Creighton Hosts 2008 State Farm MVC Women's Soccer Tournament Starting Wednesday
11/4/2008 4:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Bluejay Season Leaders
Category Leader Number
Goals Gans 15
Assists Zapapas 5
Points Gans 34
Saves Casey 94
GAA Casey 1.41
About the Jays
The 12-6-0 Creighton women's soccer team is a mix of youth and experience. The 2008 squad, which is coming off a 2007 MVC Tournament Championship, has already secured its sixth 10-win season, as well as its eighth consecutive winning season since Bruce Erickson became head coach in 1999. The team is hoping to make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for just the second time in program history.
Two of the Bluejays' top three scorers this season were preseason all-MVC selections (Marcy Gans and Emily Orbell). Gans, who is the most prolific scorer in school history with 38 goals and 91 total points, leads the team and MVC in 2008 with 15 goals and 34 points. Mary Zapapas is second with 13 points (4 G, 5 A), her best season as a Bluejay. Orbell, the reining MVC Rookie of the Year, is third with 12 (4 G, 4 A).
Kristen Casey, who is tied for third on the all-time Creighton wins and fourth on the all-time shutout list with 29 and 17 respectively, is third in the MVC this season with an .803 save percentage.
Last Week Recap
Last Thursday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Creighton finished its regular season, defeating Northern Iowa 4-2.
The Bluejays were led on offense by senior forward Lindsay Vaught who scored two goals, her best game of the season. Mary Zapapas also added two assists to help the Creighton attack.
After finding themselves down 2-1, courtesy of two Northern Iowa free kicks, the Bluejays rattled off three straight goals. Claire Zach tied up the match in the 39th minute off a Grace Kwon corner to send the game into halftime tied.
Vaught opened the scoring in the second half for Creighton, as her second goal came in the 62nd minute to break the 2-2 tie, as Zapapas sent a corner kick in Vaught's direction to put Creighton on top for good.
Rounding out the Creighton attack was Marcy Gans, who scored her 15th goal of the season in the 72nd minute off a free kick from 25 yards away, making the Creighton lead 4-2.
Long Time No See
Creighton and Missouri State are meeting for the second time in the last three weeks. On Oct. 19 in Springfield, Mo., Missouri State was able to edge Creighton 3-2. The Bluejays fell down 3-0, and were able to cut the deficit to one, before the rally shorted out.
Unbeaten at Morrison
Wednesday's game against Missouri State will mark the fourth meeting at Morrison Stadium between the two schools. Coming into the game, Creighton is 1-0-2 against the Bears at Morrison Stadium, since the stadium opened in 2003.
Valley High
Since the MVC began its annual women's soccer tournament in 1996, Creighton has been the most successful at the event. Besides winning the event four times, Creighton has also won a league-high 16 games. That mark is two better than Evansville, who has won 14 MVC Tournament games, while also winning the event a league-high five times.
Home Cooking
All three rounds of the MVC Tournament will be played at Morrison Stadium. That bodes well for Creighton who is 6-1 all time in MVC Tournament games played at home, and 3-1 in games played at Morrison Stadium, since the stadium opened in 2003.
Conference Champs
Creighton has prevailed as the Missouri Valley Conference Champions in four of the last six years, by virtue of winning the conference tournament. Besides having success in the conference tournament, the Bluejays have also been successful in the regular season as well. Since 2000, Creighton is 33-17-7 against conference foes in the regular season.
Fifth Time's the Charm?
After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last six years last season by virtue of winning the MVC Tournament, the Bluejays will be looking this year to post not only the first NCAA Tournament victory in Creighton history, but also MVC history. Coming into the season, Valley teams are a combined 0-10. Last year the Bluejays lost 3-0 to USC in the first round.
A trip to the NCAA Tournament this year, would be just the second time in the program's history that the team has made the tournament in back to back seasons (2004-05).
Best in the Game
Last Thursday against Northern Iowa, senior forward Lindsay Vaught was the Bluejays' leading scorer, scoring two goals on the afternoon. Her two goals were a season high for her, and the second time in her career that the senior has scored multiple times in a match.
Vaught was named MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday for the second time this season, due to her performance.
