No. 2 Men's Soccer Plays at No. 3 Maryland in NCAA Quarterfinals
12/4/2008 5:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#2 Creighton at #3 Maryland ? NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals
Saturday, Dec. 6, 12:00 p.m. (CST) ? Ludwig Field ? College Park, Md.
Following the Jays: Live stats and Maryland's live audio feed for Saturday's quarterfinal match will be available by clicking on the appropriate links at www.gocreighton.com. There will be no video feed or television coverage of the quarterfinal match.
This Week: The No. 2-ranked Bluejays take aim at their fourth College Cup appearance and first since 2002 when they travel to No. 3-ranked Maryland Saturday afternoon. The seventh-seeded Bluejays travel to take on the No. 2 seed Terrapins at noon (CST) at Ludwig Field. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the No. 3-seed St. John's vs. No. 6-seed Indiana match in the NCAA College Cup semifinals in Frisco, Texas on Friday, Dec. 12.
Round Three Recap: Despite a dominating performance, the Bluejays needed a come-from-behind effort and overtime to keep their season alive in a 2-1 win over No. 22 Connecticut last Saturday in Omaha. UConn struck first with a goal in the 33rd minute, and held that lead until junior Chris Schuler headed in his first goal since his freshman season in the 79th minute. The Jays out-shot UConn 25-6 in regulation, but needed 8:32 of extra time before Seth Sinovic flicked a header into the back of the net for the game-winner in the 99th minute. Andrei Gotsmanov assisted both goals on set plays. CU finished with a season-high 26 shots and Gotsmanov tied his own Morrison Stadium record with 10 shots as the Jays moved their unbeaten streak to 15 matches.
Round Two Recap: After earning a first-round bye with the No. 7 national seed, the Bluejays defeated Tulsa 2-1 on Nov. 25 at Morrison Stadium. Andrei Gotsmanov scored 36 seconds into the match, the fastest score for the Jays in NCAA postseason history. Seth Sinovic added to CU's lead in the 35th minute to give the Jays a 2-0 halftime lead. TU scored late, but the Jays topped the Golden Hurricane to continue their season.
Scouting Creighton (16-1-2, 4-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the final three weeks of the season, are undefeated in their last 15 games (13-0-2). The MVC regular-season and tournament champions, CU is on its longest unbeaten streak since 1993 because of its outstanding defense. The Bluejays, appearing in their 17th straight NCAA Tournament, have logged a school-record 13 shutouts this year and are ranked second in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.684) and third in goals against average (0.46). MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt, ranks seventh in the NCAA with a 0.49 GAA. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Junior captain 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 semifinalist leads the team with 10 goals and 24 points. First-team all-MVC forward Jeff Thayer is tied for the team-lead with six assists and ranks second with 16 points, while freshman Ethan Finlay also adds 16 points (6 g, 4 a). Senior captain and first-team all-MVC defender Seth Sinovic not only is a leader in the back, but is tied for the team-lead with six assists and has accounted for both game-winning goals in CU's NCAA Tournament wins.
Scouting Maryland (20-3-0, 6-2-0 ACC): The Terrapins bring a 13-match winning streak into the Quarterfinals, with wins over George Mason and No. 11 California in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland finished second in the ACC, a league which sent six teams to the tournament and has three remaining. The Terps are led by Jeremy Hall's 14 goals and 34 points, while Casey Townsend has 11 goals and 26 points. Doug Rodkey leads the team with nine assists. UMD has out-scored its opponents 47-18 this year, scoring better than two goals per game. Zac MacMath has posted nine of the Terps' 12 shutouts and UMD owns a 0.78 goals against average. The defense is led by MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist Omar Gonzalez. Maryland is 12-1-0 at home this year, where they average 2,500 fans.
CU-Maryland Series: The Bluejays and Terrapins have met three times previously, including twice in the NCAA Tournament, as the series is tied 1-1-1 with all three meetings taking place in College Park. UMD ended the Jays' season in 1998 and 2004, defeating the Jays 3-2 in 1998 and advancing 5-4 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in 2004. The Jays won the only regular-season meeting between the teams, 2-1, in 2001.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 183-56-29 (.737) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 376-175-59 (.665) 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 in the NCAA: Creighton is making its 17th straight (and overall) appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where it is now 22-15-3. The Jays are 14-6-3 all-time in the NCAA postseason in true road games. The Jays are appearing in the quarterfinals for the seventh time, the fourth time since 2002 and the first time since 2005. CU has been to three College Cups - 1996, 2000 and 2002 - appearing in the 2000 NCAA championship match (2-0 loss to UConn). Complete Creighton NCAA history on page eight of this week's notes.
