No. 2 Men's Soccer Seeks Third Straight Regular-Season Title
11/5/2008 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#2 Creighton at Eastern Illinois
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:00 p.m. ? Lakeside Field ? Charleston, Ill.
Following the Jays: Live stats for Saturday's match can be found by clicking on the ?Live Stats' link at www.gocreighton.com.
This Week: The second-ranked Bluejays conclude the regular-season and look to secure their third consecutive regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title when they play at Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Jays and Panthers kick off at 2 p.m., in Charleston.
Last Week: Creighton tied a school record by posting its 11th shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over 24th-ranked Drake on Senior Day. Andrei Gotsmanov scored both goals for the Jays and he was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week. Kyle Deremer earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his role in blanking the 16th-ranked offense in the NCAA.
Scouting Creighton (11-1-2, 3-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, who at No. 2 this week have earned their highest ranking in the NSCAA poll this year, enter their final regular-season match of the year on a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2). Creighton owns the best defense in the NCAA, leading the nation with a 0.27 goals against average and 78.6 shutout percentage. CU's 11 shutouts this year have tied the school record established twice previously. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt leads the NCAA this week with a 0.30 goals against average, as he has played over 1,200 minutes and allowed just four goals all year. The Jays have out-scored their opponents 23-4 this season, led by reigning National Player of the Week and MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Andrei Gotsmanov. The senior attacker leads the team and is tied for the league-lead with nine goals and three game-winning goals. Gotsmanov has scored five of CU's seven goals in league play and has scored five of CU's last six goals. Junior forward Byron Dacy joins Gotsmanov on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List this fall. Junior Jeff Thayer and freshman Ethan Finlay each have three goals, while Thayer leads the team with four assists. Preseason All-American junior defender Chris Schuler and senior captain Seth Sinovic help anchor a back line which has allowed an average of just 7.4 shots per game.
Scouting Eastern Illinois (5-9-3, 0-4-0 MVC): The Panthers are the only winless team in the MVC and have already locked up the No. 6 seed for the upcoming MVC Tournament. EIU started the season 5-2-1, but has gone winless in its last nine games (0-7-2). The Panthers rank last in the MVC with a 1.59 goals against average and have allowed the most goals of any team in the league, giving up 28 in 17 games. Mark Hansen sees the majority of time in net for EIU, logging a 1.39 GAA in 1,231 minutes of play. Offensively the Panthers again have a solid attack, led by first-team all-MVC forward Brad Peters' nine goals and 22 points. Alex Harrison leads EIU and ranks second in the MVC with six assists, while he adds six goals for 18 points. The rest of the EIU attack has 11 goals combined, as EIU has been out-scored 28-26 and out-shot 233-221 this year.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 178-56-29 (.732) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 371-175-59 (.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-EIU Series: The Bluejays have not lost to the Panthers since EIU joined the MVC as an affiliate member, posting a 14-0-1 record against EIU since 1996. The Bluejays have won 12 straight meetings with the Panthers and out-scored EIU 22-1 in their last seven meetings, including a 2-1 double overtime victory in Omaha last year. All-time against EIU, the Bluejays are 14-4-1, with the four losses coming between 1981-85.
Cutting it Close: In Creighton's 2-1 double overtime victory over Eastern Illinois last year in Omaha, the game went down to the wire as Tony Schmitz's game-winning score came with just 0.4 left on the clock. Schmitz was able to deflect a blast from Chris Schuler to help the Jays prevail.
Good Bye: Creighton has already clinched a bye in the upcoming State Farm MVC Tournament in Evansville next weekend. The Bluejays can finish no lower than second place, therefore earning a bye into the semifinals on Friday night and avoiding opening round action on Wednesday.
Third Time's a Charm: Creighton can clinch its third consecutive MVC regular-season title and ninth overall with a win on Saturday. CU could also clinch the title with a tie and a Drake tie or loss. The Jays have shared the title with Bradley in each of the previous two seasons.
Climbing the Polls: Creighton has spent five weeks at No. 3 in the NSCAA poll this fall, including the last four weeks, before moving up to No. 2 this week. It's Creighton first trip to No. 2 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.
Pulling Rank: In addition to its No. 2 ranking in the coaches poll, the Jays are also No. 2 this week in both the Soccer Times and Soccer America polls and third in the College Soccer News top 30.
Best in the Midwest: Creighton is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the sixth straight week, ahead of conference foes Drake (3) and Evansville (8).
NCAA Leaders: Creighton began the week ranked first in the NCAA in goals against average with a minute 0.27. The Jays also lead the nation in shutout percentage at 78.6 ? 11 shutouts in 14 matches. The Jays rank second in the nation with a save percentage of 90.0 percent. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt leads the NCAA with a 0.30 goals against average and ranks sixth with an 88.9 save percentage.