Shooting Star
Junior Kyla Hoskins, had her best offensive performance of the season last Thursday at Northern Iowa. She registered a career high six shots against the Panthers, surpassing her previous high of two, set in 2006 as a freshman. Hoskins has seven shots on the season, all coming in the last two games.
Aggressive Attack
By scoring four goals last Thursday against Northern Iowa, Creighton has now scored two or more goals in its last six contests. That marks the longest such stretch since the end of the 1992 season going into the 1993 season when the team scored multiple goals in seven straight contests (Oct. 31, 1992-Sept. 18, 1993). Creighton is 4-2 during the current span.
Three In a Row
Junior Mary Zapapas had two assists last Thursday in helping Creighton to its 4-2 win over Northern Iowa. It marked the third straight game she has scored a point. During her current streak she has two goals and two assists. It is the longest streak she has had during her time at Creighton.
For the season Zapapas is Creighton's second leading scorer, with 13 points (4 G, 5 A). That is a personal best as a Bluejay. Prior to joining the Bluejays, Zapapas scored 11 goals and had 4 assists in 2006 at Middle Tennessee.
Shooting Gallery
Creighton launched 23 shots last Thursday against Northern Iowa, making it the third consecutive game the team has had 20 or more shots. That is the longest streak since Oct. 10-17, 2004.
Second Time This Decade
Oct. 25's defensive performance against Evansville, was not one to remember for the Bluejays. The team surrendered five goals, for the first time since Sept. 8, 2000 at BYU, when the team gave up six.
Offensive Display
The Oct. 25 game against Evansville saw a flurry of shots unleashed by both teams. The two teams combined for 48 shots, (Evansville 28, Creighton 20) which was a season high. The previous high was 38 against Northeastern (Northeastern 21, Creighton 17).
Senior Day Let Down
Oct. 25's loss to Evansville was a disappointing way to end the home careers for the Bluejay seniors. Creighton lost on Senior Day for the first time since 2002, when the team fell to Iowa, 1-0.
5K Club
On Oct 25 against Evansville, Kristen Casey played all 90 minutes in goal for the Bluejays. She has now played 5075 minutes in her career at Creighton, becoming just the fourth goalkeeper in program history to do so.
Wrong Kind of Record
Evansville set a few Morrison Stadium records Oct. 25 in its 5-2 win, over Creighton. Purple Ace forward Rocky Hearst scored the most goals by an individual, scoring four times. That surpasses Bluejays forward Marcy Gans, and Western Michigan's Thalia Playford who each had three goals.
The five goals scored by the team, was the most of any Creighton opponent. Western Michigan scored five against Northern Iowa on Sept. 8, 2006.
Breakout Season
After scoring a goal Oct. 25 against Evansville, senior Nicole DeLue extended her career high for goals and points in a season. This season she has four goals and seven points, surpassing her previous high of two goals and five poins in 2006.
Record Setting Night
Creighton had quite a few notable achievements on Oct. 21 with its 6-0 victory over North Dakota. Below are the noteworthy accomplishments for a single game.
Four goals in the first half was the most since Sept. 30, 2005 against Northern Arizona when the team scored five in the second half.
Six goals for the game was the most since Sept. 30, 2005, when the team defeated Northern Arizona 6-3.
Six goals were the most scored by any team at Morrison Stadium, surpassing the previous high of five set three times, with the most recent being Sept. 8, 2006, when Western Michigan scored five times against Northern Iowa.
Largest margin of victory since Sept. 17 vs. Youngstown St. when the Bluejays won by a count of 8-1.
Winning Streak
The victory over North Dakota on Oct. 21 gave the Bluejays their eighth consecutive winning season under Bruce Erickson. That streak extends the previous record of seven for most consecutive winning seasons in program history.
Newcomer Success
Freshman forward Annemarie Hengel was Creighton's high scorer on Oct. 21 against North Dakota, scoring two goals as well as an assist. The five points were the first of her career.
Bitter Sweet
Senior goalkeeper Kristen Casey saw her consecutive start streak in goal come to an end at 36 on Oct. 21 against North Dakota. Taking her place was freshman Alicia Montgomery who made her first career start. Montgomery stopped five shots on the night for her first shutout.
Successful Trip
Creighton's loss to Missouri State Oct. 19 capped its three-game roadtrip. The team went 2-1 on the trip, its most successful since Sept. 12-17 in 2003, when the team also went 2-1.