Against the ACC: Creighton is 7-5-2 all-time against current ACC members, including 4-2-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Each of the four wins against ACC schools in the NCAA tourney have come since 2000 ? Virginia (2000 and 2003), Boston College (2002) and Duke (2005). The Jays have lost to Maryland (1998) and Clemson (2005) in the NCAA tourney and tied UMD in 2004, with the Terps advancing 5-4 on PKs.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 6-0-2 away from home (4-0-2 in true road games). Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 12-0-3 away from home, including 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.
Spring Flings: While Creighton and Maryland haven't officially played since 2004, the teams did play a spring exhibition on March 8 of this year. The result was a scoreless draw in Bradenton, Fla. The Jays also played host to defending national champion Wake Forest in a spring exhibition on April 20, playing to a 1-1 tie with this year's No. 1 seed.
Ludwig Losses: Not only did Maryland end CU's 2004 season at Ludwig Field, the Jays' 2003 season ended at Ludwig as well. CU and St. John's played their 2003 quarterfinal match at Ludwig Field due to more than a foot of snow and massive snow drifts on the Red Storm's field in New York. The Jays owned a 2-0 lead over St. John's with 25 minutes to play in regulation, but goals in the 66th, 67th and 79th minutes quickly put an end to CU's NCAA run.
Here Last Year: Maryland's 2007 season ended when Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley stunned the Terrapins in double overtime. The Terps led 2-0 after the first half, but the Braves scored goals in the 88th and 90th minutes to send the game to overtime. Chris Cutshaw's game-winning goal with 75 seconds left in the second overtime ended Maryland's season in the third round.
Similar Foes: Creighton and Maryland have played two similar opponents this season, with the Jays going 2-0-0 and the Terrapins posting a 2-1-0 mark against California and Evansville. CU won at Cal 2-0 and got by Evansville 3-2 at home. UMD lost to Cal 1-0 in the regular-season, but defeated the Bears 2-1 in the NCAA third round, while they crushed Evansville 4-0.
Against the Field: Creighton is 5-1-1 against the seven teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over California, Denver, Drake, Tulsa and UConn, tied Saint Louis and lost to UMKC. All seven teams were on the same side of the bracket as the Jays, before being eliminated.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of this match will face either No. 6-seed Indiana (14-6-3) or No. 3-seed St. John's (18-2-3) in the semifinals at the NCAA College Cup in Frisco, Texas next Friday. The Jays played Indiana in the NCAA semifinals in 2000, while they faced St. John's in the 1996 semifinals.
Not There Anymore: Should CU advance to its fourth College Cup, it will match a prominent Bluejay against his original college choice. Senior midfielder and MVC Player of the Year Andrei Gotsmanov attended St. John's as a freshman in 2004, before transferring out and ending up at CU in 2007. Junior and MVC Defensive Player of the Year Chris Schuler redshirted his only season at Indiana in 2005.
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.
NCAA at Home: Last Saturday's match against UConn was the seventh NCAA Tournament match in Morrison Stadium history. CU is now 6-1-0 at home in the NCAA Tournament since 2003. The Bluejays have out-scored opponents 19-5 in the seven matches.
History Making Wins: Despite the Jays historic success in the NCAA postseason, the 2008 Jays accomplished something that no other previous CU squad has done ? won two NCAA Tournament home matches in the same season. In fact, 2007 was just the first time in program history the Jays had hosted two NCAA matches in the same season.
MAC Hermann Trophy: Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov, who was joined by teammate Byron Dacy on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List prior to the season, is one of 15 semifinalists for the annual honor which goes to best player in Division I soccer. He is the first Bluejay to be named a semifinalist since Julian Nash in 2004. The Jays' offensive leader joins a long list of former Bluejays which were up for the same national honor. David Wagenfuhr was a semifinalist in 2003, while Mike Tranchilla finished fourth in the final 2002 vote and was a finalist for the honor in 2001. Bluejay greats Keith DeFini, Brian Kamler, Richard Mulrooney, and Ross Paule were all finalists for the award, while current Creighton assistant coach Johnny Torres won the award in 1997.
