Men's Soccer Hosts No. 7 UCLA on Halloween
10/29/2009 12:50:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Creighton hosts #7 UCLA
Saturday, Oct. 31, 3:00 p.m. • Morrison Stadium • Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Every Creighton home match this season can be followed on the internet via live stats and live video at www.gocreighton.com. Live stats for all home matches can be viewed free with gametracker by clicking on the 'Live Stats' link. Fans can subscribe to watch a live video stream of the Bluejays' home matches via the 'Live Video' link.
This Week: The Bluejays play their final regular-season home match of the season when they play a crucial non-conference match with No. 7 UCLA on Saturday. The Jays and Bruins will kick off at 3 p.m. on Halloween at Morrison Stadium, with a Senior Day ceremony to follow the match.
Last Week: Creighton played a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches on the road, winning 3-0 at Bradley last Wednesday and playing to a scoreless draw at Eastern Illinois last Saturday. Ethan Finlay scored a pair of goals in the win at BU. The Jays allowed a total of just seven shots on goal in the two shutouts – their sixth and seventh clean sheets of the fall.
Scouting Creighton (6-3-4, 4-2-3 MVC): The three-time defending MVC champion Bluejays have struggled to find their offense this fall, scoring 15 goals through 13 matches and scoring more than one goal in a match just three times. The Bluejays again have a dominating defense which has allowed only seven goals and has posted seven shutouts. Creighton owns a league-best 0.50 goals against average, which ranks seventh in the NCAA, while their shutout percentage of .538 ranks 12th in the nation. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has been in net for all seven Bluejay shutouts this year, while his 0.51 career goals against average is both a school and league record. Holt, the 2008 MVC Freshman of the Year is aided by a starting back line which includes two of CU's three National Player of the Year candidates. Defenders Chris Schuler (2008 MVC Defensive Player of the Year) and Seth Sinovic are joined by fellow fifth-year senior Byron Dacy on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Sinovic is not only a leader on defense, but he also leads the team with four assists and is second on the team with 10 points. Sophomore forward Ethan Finlay leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with six goals and 15 points – his four game-winning goals this season leads the MVC. Finlay is tied with a pair of newcomers for second on the team with three assists, as freshman Dion Acoff – a member of the United States U-18 Men's National Team – and junior transfer Josh Moran both have three helpers as well.
Scouting UCLA (9-2-2, 4-1-2 Pac 10): The Bruins had a 10-match unbeaten streak snapped in a 2-0 loss at Stanford last Sunday. UCLA is 4-2-2 away from home this year, including a 2-0 win at preseason No. 1 Maryland in front of 6,718 fans to open the season. The Bruins only other loss this year was a 2-0 defeat at Georgetown on Sept. 6. Kyle Nakazawa leads the team and ranks among NCAA leaders with nine goals and 23 points, while David Estrada tops the team with six assists. Michael Stephens joins Nakazawa on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, while Stephens and goalkeeper Brian Perk (679 mins, 0.66 GAA, 5-2-0) missed five matches while playing for the U.S. National Team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Keeper Brian Rowe (531 mins, 0.85 GAA, 4-0-2) filled in nicely in Perk's absence.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 189-60-33 (.729) record in his 14th season at CU. His overall record is 382-179-63 (.663) in his 32nd year of coaching. Warming was honored as FieldTurf Tarkett's National Coach of the Year, NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and led the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2008. The MVC All-Centennial Coach and 2009 Omaha Sports Hall of Fame inductee has guided teams to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a six-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and. The all-time winningest soccer coach in school history, he ranked sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-UCLA Series: Creighton and UCLA will be playing for the fifth time on the soccer pitch, with the Bluejays owning a 2-1-1 all-time series lead. The tie came on Sept. 6, 2007, a scoreless draw in front of a Morrison Stadium record 5,812 fans. Prior to that match the Jays had won a pair of matches since a 6-0 loss in the first ever meeting between the teams in 1991 (at a neutral field in Fresno, Calif.). CU won 2-0 at UCLA on Nov. 29, 1998 in the NCAA Tournament and won 3-2 on Sept. 10, 2004 in Las Vegas. The Bruins have never been ranked lower than 11th in the previous four meetings, ranking sixth in the first three meetings and No. 11 in the 2007 meeting.
California Dreaming: The Bluejays are undefeated in their last 11 matches against California-based schools, posting an 8-0-3 record in that span, including a 1-0 win over No. 23 Cal Poly on Sept. 5. In fact, Creighton has not allowed a goal to a California school in its last seven meetings, out-scoring Golden State squads 8-0 in that span. CU posted a 4-0-0 record against California teams last year, out-scoring Cali schools 6-0, with shutouts of UC Riverside (2-0), No. 6 California (2-0), Stanford (1-0) and Cal State Northridge (1-0). CU last allowed a goal to a California school in a 2-2 tie with San Diego State on Aug. 31, 2007 and last lost to a team from Cali on Sept. 7, 2003 (2-1, 2OT, at Loyola Marymount).