A Rarity
Creighton's 5-2 loss to Evansville Oct. 21 was somewhat of a rarity for the team. Coming into the game, the Bluejays had won five of six when scoring two goals in a game. This season, the team is 6-2 in that category.
Another Threat
The Bluejays had their ninth different goal scorer of the year on Oct. 21 against North Dakota as freshman Annemarie Hengel was Creighton's high scorer, scoring two goals and an assist. It was the first five career points for her.
Group Effort
The Bluejays' offensive output has been a group effort this season. The team has already had six players who have double digits in shots on goal. That is the most number of players with that production since 2005 when the team had nine players with 10+ shots on goal.
Saving the Day Again
On the season the Creighton defense has combined for 107 saves. That number is the most since 2002, when the team had 116 saves.
Top 20 Performance
With her goal last Thursday against Northern Iowa, Marcy Gans has 34 points on the year, (15 G, 4 A). The mark puts her among the top players in the nation in both goals and total points. As of Nov. 3 she ranks 13th in goals per game with 0.833 and 17th in points per game with 1.89 in the NCAA.
That's Odd
Oct. 25 against Evansville provided an unusual occurence for the Bluejays. Marcy Gans had an assist on Mary Zapapas' goal in the first half, which usually signifies a win for the Blue and White. However Creighton lost for just the fourth time in 27 games when Gans scores. Dating back to last season the Bluejays are 22-4-1 when Gans scores a point and 1-10-1 when she doesn't.
That's a Winner
Creighton's 2-0 win over Western Illinois on Oct. 14 gave the team 10 wins on the season. That is the sixth time in head coach Bruce Erickson's 10 seasons, the team has accomplished the feat.
Fresh Faces
In the Oct. 14 game against Western Illinois, a couple of Creighton freshmen saw playing time for the first time this season. Carey Dahlquist and Ariel Rank played 18 and 52 minutes respectively, for their first collegiate action.
Streak Snapper
With the Bluejays' 2-0 win over Western Illinois on Oct. 14, the Bluejays snapped the Westerwinds 14-game home unbeaten streak. Western Illinois had not lost since Sept. 15, 2006 against Valparaiso.
Shutting Down the Opponent
On Oct. 14 against Western Illinois, Kristen Casey posted her fourth shutout of the season. The shutout was also the 17th of her career. The mark moves her into a tie with Maggie Phelan (1989-92) for fourth all time on the Creighton career shutout list.
Special Season
Seniors Marcy Gans and Kristen Casey have each had remarkable seasons up to this point in the season. Gans has 15 goals, and four assists for 34 total points, while Casey has 11 wins and four shutouts.
Gans is currently third on the Creighton single season mark in both goals and points with her marks, while Casey's 11 wins tie her for third.
Doubling and Tripling Up
Part of the reason for Creighton's success this season, has been getting a first-half lead, as the team has more than doubled its opponents success in the first half. The Bluejays have outscored their opponents 24-11 in the first 45 minutes.
MVC High
With the team's 4-2 victory over Northern Iowa last Thursday, Creighton (12-6-0) now has 12 wins on the season. That mark is the most of any team in the MVC, one ahead of Evansville (11-4-2) and Illinois State (11-7-1) which have 11.
Potent Attack
With four goals scored last Thursday against Northern Iowa, Creighton has now scored at least three goals seven times this season. That is the most since 2005, when the team accomplished the feat eight times.
Three is a Lucky Number
The win over North Dakota on Oct. 21 marked the seventh time this season Creighton has scored three times in a game. The game also marked the 33nd straight time that the Bluejays have been victorious when scoring three or more goals. In program history, the team is 107-2-2 in those situations, a .973 winning percentage.
Having Their Number
With the win against Indiana State on Oct. 11, Creighton improved its record in Terre Haute, Ind., to 4-0-0 all-time. Overall, Creighton has gone 11-0-0 in the series.
Most Prolific
This season Marcy Gans has rewritten the Creighton record books, by breaking the all-time goals scored list, as well as breaking numerous Morrison Stadium records. On Oct. 11 against Indiana State, Gans broke another record, scoring her 82nd career point, with a goal in the 57th minute.