Seth's Best: Before the NCAA Tournament started, senior defender Seth Sinovic had scored three goals in his first 58 games at Creighton. He scored his first career game-winning goal in CU's win over Tulsa in the second round and followed with the overtime game-winner against Connecticut in the third round.
Perfect 10: Andrei Gotsmanov scored his 10th goal of the season in Creighton's win over Tulsa (Nov. 25), becoming the first Bluejay with at least 10 goals since Mike Tranchilla led the team with 15 tallies in 2002. Nine of his 10 goals have come at home this season, a Morrison Stadium record. He also now owns stadium career records for points (34), goals (14) and shots (83) and shots on goals (32), despite playing just two seasons at CU.
Fast Tracked: Andrei Gotsmanov got CU's NCAA Tournament off to a quick start when he scored just 36 seconds into the Jays' 2-1 win over Tulsa in the second round on Nov. 25. The goal was the fastest NCAA tourney goal in school history and the fifth quickest from the start of the game overall in the CU annals.
Fastest goal from start of game in CU History
1. 0:16, Brian Kamler vs. Bradley, 10-9-92
2. 0:26, Vince Odorisio vs. UCLA, 9-10-04
3. 0:30, Lance Hill at Missouri State, 11-5-94
4. 0:34, Johnny Torres at Bradley, 10-6-95
5. 0:36, Andrei Gotsmanov vs. Tulsa, 11-25-08
Take a Shot (or 10): Andrei Gotsmanov tied his own Morrison Stadium record by launching 10 shots in Creighton's 2-1 overtime win over UConn (Nov. 30) in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton's dominating effort over the Huskies resulted in the Bluejays unloading a season-high 26 shots in the victory.
Clean Sheets: Creighton has established a school record with 13 shutouts this season, bettering the previous mark of 11 set by the 1996 and 1999 squads. The Bluejays are one clean sheet shy of the Missouri Valley Conference record of 14 set by SMU in 2001. CU's 0.46 goals against average would be a school record, topping the 1999 team's 0.47 GAA.
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.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 47-9-10 (.788) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 10-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 149-25-15 (.828) 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 Jays are 4-0-1 against the top-25 this year. They have knocked off two sixth-ranked teams (Cal and Tulsa), topped No. 22 Connecticut and No. 24 Drake and tied No. 11 Saint Louis 0-0. CU is now a 51-37-9 all-time against the coaches top 25. The Jays are 22-8-2 (.719) at home all-time against NSCAA top 25 opponents, including a sparkling 12-1-1 (.893) at Morrison Stadium. CU is 21-15-7 (.570) against top-25 teams on the road, including 1-0-1 this year.
Poll Position: Creighton was 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 in the final polls 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.
Best 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. The Jays took care of the second-ranked team in the region, Tulsa, with a 2-1 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Rankings: Creighton enters its quarterfinal match ranked second in the NCAA with a 68.4 shutout percentage ? 13 clean sheets in 19 matches. CU is ranked third in the NCAA with a 0.46 goals against average. CU's .895 winning percentage trails only Wake Forest (.901) in the nation. The Jays are 19th in save percentage (.839) and 30th in goals per game (1.84). Bluejay goalkeeper and MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt ranks seventh in the NCAA with a 0.49 goals against average and is 32nd in the nation with an 82.7 save percentage.
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.
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 the Freshman: Rookie 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 16 points. 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 MVC with 10 goals, while his 24 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).
More on Andrei: Of Gotsmanov's 16 career Bluejay goals, 14 have come at home. The Bluejays are now 19-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match, including both NCAA Tournament matches. He tops the team with his 10 goals and 24 points, despite missing two games this year, including the regular-season finale (due to a yellow card suspension).
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 is tied for the team-lead 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 is tied for the team-lead with six assists and 16 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 0.49 goals against average ranks seventh 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 7.7 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 147 7.7 56 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 .766, including a 10-0-2 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 10-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 66-16-12
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 19-0-0 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.
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.
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
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.
Saturday, Dec. 6, 12:00 p.m. (CST) ? Ludwig Field ? College Park, Md.