Andrei the Giant: Senior Andrei Gotsmanov was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after scoring both of Creighton's goals in a 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake last Saturday. Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, the attacker has established Morrison Stadium career records for points scored and goals scored. With his two goals last week, 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: Gotsmanov has scored five of CU's seven goals in MVC play and has scored five of CU's last six goals overall. Of his 15 career Bluejay goals, 13 have come at home. He is tied for the league-lead with nine goals and three game-winners. The Bluejays are now 16-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match. He won't play this Saturday after picking up his fifth yellow card last Saturday.
Shutout Record: Creighton has tied the school record with 11 shutouts this season, equalling the mark set by the 1996 and 1999 squads. The 1999 team led the NCAA and set a school record with a 0.47 goals against average. CU is on pace to break that school record and is currently leading the NCAA in GAA.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 3-0-2 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 9-0-3 away from Omaha ? 7-0-3 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.
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).
Unbeaten Streak: Creighton's win last Saturday over No. 24 Drake pushed its unbeaten streak to 10 matches - the second straight season the Jays have put together a double-digit undefeated streak. The Jays put together an 11-match unbeaten streak, concluding the regular-season on a 10-match unbeaten streak. Prior to last year, the last time CU had gone at least 10 matches without a loss was in 2000, when that squad won 11 straight leading up to the NCAA title match.
Several Streaks: Creighton is currently on a 10-match unbeaten streak (8-0-2), but that's not their only streak to watch. With a 3-0-1 mark in Valley play, CU is now unbeaten in its last 10 MVC matches (7-0-3). The Jays are also undefeated in their last 12 matches away from Omaha (9-0-3), including 7-0-3 in true road games.
More Streaking: The Jays have gone undefeated in their last 10 MVC matches, dating back to the start of last year. The Jays were 4-0-2 in the MVC last year and are 3-0-1 this fall. It is their longest MVC unbeaten streak since going 16 regular-season conference matches without a loss between 1994 and 1997.
Battling the Best: The Bluejays improved to 2-0-1 against the top-25 this year with their 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake last Saturday. CU defeated No. 6 California 2-0 in September and tied SLU 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.
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.
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. CU is now 53-4-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 18-1-2 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.
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.
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.
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 he has logged 10 shutouts in his 13 games played. His 0.30 goals against average leads the NCAA, while his .889 save percentage ranks sixth 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 14 matches, opponents have managed only 7.4 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 104 7.4 40 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
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.
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 (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).
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 5-0-2 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 5-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 61-16-12
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 are tied with Andrei Gotsmanov for the team and MVC lead.
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 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
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.
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.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:00 p.m. ? Lakeside Field ? Charleston, Ill.
Following the Jays: Live stats for Saturday's match can be found by clicking on the ?Live Stats' link at www.gocreighton.com.
This Week: The second-ranked Bluejays conclude the regular-season and look to secure their third consecutive regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title when they play at Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Jays and Panthers kick off at 2 p.m., in Charleston.
Last Week: Creighton tied a school record by posting its 11th shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over 24th-ranked Drake on Senior Day. Andrei Gotsmanov scored both goals for the Jays and he was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week. Kyle Deremer earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his role in blanking the 16th-ranked offense in the NCAA.
Scouting Creighton (11-1-2, 3-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, who at No. 2 this week have earned their highest ranking in the NSCAA poll this year, enter their final regular-season match of the year on a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2). Creighton owns the best defense in the NCAA, leading the nation with a 0.27 goals against average and 78.6 shutout percentage. CU's 11 shutouts this year have tied the school record established twice previously. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt leads the NCAA this week with a 0.30 goals against average, as he has played over 1,200 minutes and allowed just four goals all year. The Jays have out-scored their opponents 23-4 this season, led by reigning National Player of the Week and MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Andrei Gotsmanov. The senior attacker leads the team and is tied for the league-lead with nine goals and three game-winning goals. Gotsmanov has scored five of CU's seven goals in league play and has scored five of CU's last six goals. Junior forward Byron Dacy joins Gotsmanov on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List this fall. Junior Jeff Thayer and freshman Ethan Finlay each have three goals, while Thayer leads the team with four assists. Preseason All-American junior defender Chris Schuler and senior captain Seth Sinovic help anchor a back line which has allowed an average of just 7.4 shots per game.
Scouting Eastern Illinois (5-9-3, 0-4-0 MVC): The Panthers are the only winless team in the MVC and have already locked up the No. 6 seed for the upcoming MVC Tournament. EIU started the season 5-2-1, but has gone winless in its last nine games (0-7-2). The Panthers rank last in the MVC with a 1.59 goals against average and have allowed the most goals of any team in the league, giving up 28 in 17 games. Mark Hansen sees the majority of time in net for EIU, logging a 1.39 GAA in 1,231 minutes of play. Offensively the Panthers again have a solid attack, led by first-team all-MVC forward Brad Peters' nine goals and 22 points. Alex Harrison leads EIU and ranks second in the MVC with six assists, while he adds six goals for 18 points. The rest of the EIU attack has 11 goals combined, as EIU has been out-scored 28-26 and out-shot 233-221 this year.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 178-56-29 (.732) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 371-175-59 (.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-EIU Series: The Bluejays have not lost to the Panthers since EIU joined the MVC as an affiliate member, posting a 14-0-1 record against EIU since 1996. The Bluejays have won 12 straight meetings with the Panthers and out-scored EIU 22-1 in their last seven meetings, including a 2-1 double overtime victory in Omaha last year. All-time against EIU, the Bluejays are 14-4-1, with the four losses coming between 1981-85.