After a Tie: With a 3-0 win at Bradley (Oct. 21), Creighton has now followed its last 13 draws with wins, including its first three instances this year. Following both of CU's ties last year, each of CU's five ties in 2007 and three ties in 2006, CU was victorious. The Jays have not followed a tie with a loss since Oct. 5, 2005 when it lost 2-1 to Illinois-Chicago after a 0-0 draw with UMKC.
Senior Day Notes: Creighton will honor its seven active seniors following this Saturday's match, and will also honor former Bluejay Jeremy Wittig – who would have been a senior this year, but his career was cut short before this season due to a variety of injuries. A brief blurb on each the seniors follows:
Akinrinade – Playing in his second season at CU. Started 27 of 29 matches at CU, collecting three assists and helping the Bluejays post 20 shutouts in 33 matches.
Dacy – Only player in the nation to ever be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List four times. Active CU leader with 17 goals, 19 assists and 53 points.
Gjoesund – Played in the back and as forward in four years, making 30 starts in 53 matches. Tied for team lead with six goals as a sophomore and had nine goals, three assists and 21 career points.
Schuler – Co-captain has started 72 of 73 career matches as one of the most dominant defenders in school history. 2008 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, NSCAA Second-Team All-American and All-Midwest Region First-Team.
Senske – Has never played in a Bluejay loss, as team is 16-0-1 in his 17 career appearances off the bench.
Sinovic – Co-captain has 15 career assists and eight goals for 31 points. Started 63 of 74 matches played. 2008 All-MVC first-team, MVC Scholar-Athlete first-team and NSCAA Scholar All-American.
Thayer – 2008 All-MVC first-team and all-region second-team. Has 41 career points on 14 goals and 13 assists. Owns Morrison Stadium record with 34 shots on goal in career. Has 54 starts in 73 career matches.
Wittig – Redshirted 2006 season, playing in 26 matches over the 2007 and 2008 season, including eight starts in 2007.
October Dominance: Creighton's loss to Drake on Oct. 14 marked the first Bluejay loss in the month of October since 2006, snapping a 16-match unbeaten streak in the month (11-0-5). The Jays are now 3-1-3 this month after posting a 4-0-2 mark in October last year and 5-0-2 in the month in 2007. Since 2002, the Jays are now 42-8-11 (.779) in the month of October, including four unbeaten October's in that span (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008).
Attendance Leaders: Creighton is ranked among the nation's attendance leaders once again, as the Bluejays are currently averaging 2,449 fans at home. That places the Bluejays fourth in the NCAA in attendance, ranking in the top five for the third straight year and top 10 for the seventh straight season. A list of the top-10 attendance leaders in the country is below (according to Soccer America).
Rank School Avg. Attendance
1. UC Santa Barbara 4,836
2. Connecticut 3,211
3. Maryland 3,085
4. Creighton 2,449
5. Indiana 2,335
6. New Mexico 2,254
7. North Carolina 1,819
8. Wake Forest 1,773
9. Portland 1,690
10. Clemson 1,681
Pulling Rank: Creighton is 1-1-0 against top-25 opponents this year, defeating then No. 23 Cal Poly 1-0 on Sept. 5 and falling by the same score to Drake on Oct. 14 – both at home. The Bluejays are still an impressive 13-2-1 (.844) against the NSCAA top 25 at Morrison Stadium and are now 23-9-2 against nationally-ranked opponents at home all-time. The Jays are 52-39-9 all-time against the coaches top 25.
50+ Wins at Morrison: With its 4-2-1 record this year, the Bluejays are 51-11-11 (.774) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 10-1-0 mark last year. Creighton has lost just one home match in four of the last five seasons. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 152-27-15 (.822) at home.
Fit to be Tied: With its scoreless draw at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 24, Creighton has now played in three ties during its MVC schedule. The Bluejays had previously not played to more than two ties in any MVC season, as its two MVC ties in 1998 and 2007 were its most in conference action. The Bluejays have played in four overtime matches this year, each ending in a tie, including three scoreless draws. The school record for ties in a season was set by the 2007 team, which played in five draws.
Road Warriors: Creighton plays its final four MVC matches on the road this year. The road has been good to the Jays in recent years – from the start of the 2007 season until the final match of the 2008 season, the Jays put together a 15 match unbeaten streak away from Omaha, including 8-0-3 in true road matches in that span. Since 2007, the Jays are now 14-2-6 in their last 22 matches away from Omaha – 10-1-6 in true road matches – including 2-0-3 mark in true road contests this year.
There's the Offense: Creighton scored a season-high five goals against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11) after having scored just six goals through its first eight matches. Five different players scored and eight different Bluejays recorded an assist in the match, with Josh Moran dishing two helpers in the 5-1 victory. The Jays also unloaded a season-high 26 shots and 15 shots on goal.
Records Set & Tied: In Creighton's 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11), the Bluejays set a Morrison Stadium record and tied a pair marks. The Jays' 15 shots on goal broke the former mark of 13, which had been done three times previously, last against Vanderbilt on Oct. 15, 2004. CU's nine assists and 19 points tied the facility mark set against EIU on Oct. 8, 2005.