Following the Jays: Live stats and Maryland's live audio feed for Saturday's quarterfinal match will be available by clicking on the appropriate links at www.gocreighton.com. There will be no video feed or television coverage of the quarterfinal match.
This Week: The No. 2-ranked Bluejays take aim at their fourth College Cup appearance and first since 2002 when they travel to No. 3-ranked Maryland Saturday afternoon. The seventh-seeded Bluejays travel to take on the No. 2 seed Terrapins at noon (CST) at Ludwig Field. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the No. 3-seed St. John's vs. No. 6-seed Indiana match in the NCAA College Cup semifinals in Frisco, Texas on Friday, Dec. 12.
Round Three Recap: Despite a dominating performance, the Bluejays needed a come-from-behind effort and overtime to keep their season alive in a 2-1 win over No. 22 Connecticut last Saturday in Omaha. UConn struck first with a goal in the 33rd minute, and held that lead until junior Chris Schuler headed in his first goal since his freshman season in the 79th minute. The Jays out-shot UConn 25-6 in regulation, but needed 8:32 of extra time before Seth Sinovic flicked a header into the back of the net for the game-winner in the 99th minute. Andrei Gotsmanov assisted both goals on set plays. CU finished with a season-high 26 shots and Gotsmanov tied his own Morrison Stadium record with 10 shots as the Jays moved their unbeaten streak to 15 matches.
Round Two Recap: After earning a first-round bye with the No. 7 national seed, the Bluejays defeated Tulsa 2-1 on Nov. 25 at Morrison Stadium. Andrei Gotsmanov scored 36 seconds into the match, the fastest score for the Jays in NCAA postseason history. Seth Sinovic added to CU's lead in the 35th minute to give the Jays a 2-0 halftime lead. TU scored late, but the Jays topped the Golden Hurricane to continue their season.
Scouting Creighton (16-1-2, 4-0-1 MVC): The Bluejays, ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA poll for the final three weeks of the season, are undefeated in their last 15 games (13-0-2). The MVC regular-season and tournament champions, CU is on its longest unbeaten streak since 1993 because of its outstanding defense. The Bluejays, appearing in their 17th straight NCAA Tournament, have logged a school-record 13 shutouts this year and are ranked second in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.684) and third in goals against average (0.46). MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt, ranks seventh in the NCAA with a 0.49 GAA. Within their unbeaten streak was a school-record six consecutive shutouts and 722:12 consecutive scoreless minutes. Junior captain 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 semifinalist leads the team with 10 goals and 24 points. First-team all-MVC forward Jeff Thayer is tied for the team-lead with six assists and ranks second with 16 points, while freshman Ethan Finlay also adds 16 points (6 g, 4 a). Senior captain and first-team all-MVC defender Seth Sinovic not only is a leader in the back, but is tied for the team-lead with six assists and has accounted for both game-winning goals in CU's NCAA Tournament wins.
Scouting Maryland (20-3-0, 6-2-0 ACC): The Terrapins bring a 13-match winning streak into the Quarterfinals, with wins over George Mason and No. 11 California in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland finished second in the ACC, a league which sent six teams to the tournament and has three remaining. The Terps are led by Jeremy Hall's 14 goals and 34 points, while Casey Townsend has 11 goals and 26 points. Doug Rodkey leads the team with nine assists. UMD has out-scored its opponents 47-18 this year, scoring better than two goals per game. Zac MacMath has posted nine of the Terps' 12 shutouts and UMD owns a 0.78 goals against average. The defense is led by MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist Omar Gonzalez. Maryland is 12-1-0 at home this year, where they average 2,500 fans.
CU-Maryland Series: The Bluejays and Terrapins have met three times previously, including twice in the NCAA Tournament, as the series is tied 1-1-1 with all three meetings taking place in College Park. UMD ended the Jays' season in 1998 and 2004, defeating the Jays 3-2 in 1998 and advancing 5-4 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in 2004. The Jays won the only regular-season meeting between the teams, 2-1, in 2001.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 183-56-29 (.737) record in his 13th season at CU. His overall record is 376-175-59 (.665) 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 in the NCAA: Creighton is making its 17th straight (and overall) appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where it is now 22-15-3. The Jays are 14-6-3 all-time in the NCAA postseason in true road games. The Jays are appearing in the quarterfinals for the seventh time, the fourth time since 2002 and the first time since 2005. CU has been to three College Cups - 1996, 2000 and 2002 - appearing in the 2000 NCAA championship match (2-0 loss to UConn). Complete Creighton NCAA history on page eight of this week's notes.