Cutting it Close: In Creighton's 2-1 double overtime victory over Eastern Illinois last year in Omaha, the game went down to the wire as Tony Schmitz's game-winning score came with just 0.4 left on the clock. Schmitz was able to deflect a blast from Chris Schuler to help the Jays prevail.
Good Bye: Creighton has already clinched a bye in the upcoming State Farm MVC Tournament in Evansville next weekend. The Bluejays can finish no lower than second place, therefore earning a bye into the semifinals on Friday night and avoiding opening round action on Wednesday.
Third Time's a Charm: Creighton can clinch its third consecutive MVC regular-season title and ninth overall with a win on Saturday. CU could also clinch the title with a tie and a Drake tie or loss. The Jays have shared the title with Bradley in each of the previous two seasons.
Climbing the Polls: Creighton has spent five weeks at No. 3 in the NSCAA poll this fall, including the last four weeks, before moving up to No. 2 this week. It's Creighton first trip to No. 2 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.
Pulling Rank: In addition to its No. 2 ranking in the coaches poll, the Jays are also No. 2 this week in both the Soccer Times and Soccer America polls and third in the College Soccer News top 30.
Best in the Midwest: Creighton is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings for the sixth straight week, ahead of conference foes Drake (3) and Evansville (8).
NCAA Leaders: Creighton began the week ranked first in the NCAA in goals against average with a minute 0.27. The Jays also lead the nation in shutout percentage at 78.6 ? 11 shutouts in 14 matches. The Jays rank second in the nation with a save percentage of 90.0 percent. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brian Holt leads the NCAA with a 0.30 goals against average and ranks sixth with an 88.9 save percentage.
Andrei the Giant: Senior Andrei Gotsmanov was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after scoring both of Creighton's goals in a 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake last Saturday. Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, the attacker has established Morrison Stadium career records for points scored and goals scored. With his two goals last week, 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: Gotsmanov has scored five of CU's seven goals in MVC play and has scored five of CU's last six goals overall. Of his 15 career Bluejay goals, 13 have come at home. He is tied for the league-lead with nine goals and three game-winners. The Bluejays are now 16-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match. He won't play this Saturday after picking up his fifth yellow card last Saturday.
Shutout Record: Creighton has tied the school record with 11 shutouts this season, equalling the mark set by the 1996 and 1999 squads. The 1999 team led the NCAA and set a school record with a 0.47 goals against average. CU is on pace to break that school record and is currently leading the NCAA in GAA.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 3-0-2 on the road. The Jays have not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 9-0-3 away from Omaha ? 7-0-3 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.
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).
Unbeaten Streak: Creighton's win last Saturday over No. 24 Drake pushed its unbeaten streak to 10 matches - the second straight season the Jays have put together a double-digit undefeated streak. The Jays put together an 11-match unbeaten streak, concluding the regular-season on a 10-match unbeaten streak. Prior to last year, the last time CU had gone at least 10 matches without a loss was in 2000, when that squad won 11 straight leading up to the NCAA title match.
Several Streaks: Creighton is currently on a 10-match unbeaten streak (8-0-2), but that's not their only streak to watch. With a 3-0-1 mark in Valley play, CU is now unbeaten in its last 10 MVC matches (7-0-3). The Jays are also undefeated in their last 12 matches away from Omaha (9-0-3), including 7-0-3 in true road games.
More Streaking: The Jays have gone undefeated in their last 10 MVC matches, dating back to the start of last year. The Jays were 4-0-2 in the MVC last year and are 3-0-1 this fall. It is their longest MVC unbeaten streak since going 16 regular-season conference matches without a loss between 1994 and 1997.
Battling the Best: The Bluejays improved to 2-0-1 against the top-25 this year with their 2-0 win over No. 24 Drake last Saturday. CU defeated No. 6 California 2-0 in September and tied SLU 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.
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.
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. CU is now 53-4-3 at home all-time in MVC play, including 18-1-2 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.
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.
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.
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 he has logged 10 shutouts in his 13 games played. His 0.30 goals against average leads the NCAA, while his .889 save percentage ranks sixth 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 14 matches, opponents have managed only 7.4 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 104 7.4 40 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
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.
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 (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).
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 5-0-2 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 5-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 61-16-12
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 are tied with Andrei Gotsmanov for the team and MVC lead.
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 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
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.
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.
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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