Snow Day: Record-breaking cold temperatures and a surprise 5-inch snowfall on Oct. 10 forced Creighton to postpone its match against Eastern Illinois by a day. The teams moved their match from 7 p.m. on the 10th, to a 1 p.m. kickoff on the 11th (when temperatures were a 'balmy' 38 and the wind chill was 32).
Been Here Before: The 2009 Bluejays weren't the first Creighton team to be 5-3-3 through 11 matches. The 2003 squad was also 5-3-3 (after starting 3-3-3). The 2003 team would go 7-3-1 after the sluggish start and finish one win shy of the College Cup, losing 3-2 to No. 6 St. John's in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals to end the season with a 12-6-4 record.
Holt is No. 1: Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has logged seven shutouts this season and his career goals against average now stands at 0.51. That GAA is currently the best in both school and league history, topping Tom Zawislan's record of 0.66 set between 1996-99. Holt has allowed just 17 goals in 32 matches and 2,976 minutes played. He has logged 19 shutouts in his 32 starts.
First Time for Everything: A few unfortunate firsts occurred in CU's loss to Drake on Oct. 14. The Bulldogs captured their first ever victory in Omaha, after the Jays had been 12-0-2 against DU all-time at home. The loss also marked CU's second home Valley loss of the year – the first time the Jays have lost more than one home conference match in a season.
Thayer's Record: Omaha native Jeff Thayer now owns a Morrison Stadium record for shots on goal in a career. The senior has moved his career total at the venue to 34, surpassing the former mark of Andrei Gotsmanov (32) set from 2007-08.
That's a Handful: Five different Bluejays scored a goal in a 5-1 victory over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11), the first time five different Jays had scored in a match since Oct. 19, 2005 at Georgetown (6-0 win).
Go to the Corner: Creighton once again leads the MVC in corner kicks, having attempted 92 through 13 matches. The Jays have had an advantage in corner kicks in nine of their 13 matches this year, including a 12-0 edge at Missouri State (Oct. 7). CU has led the league in corner kicks (overall and per game) every season since 2005.
Impressive Numbers: When Creighton moved its match and then played in near freezing temperatures against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 11, it caused an impressive attendance streak to stop. Only 851 fans turned out to the match, snapping a streak of 43 straight home matches played in front of at least 1,000 fans – dating from Oct. 8, 2005 through Oct. 3, 2009.
Putting perspective on the streak is the fact that among the other five current MVC members combined there have been a total of 25 home matches which have surpassed 1,000 fans in that same span. Of those 25, Bradley had 20, Evansville had three, Drake and Missouri State had one each and Eastern Illinois never eclipsed 1,000 at home. In fact of those 25 dates, CU was the opponent in six matches, including the only 1,000 fan home match for DU and MSU.
Acing the Aces: Jeff Thayer scored his fourth career game-winning goal in a win over Evansville (Oct. 3). It was his first game-winner since 2007. His last three game-winning goals have all come against Evansville, topping the Purple Aces in both the 2007 regular-season and MVC Tournament.
He's a Winner: Sophomore Ethan Finlay has scored six goals this season, including a league-leading four game-winners. Of his 12 career goals, eight have been game-winning tallies. He led the conference with four game-winning scores as a freshman last year and his eight career game-winners is tops among active Bluejays.
The Key is Senske: Senior Trent Senske has appeared in four matches this year and 17 in his career and the Bluejays have never lost when he's seen playing time. In fact, before this year the Jays had won every match Senske appeared in. CU is 3-0-1 (wins over Cal Poly, Eastern Illinois and Bradley, tie vs. Missouri State) when he plays this year and 16-0-1 in his career.
Take a Break: Through Creighton's first eight matches, goalkeeper Brian Holt and the entire Bluejay backline of Akin Akinrinade, Kyle Deremer, Chris Schuler and Seth Sinovic had played every minute of every match. All five were able to get a break in CU's ninth match, a 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11). Schuler played all but 13 minutes in the match – giving him one more minute of breathing time than he had all of last year (a 12 minute break against UMKC on Sept. 13). Sinovic had played every minute of CU's last 25 matches and Schuler had played every minute of 24 straight contests.
Backup's Not Bad: Sophomore backup goalkeeper Nick Goldreich saw his first playing time of the season in Creighton's 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11). The keeper played the final 27:30 and made one save to keep his career goals against average a perfect 0.00 in 138 career minutes played.
Another Kallman: With Brent Kallman making his Creighton debut on Sept. 19, he follows in the footsteps of older brother Brian, who played for the Bluejays in 2005. The younger Kallman, who has played in nine matches with five starts, will hope to be a mainstay in the Bluejay lineup for four years, while the older Kallman played his final year of eligibility with the Jays after playing three years at Jacksonville. Older sisters Krystle and Kylie are both part of the Minnesota soccer program, with Krystle serving on the Gopher coaching staff and Kylie as a junior defender.