Against the ACC: Creighton is 7-5-2 all-time against current ACC members, including 4-2-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Each of the four wins against ACC schools in the NCAA tourney have come since 2000 ? Virginia (2000 and 2003), Boston College (2002) and Duke (2005). The Jays have lost to Maryland (1998) and Clemson (2005) in the NCAA tourney and tied UMD in 2004, with the Terps advancing 5-4 on PKs.
No Road Trip Ups: The Bluejays have continued an impressive streak this year, as they are 6-0-2 away from home (4-0-2 in true road games). Creighton has not lost a game away from Omaha since 2006, improving to 12-0-3 away from home, including 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.
Spring Flings: While Creighton and Maryland haven't officially played since 2004, the teams did play a spring exhibition on March 8 of this year. The result was a scoreless draw in Bradenton, Fla. The Jays also played host to defending national champion Wake Forest in a spring exhibition on April 20, playing to a 1-1 tie with this year's No. 1 seed.
Ludwig Losses: Not only did Maryland end CU's 2004 season at Ludwig Field, the Jays' 2003 season ended at Ludwig as well. CU and St. John's played their 2003 quarterfinal match at Ludwig Field due to more than a foot of snow and massive snow drifts on the Red Storm's field in New York. The Jays owned a 2-0 lead over St. John's with 25 minutes to play in regulation, but goals in the 66th, 67th and 79th minutes quickly put an end to CU's NCAA run.
Here Last Year: Maryland's 2007 season ended when Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley stunned the Terrapins in double overtime. The Terps led 2-0 after the first half, but the Braves scored goals in the 88th and 90th minutes to send the game to overtime. Chris Cutshaw's game-winning goal with 75 seconds left in the second overtime ended Maryland's season in the third round.
Similar Foes: Creighton and Maryland have played two similar opponents this season, with the Jays going 2-0-0 and the Terrapins posting a 2-1-0 mark against California and Evansville. CU won at Cal 2-0 and got by Evansville 3-2 at home. UMD lost to Cal 1-0 in the regular-season, but defeated the Bears 2-1 in the NCAA third round, while they crushed Evansville 4-0.
Against the Field: Creighton is 5-1-1 against the seven teams it played which qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Bluejays own wins over California, Denver, Drake, Tulsa and UConn, tied Saint Louis and lost to UMKC. All seven teams were on the same side of the bracket as the Jays, before being eliminated.
And the Winner Has ...: The winner of this match will face either No. 6-seed Indiana (14-6-3) or No. 3-seed St. John's (18-2-3) in the semifinals at the NCAA College Cup in Frisco, Texas next Friday. The Jays played Indiana in the NCAA semifinals in 2000, while they faced St. John's in the 1996 semifinals.
Not There Anymore: Should CU advance to its fourth College Cup, it will match a prominent Bluejay against his original college choice. Senior midfielder and MVC Player of the Year Andrei Gotsmanov attended St. John's as a freshman in 2004, before transferring out and ending up at CU in 2007. Junior and MVC Defensive Player of the Year Chris Schuler redshirted his only season at Indiana in 2005.
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.
NCAA at Home: Last Saturday's match against UConn was the seventh NCAA Tournament match in Morrison Stadium history. CU is now 6-1-0 at home in the NCAA Tournament since 2003. The Bluejays have out-scored opponents 19-5 in the seven matches.
History Making Wins: Despite the Jays historic success in the NCAA postseason, the 2008 Jays accomplished something that no other previous CU squad has done ? won two NCAA Tournament home matches in the same season. In fact, 2007 was just the first time in program history the Jays had hosted two NCAA matches in the same season.
MAC Hermann Trophy: Senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov, who was joined by teammate Byron Dacy on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List prior to the season, is one of 15 semifinalists for the annual honor which goes to best player in Division I soccer. He is the first Bluejay to be named a semifinalist since Julian Nash in 2004. The Jays' offensive leader joins a long list of former Bluejays which were up for the same national honor. David Wagenfuhr was a semifinalist in 2003, while Mike Tranchilla finished fourth in the final 2002 vote and was a finalist for the honor in 2001. Bluejay greats Keith DeFini, Brian Kamler, Richard Mulrooney, and Ross Paule were all finalists for the award, while current Creighton assistant coach Johnny Torres won the award in 1997.