She has since added four more goals and an assist to give her 91 career points. Gans has now scored the most points of any Bluejay for a career, surpassing Gretta Matthews who scored 81 from 1989-92.
Season High
Emily Orbell's three points Oct. 11 against Indiana State were a season-high for her, surpassing her previous high of two. Last year's MVC Rookie of the Year tied her assist total from last year when she also had three.
Career Best
With Shawn Magrum's goal Oct. 11 against Indiana State, she now has eight points on the season (3 G, 2 A). That mark is a career high for Magrum, surpassing her previous total of 3 (1 G, 1 A) in 2006 and 2007.
First Time For Everything
Oct. 25's, 5-2 loss to Evansvile was the second loss at home for Creighton this season. The loss was just the third in the last 18 games (14-3-1).
Must Score Situation
The Oct. 4, 1-0 loss to Illinois State, showed the importance of scoring at least one goal. In the last 43 games they've scored at least one goal, the Bluejays are 33-7-3, an .802 win percentage.
100th Victory
Creighton's 2-0 win over Drake on Sept. 28, gave Creighton head coach Bruce Erickson his 100th victory as a Bluejay. He is the first coach in Creighton women's soccer history to accomplish the feat. During his 10 years in Omaha, Erickson is 104-82-18 and 174-143-24 in his 17-year career overall.
Season First
Junior forward Jordan Bruch had a couple of season firsts on Sept. 28 against Drake. Bruch made her first start of the season as well as getting her first assist.
The assist was her first since Aug. 30, 2006 against South Dakota State, and her first point since Oct. 22, 2006 against Evansville.
Pack ?Em In
Creighton has gotten great support from its fans this season, helping to its 8-2-0 home record this season. The team averages 504 fans per home contest, through nine games this season. That number is tops in the MVC.
Helping Hand
Junior Mary Zapapas had three assists Sept. 19-21, in helping the Bluejays to go 2-0. With her three assists, including two against Northern Illinois, she set personal career highs while at Creighton for most assists in a season (3) and most assists in a single game (2).
Program Leaders
This season seniors Kristen Casey and Marcy Gans have added to their impressive Creighton careers. They rank among the all time leaders in many categories in program history. Below are their career rankings.
Kristen Casey
Category Rank Number
Goalkeeper Minutes 3rd 5075
Goalkeeping Victories T-3rd 29
Goals Against Avg. 4th 1.21
Saves 4th 255
Shutouts T-4th 17
Marcy Gans
Category Rank Number
Points 1st 91
Goals 1st 38
Shots on Goal 2nd 116
Multiple Goal Games 2nd 7
Program Milestone
With the Bluejays' 2-0 win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 19, they reached the 200 win mark in program history. Here's a look at how the team has evolved through its history.
Win No. Record to No. of Matches 50 50-35-5 90
100 50-34-3 87
150 50-47-5 102
200 50-34-13 97
Morrison Record Setter
On Oct. 25 against Evansville, senior Marcy Gans extended her Morrison Stadium single season record for points scored with 23. Gans broke her own record after setting the original mark with 16 Sept. 21. Below are all of Gans' Morrison Stadium Records.
Single Season Record
Goals 10
Points 23
Shots on Goal 18
Total Shots 47
Career Record Number
Goals 23
Points 54
Shots on Goal 68
Total Shots 149
Morrison Record Setter Part 2
This season senior goalkeeper Kristen Casey has added more records to an already impressive career at Morrison Stadium. Below are her Morrison Stadium Records.
Single Game Record Number
Saves 9
Single Season Record
Victories 7
Minutes Played 920
Career Record Number
Shutouts 14
Victories 19
Saves 111
Welcome Newcomers
This season Creighton features the most freshmen on its team since 2001. The 2008 Bluejays will have 12 college rookies, matching the 2001 squad which also featured a dozen.
National Pride
The Bluejays will be without the services of junior defender Eden Hingwing this season. Hingwing is redshirting the season to train and play for the Canadian National Team in the U-20 World Cup (Nov. 19- Dec. 7).
What's in a Name
Last season, the Bluejays had three sisters on the team in Ally, Katy and Anne Peetz. This season the team has a new set of sisters as senior Marcy Gans and freshman Ariel Rank continue the family tradition.