At Home in The Valley: The Bluejays are 56-6-3 (.885) at home all-time in MVC play, including 21-3-2 (.846) at Morrison Stadium. CU's loss to Missouri State on Sept. 19 was its first regular-season Valley loss at Morrison Stadium since a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. The MSU loss snapped a 15-match (14-0-1) home unbeaten streak in Valley play.
More Than One: With three losses this season, the Jays have already eclipsed their regular-season loss totals from each of the previous two campaigns. In both 2007 and 2008 the Jays lost only one regular-season contest, going 10-1-5 in the 2007 regular-season and 12-1-2 last year. The Jays last lost at least two matches in September in 2003, going 2-3-1 that season, before bouncing back to win the MVC regular-season crown and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Goal Scoring is Goal: Through six matches this year, the Bluejays had scored just four goals for the slowest offensive start by a Creighton team since the 1984 squad had three through six. The three goals in five matches is CU's lowest scoring five-match span since the 2005 team scored three goals in five matches between Sept. 18 and Oct. 5. That team also went five straight matches without scoring more than one goal – but ended up advancing to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Slow Starts, Fine Finishes: While Creighton is a perennial national power, it isn't unusual for the Bluejays to get off to slow starts. At 1-1-1, the Jays had captured just one win in their first three matches for the fourth time in the last seven seasons and at 2-2-1 they had two wins or fewer through five matches for the third time in seven years. The 2003, 2006 and 2007 teams had one win in their first three matches, while the 2003 team was 1-2-2 through five matches and the 2006 squad opened 2-2-1 as well. Both the 2003 and 2006 teams won MVC regular-season crowns and the 2003 team advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Thank You For Coming: A Missouri Valley Conference record crowd of 5,609 attended Creighton's match with Missouri State on Sept. 19. The crowd was the third largest in CU history and second-best in the regular-season, trailing only the 5,812 that came to the UCLA game on Sept. 8, 2007. The attendance shattered CU's former most-attended MVC home match, which was set last year when 3,192 attended the CU-Evansville match on Oct. 11.
Streaks Stopped: A number of impressive streaks by the Bluejays were stopped on Sept. 19 in their 1-0 loss to Missouri State. The loss was CU's first MVC loss since 2006, snapping an 11-match (8-0-3) unbeaten streak in league play. It was also Creighton's first home MVC loss since 2004, spoiling a 15-match (14-0-1) Valley home unbeaten stretch. The loss also ended an undefeated home streak of nine (8-0-1) matches, dating back to last September. The defeat served as just the second regular-season MVC loss in Morrison Stadium history.
We'll Meet Again: For this year only, MVC men's soccer is playing a double round-robin schedule, with teams playing each other at home and on the road. CU has the benefit of playing every MVC team at home this year before returning the trip for the rematch. The Jays will play five of their first six MVC matches at home, but then finish league play with four straight road contests. The MVC will return to its normal format next year when Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Central Arkansas join the league as men's soccer affiliates.
That's a Winner: Seth Sinovic scored his sixth career goal in CU's 1-0 victory over No. 23 Cal Poly on Sept. 5. In fact, Sinovic scored three straight game-winning goals dating back to last season, as he was responsible for CU's game-winning goals in NCAA Tournament wins over Tulsa and UConn in 2008.
New Season, Same Results: Creighton posted a school-record 13 shutouts last year, and started the 2009 campaign with two shutouts for the first time since the 1999 season. The Jays have recorded seven shutouts in 13 matches this fall to rank 12th in the nation in shutout percentage after leading the country in that category last year.
Jordan Out: Starting sophomore midfielder Greg Jordan will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Cal Poly on Sept. 5. The hard-nosed defensive-mid started 18 of the first 20 matches of his career, including both matches he played in this year before injuring his knee.
Sinovic's Second Sr. Season: Opponents are disappointed to find out that Seth Sinovic is back for his fifth season of soccer at Creighton after being listed as a senior on last year's Bluejay roster. It wasn't until after what was thought to be his final year on campus last year, that the Jays appealed to the NCAA for a redshirt. Sinovic was limited to just four minutes of play in one contest during his first year on campus in 2005. The fifth-year captain is now back for what is sure to be his final collegiate soccer campaign.
Preseason Favorites: The Missouri Valley Conference coaches have tabbed the Bluejays as preseason favorites for the fifth straight season. CU received four of the six first-place votes to total 34 points. Drake, which received a first-place vote, is picked to finish second with 27 points.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Creighton and Loyola (Md.) are the only schools in the country with three players 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. Fifth-year seniors Byron Dacy, Chris Schuler and Seth Sinovic are each on the list. Dacy, a forward, is the first player in the award's history to be named to the list four times. Schuler, a defender, was an NSCAA Second-Team All-American last year and Sinovic, a defender, was an NSCAA All-Region pick. Andrei Gotsmanov was a semifinalist for the award last year. The trio is 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
2009 Byron Dacy, Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic
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
Fantastic Fans: Creighton ranked fifth in the nation in both overall and average attendance in 2008. The Jays brought in 28,647 fans for an average of 2,604 per game. CU had four crowds of better than 3,000 fans last year, including a season-high 4,071 against Gonzaga in the season-opener. The Bluejays have ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA attendance in each of the first six seasons of Morrison Stadium.