Seth's Best: Before the NCAA Tournament started, senior defender Seth Sinovic had scored three goals in his first 58 games at Creighton. He scored his first career game-winning goal in CU's win over Tulsa in the second round and followed with the overtime game-winner against Connecticut in the third round.
Perfect 10: Andrei Gotsmanov scored his 10th goal of the season in Creighton's win over Tulsa (Nov. 25), becoming the first Bluejay with at least 10 goals since Mike Tranchilla led the team with 15 tallies in 2002. Nine of his 10 goals have come at home this season, a Morrison Stadium record. He also now owns stadium career records for points (34), goals (14) and shots (83) and shots on goals (32), despite playing just two seasons at CU.
Fast Tracked: Andrei Gotsmanov got CU's NCAA Tournament off to a quick start when he scored just 36 seconds into the Jays' 2-1 win over Tulsa in the second round on Nov. 25. The goal was the fastest NCAA tourney goal in school history and the fifth quickest from the start of the game overall in the CU annals.
Fastest goal from start of game in CU History
1. 0:16, Brian Kamler vs. Bradley, 10-9-92
2. 0:26, Vince Odorisio vs. UCLA, 9-10-04
3. 0:30, Lance Hill at Missouri State, 11-5-94
4. 0:34, Johnny Torres at Bradley, 10-6-95
5. 0:36, Andrei Gotsmanov vs. Tulsa, 11-25-08
Take a Shot (or 10): Andrei Gotsmanov tied his own Morrison Stadium record by launching 10 shots in Creighton's 2-1 overtime win over UConn (Nov. 30) in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton's dominating effort over the Huskies resulted in the Bluejays unloading a season-high 26 shots in the victory.
Clean Sheets: Creighton has established a school record with 13 shutouts this season, bettering the previous mark of 11 set by the 1996 and 1999 squads. The Bluejays are one clean sheet shy of the Missouri Valley Conference record of 14 set by SMU in 2001. CU's 0.46 goals against average would be a school record, topping the 1999 team's 0.47 GAA.
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.
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 47-9-10 (.788) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 10-1-0 mark this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 149-25-15 (.828) 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 Jays are 4-0-1 against the top-25 this year. They have knocked off two sixth-ranked teams (Cal and Tulsa), topped No. 22 Connecticut and No. 24 Drake and tied No. 11 Saint Louis 0-0. CU is now a 51-37-9 all-time against the coaches top 25. The Jays are 22-8-2 (.719) at home all-time against NSCAA top 25 opponents, including a sparkling 12-1-1 (.893) at Morrison Stadium. CU is 21-15-7 (.570) against top-25 teams on the road, including 1-0-1 this year.
Poll Position: Creighton was 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 in the final polls 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.
Best 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. The Jays took care of the second-ranked team in the region, Tulsa, with a 2-1 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Rankings: Creighton enters its quarterfinal match ranked second in the NCAA with a 68.4 shutout percentage ? 13 clean sheets in 19 matches. CU is ranked third in the NCAA with a 0.46 goals against average. CU's .895 winning percentage trails only Wake Forest (.901) in the nation. The Jays are 19th in save percentage (.839) and 30th in goals per game (1.84). Bluejay goalkeeper and MVC Freshman of the Year Brian Holt ranks seventh in the NCAA with a 0.49 goals against average and is 32nd in the nation with an 82.7 save percentage.
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.
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 the Freshman: Rookie 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 16 points. 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 MVC with 10 goals, while his 24 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).
More on Andrei: Of Gotsmanov's 16 career Bluejay goals, 14 have come at home. The Bluejays are now 19-0-0 all-time when Gotsmanov logs a goal or assist in a match, including both NCAA Tournament matches. He tops the team with his 10 goals and 24 points, despite missing two games this year, including the regular-season finale (due to a yellow card suspension).
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 is tied for the team-lead 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 is tied for the team-lead with six assists and 16 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 0.49 goals against average ranks seventh 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 7.7 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 147 7.7 56 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 .766, including a 10-0-2 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 10-0-2 ???
?02-08 34-12-9 66-16-12
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 19-0-0 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.
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.
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
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
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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
