebraska Club Team, 5-0, in their only home exhibition match on Aug. 15. CU then was narrowly edged by the Kansas City Wizards of MLS, 1-0, on Aug. 18. They bounced back to blank ninth-ranked and 2007 NCAA runner-up, Ohio State, 3-0, in Columbus last Sunday. Junior Jeff Thayer scored two goals and had two assists to lead the Bluejay attack in the preseason. Time in net was split between redshirt freshmen Brian Holt and Nick Goldreich.
Players Mentioned
GK
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M/D
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F
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M
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GK
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F
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GK
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D
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M
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M/D
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D
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/ Men's SoccerCreighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Omaha 9-10-25
Thursday, September 11
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability September 9
Tuesday, September 09
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights & Postgame vs Denver 9-5-25
Saturday, September 06
Creighton Media Availability 9.3.25 - Men's Soccer
Wednesday, September 03