Top Five Creighton Home Crowds
1 – 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 – 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 – 5,609 vs. Missouri State, Sept. 19, 2009
3 – 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 – 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 – 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 – 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 – 5,609 vs. Missouri State, Sept. 19, 2009
4 – 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
5 – 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
Gotsmanov Gone: The Bluejay offense will need to replace 2008 leading scorer Andrei Gotsmanov. Gotsmanov was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy last year, leading the team and MVC with 10 goals. He added four assists to top the Jays with 24 points and earn become CU's first NSCAA First-Team All-American since 2002. Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, Gotsmanov ended his career with Morrison Stadium career records in points (34), goals (14), shots (83) and shots on goal (32).
Walters Still Around: Tim Walters joins the Bluejay coaching staff as a student assistant as he finishes his undergraduate degree this year. Walters played at Creighton for three years, starting 29 of 53 matches played. One of three Bluejays to start every match last year, all three of his goals scored in 2008 were game-winners.
Nine of 11 Starters Back: Creighton returns nine starters from last year's team, including every defensive starter from a team which led the NCAA in shutout percentage (.650), finished second in the nation with a 0.48 goals against average and set a school-record with 13 shutouts. Goalkeeper Brian Holt and key defensive cogs Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic, Akin Akinrinade, Kyle Deremer and Greg Jordan are all back. Attackers Jeff Thayer and Ethan Finlay tied for second on the team with 16 points last year. Byron Dacy and Sergio Castillo both earned 10 starts last year as well. The Jays lost just Andrei Gotsmanov and Tim Walters from the starting eleven.
Schuler has CLASS: Chris Schuler is one of 30 national men's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the pitch who are candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Preseason Summary: Creighton finished 2-1-0 in the exhibition season, posting a pair of home shutouts to go along with a 4-2 road loss to the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. The Jays opened with a 7-0 rout of the Red Fury Latin All-Stars on Aug. 22. Seniors Thomas Gjoesund and Jeff Thayer each scored twice in that win. Ethan Finlay scored both goals in CU's loss at Kansas City on Aug. 24. The Jays then notched a 5-0 win over the Nebraska Club Team on Aug. 27, with five different players scoring. Thayer and Finlay, the Jays' returning leading scorers from last year, topped the team with three goals each in the preseason.
Playing in Peru: The Bluejays had an opportunity to play and train during an 11-day trip to Peru in late May. The team traveled to the country's capital of Lima from May 21 through June 1 and stayed at the Regatas Club. The Jays took on professional teams and collegiate squads at different venues in the South American country. As part of the foreign tour, the Jays were allotted 10 days of training prior to the trip, providing valuable time together to prepare for the 2009 season.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 3:00 p.m. • Morrison Stadium • Omaha, Neb.
Following the Jays: Every Creighton home match this season can be followed on the internet via live stats and live video at www.gocreighton.com. Live stats for all home matches can be viewed free with gametracker by clicking on the 'Live Stats' link. Fans can subscribe to watch a live video stream of the Bluejays' home matches via the 'Live Video' link.
This Week: The Bluejays play their final regular-season home match of the season when they play a crucial non-conference match with No. 7 UCLA on Saturday. The Jays and Bruins will kick off at 3 p.m. on Halloween at Morrison Stadium, with a Senior Day ceremony to follow the match.
Last Week: Creighton played a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches on the road, winning 3-0 at Bradley last Wednesday and playing to a scoreless draw at Eastern Illinois last Saturday. Ethan Finlay scored a pair of goals in the win at BU. The Jays allowed a total of just seven shots on goal in the two shutouts – their sixth and seventh clean sheets of the fall.
Scouting Creighton (6-3-4, 4-2-3 MVC): The three-time defending MVC champion Bluejays have struggled to find their offense this fall, scoring 15 goals through 13 matches and scoring more than one goal in a match just three times. The Bluejays again have a dominating defense which has allowed only seven goals and has posted seven shutouts. Creighton owns a league-best 0.50 goals against average, which ranks seventh in the NCAA, while their shutout percentage of .538 ranks 12th in the nation. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has been in net for all seven Bluejay shutouts this year, while his 0.51 career goals against average is both a school and league record. Holt, the 2008 MVC Freshman of the Year is aided by a starting back line which includes two of CU's three National Player of the Year candidates. Defenders Chris Schuler (2008 MVC Defensive Player of the Year) and Seth Sinovic are joined by fellow fifth-year senior Byron Dacy on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Sinovic is not only a leader on defense, but he also leads the team with four assists and is second on the team with 10 points. Sophomore forward Ethan Finlay leads the team and ranks second in the MVC with six goals and 15 points – his four game-winning goals this season leads the MVC. Finlay is tied with a pair of newcomers for second on the team with three assists, as freshman Dion Acoff – a member of the United States U-18 Men's National Team – and junior transfer Josh Moran both have three helpers as well.
Scouting UCLA (9-2-2, 4-1-2 Pac 10): The Bruins had a 10-match unbeaten streak snapped in a 2-0 loss at Stanford last Sunday. UCLA is 4-2-2 away from home this year, including a 2-0 win at preseason No. 1 Maryland in front of 6,718 fans to open the season. The Bruins only other loss this year was a 2-0 defeat at Georgetown on Sept. 6. Kyle Nakazawa leads the team and ranks among NCAA leaders with nine goals and 23 points, while David Estrada tops the team with six assists. Michael Stephens joins Nakazawa on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, while Stephens and goalkeeper Brian Perk (679 mins, 0.66 GAA, 5-2-0) missed five matches while playing for the U.S. National Team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Keeper Brian Rowe (531 mins, 0.85 GAA, 4-0-2) filled in nicely in Perk's absence.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 189-60-33 (.729) record in his 14th season at CU. His overall record is 382-179-63 (.663) in his 32nd year of coaching. Warming was honored as FieldTurf Tarkett's National Coach of the Year, NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and led the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2008. The MVC All-Centennial Coach and 2009 Omaha Sports Hall of Fame inductee has guided teams to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a six-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and. The all-time winningest soccer coach in school history, he ranked sixth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open this season.
CU-UCLA Series: Creighton and UCLA will be playing for the fifth time on the soccer pitch, with the Bluejays owning a 2-1-1 all-time series lead. The tie came on Sept. 6, 2007, a scoreless draw in front of a Morrison Stadium record 5,812 fans. Prior to that match the Jays had won a pair of matches since a 6-0 loss in the first ever meeting between the teams in 1991 (at a neutral field in Fresno, Calif.). CU won 2-0 at UCLA on Nov. 29, 1998 in the NCAA Tournament and won 3-2 on Sept. 10, 2004 in Las Vegas. The Bruins have never been ranked lower than 11th in the previous four meetings, ranking sixth in the first three meetings and No. 11 in the 2007 meeting.
California Dreaming: The Bluejays are undefeated in their last 11 matches against California-based schools, posting an 8-0-3 record in that span, including a 1-0 win over No. 23 Cal Poly on Sept. 5. In fact, Creighton has not allowed a goal to a California school in its last seven meetings, out-scoring Golden State squads 8-0 in that span. CU posted a 4-0-0 record against California teams last year, out-scoring Cali schools 6-0, with shutouts of UC Riverside (2-0), No. 6 California (2-0), Stanford (1-0) and Cal State Northridge (1-0). CU last allowed a goal to a California school in a 2-2 tie with San Diego State on Aug. 31, 2007 and last lost to a team from Cali on Sept. 7, 2003 (2-1, 2OT, at Loyola Marymount).
After a Tie: With a 3-0 win at Bradley (Oct. 21), Creighton has now followed its last 13 draws with wins, including its first three instances this year. Following both of CU's ties last year, each of CU's five ties in 2007 and three ties in 2006, CU was victorious. The Jays have not followed a tie with a loss since Oct. 5, 2005 when it lost 2-1 to Illinois-Chicago after a 0-0 draw with UMKC.
Senior Day Notes: Creighton will honor its seven active seniors following this Saturday's match, and will also honor former Bluejay Jeremy Wittig – who would have been a senior this year, but his career was cut short before this season due to a variety of injuries. A brief blurb on each the seniors follows:
Akinrinade – Playing in his second season at CU. Started 27 of 29 matches at CU, collecting three assists and helping the Bluejays post 20 shutouts in 33 matches.
Dacy – Only player in the nation to ever be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List four times. Active CU leader with 17 goals, 19 assists and 53 points.
Gjoesund – Played in the back and as forward in four years, making 30 starts in 53 matches. Tied for team lead with six goals as a sophomore and had nine goals, three assists and 21 career points.
Schuler – Co-captain has started 72 of 73 career matches as one of the most dominant defenders in school history. 2008 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, NSCAA Second-Team All-American and All-Midwest Region First-Team.
Senske – Has never played in a Bluejay loss, as team is 16-0-1 in his 17 career appearances off the bench.
Sinovic – Co-captain has 15 career assists and eight goals for 31 points. Started 63 of 74 matches played. 2008 All-MVC first-team, MVC Scholar-Athlete first-team and NSCAA Scholar All-American.
Thayer – 2008 All-MVC first-team and all-region second-team. Has 41 career points on 14 goals and 13 assists. Owns Morrison Stadium record with 34 shots on goal in career. Has 54 starts in 73 career matches.
Wittig – Redshirted 2006 season, playing in 26 matches over the 2007 and 2008 season, including eight starts in 2007.
October Dominance: Creighton's loss to Drake on Oct. 14 marked the first Bluejay loss in the month of October since 2006, snapping a 16-match unbeaten streak in the month (11-0-5). The Jays are now 3-1-3 this month after posting a 4-0-2 mark in October last year and 5-0-2 in the month in 2007. Since 2002, the Jays are now 42-8-11 (.779) in the month of October, including four unbeaten October's in that span (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008).
Attendance Leaders: Creighton is ranked among the nation's attendance leaders once again, as the Bluejays are currently averaging 2,449 fans at home. That places the Bluejays fourth in the NCAA in attendance, ranking in the top five for the third straight year and top 10 for the seventh straight season. A list of the top-10 attendance leaders in the country is below (according to Soccer America).
Rank School Avg. Attendance
1. UC Santa Barbara 4,836
2. Connecticut 3,211
3. Maryland 3,085
4. Creighton 2,449
5. Indiana 2,335
6. New Mexico 2,254
7. North Carolina 1,819
8. Wake Forest 1,773
9. Portland 1,690
10. Clemson 1,681
Pulling Rank: Creighton is 1-1-0 against top-25 opponents this year, defeating then No. 23 Cal Poly 1-0 on Sept. 5 and falling by the same score to Drake on Oct. 14 – both at home. The Bluejays are still an impressive 13-2-1 (.844) against the NSCAA top 25 at Morrison Stadium and are now 23-9-2 against nationally-ranked opponents at home all-time. The Jays are 52-39-9 all-time against the coaches top 25.
50+ Wins at Morrison: With its 4-2-1 record this year, the Bluejays are 51-11-11 (.774) all-time at Morrison Stadium, including a 10-1-0 mark last year. Creighton has lost just one home match in four of the last five seasons. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 152-27-15 (.822) at home.
Fit to be Tied: With its scoreless draw at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 24, Creighton has now played in three ties during its MVC schedule. The Bluejays had previously not played to more than two ties in any MVC season, as its two MVC ties in 1998 and 2007 were its most in conference action. The Bluejays have played in four overtime matches this year, each ending in a tie, including three scoreless draws. The school record for ties in a season was set by the 2007 team, which played in five draws.
Road Warriors: Creighton plays its final four MVC matches on the road this year. The road has been good to the Jays in recent years – from the start of the 2007 season until the final match of the 2008 season, the Jays put together a 15 match unbeaten streak away from Omaha, including 8-0-3 in true road matches in that span. Since 2007, the Jays are now 14-2-6 in their last 22 matches away from Omaha – 10-1-6 in true road matches – including 2-0-3 mark in true road contests this year.
There's the Offense: Creighton scored a season-high five goals against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11) after having scored just six goals through its first eight matches. Five different players scored and eight different Bluejays recorded an assist in the match, with Josh Moran dishing two helpers in the 5-1 victory. The Jays also unloaded a season-high 26 shots and 15 shots on goal.
Records Set & Tied: In Creighton's 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11), the Bluejays set a Morrison Stadium record and tied a pair marks. The Jays' 15 shots on goal broke the former mark of 13, which had been done three times previously, last against Vanderbilt on Oct. 15, 2004. CU's nine assists and 19 points tied the facility mark set against EIU on Oct. 8, 2005.
Snow Day: Record-breaking cold temperatures and a surprise 5-inch snowfall on Oct. 10 forced Creighton to postpone its match against Eastern Illinois by a day. The teams moved their match from 7 p.m. on the 10th, to a 1 p.m. kickoff on the 11th (when temperatures were a 'balmy' 38 and the wind chill was 32).
Been Here Before: The 2009 Bluejays weren't the first Creighton team to be 5-3-3 through 11 matches. The 2003 squad was also 5-3-3 (after starting 3-3-3). The 2003 team would go 7-3-1 after the sluggish start and finish one win shy of the College Cup, losing 3-2 to No. 6 St. John's in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals to end the season with a 12-6-4 record.
Holt is No. 1: Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has logged seven shutouts this season and his career goals against average now stands at 0.51. That GAA is currently the best in both school and league history, topping Tom Zawislan's record of 0.66 set between 1996-99. Holt has allowed just 17 goals in 32 matches and 2,976 minutes played. He has logged 19 shutouts in his 32 starts.
First Time for Everything: A few unfortunate firsts occurred in CU's loss to Drake on Oct. 14. The Bulldogs captured their first ever victory in Omaha, after the Jays had been 12-0-2 against DU all-time at home. The loss also marked CU's second home Valley loss of the year – the first time the Jays have lost more than one home conference match in a season.
Thayer's Record: Omaha native Jeff Thayer now owns a Morrison Stadium record for shots on goal in a career. The senior has moved his career total at the venue to 34, surpassing the former mark of Andrei Gotsmanov (32) set from 2007-08.
That's a Handful: Five different Bluejays scored a goal in a 5-1 victory over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11), the first time five different Jays had scored in a match since Oct. 19, 2005 at Georgetown (6-0 win).
Go to the Corner: Creighton once again leads the MVC in corner kicks, having attempted 92 through 13 matches. The Jays have had an advantage in corner kicks in nine of their 13 matches this year, including a 12-0 edge at Missouri State (Oct. 7). CU has led the league in corner kicks (overall and per game) every season since 2005.
Impressive Numbers: When Creighton moved its match and then played in near freezing temperatures against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 11, it caused an impressive attendance streak to stop. Only 851 fans turned out to the match, snapping a streak of 43 straight home matches played in front of at least 1,000 fans – dating from Oct. 8, 2005 through Oct. 3, 2009.
Putting perspective on the streak is the fact that among the other five current MVC members combined there have been a total of 25 home matches which have surpassed 1,000 fans in that same span. Of those 25, Bradley had 20, Evansville had three, Drake and Missouri State had one each and Eastern Illinois never eclipsed 1,000 at home. In fact of those 25 dates, CU was the opponent in six matches, including the only 1,000 fan home match for DU and MSU.
Acing the Aces: Jeff Thayer scored his fourth career game-winning goal in a win over Evansville (Oct. 3). It was his first game-winner since 2007. His last three game-winning goals have all come against Evansville, topping the Purple Aces in both the 2007 regular-season and MVC Tournament.
He's a Winner: Sophomore Ethan Finlay has scored six goals this season, including a league-leading four game-winners. Of his 12 career goals, eight have been game-winning tallies. He led the conference with four game-winning scores as a freshman last year and his eight career game-winners is tops among active Bluejays.
The Key is Senske: Senior Trent Senske has appeared in four matches this year and 17 in his career and the Bluejays have never lost when he's seen playing time. In fact, before this year the Jays had won every match Senske appeared in. CU is 3-0-1 (wins over Cal Poly, Eastern Illinois and Bradley, tie vs. Missouri State) when he plays this year and 16-0-1 in his career.
Take a Break: Through Creighton's first eight matches, goalkeeper Brian Holt and the entire Bluejay backline of Akin Akinrinade, Kyle Deremer, Chris Schuler and Seth Sinovic had played every minute of every match. All five were able to get a break in CU's ninth match, a 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11). Schuler played all but 13 minutes in the match – giving him one more minute of breathing time than he had all of last year (a 12 minute break against UMKC on Sept. 13). Sinovic had played every minute of CU's last 25 matches and Schuler had played every minute of 24 straight contests.
Backup's Not Bad: Sophomore backup goalkeeper Nick Goldreich saw his first playing time of the season in Creighton's 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 11). The keeper played the final 27:30 and made one save to keep his career goals against average a perfect 0.00 in 138 career minutes played.
Another Kallman: With Brent Kallman making his Creighton debut on Sept. 19, he follows in the footsteps of older brother Brian, who played for the Bluejays in 2005. The younger Kallman, who has played in nine matches with five starts, will hope to be a mainstay in the Bluejay lineup for four years, while the older Kallman played his final year of eligibility with the Jays after playing three years at Jacksonville. Older sisters Krystle and Kylie are both part of the Minnesota soccer program, with Krystle serving on the Gopher coaching staff and Kylie as a junior defender.
At Home in The Valley: The Bluejays are 56-6-3 (.885) at home all-time in MVC play, including 21-3-2 (.846) at Morrison Stadium. CU's loss to Missouri State on Sept. 19 was its first regular-season Valley loss at Morrison Stadium since a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. The MSU loss snapped a 15-match (14-0-1) home unbeaten streak in Valley play.
More Than One: With three losses this season, the Jays have already eclipsed their regular-season loss totals from each of the previous two campaigns. In both 2007 and 2008 the Jays lost only one regular-season contest, going 10-1-5 in the 2007 regular-season and 12-1-2 last year. The Jays last lost at least two matches in September in 2003, going 2-3-1 that season, before bouncing back to win the MVC regular-season crown and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Goal Scoring is Goal: Through six matches this year, the Bluejays had scored just four goals for the slowest offensive start by a Creighton team since the 1984 squad had three through six. The three goals in five matches is CU's lowest scoring five-match span since the 2005 team scored three goals in five matches between Sept. 18 and Oct. 5. That team also went five straight matches without scoring more than one goal – but ended up advancing to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Slow Starts, Fine Finishes: While Creighton is a perennial national power, it isn't unusual for the Bluejays to get off to slow starts. At 1-1-1, the Jays had captured just one win in their first three matches for the fourth time in the last seven seasons and at 2-2-1 they had two wins or fewer through five matches for the third time in seven years. The 2003, 2006 and 2007 teams had one win in their first three matches, while the 2003 team was 1-2-2 through five matches and the 2006 squad opened 2-2-1 as well. Both the 2003 and 2006 teams won MVC regular-season crowns and the 2003 team advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Thank You For Coming: A Missouri Valley Conference record crowd of 5,609 attended Creighton's match with Missouri State on Sept. 19. The crowd was the third largest in CU history and second-best in the regular-season, trailing only the 5,812 that came to the UCLA game on Sept. 8, 2007. The attendance shattered CU's former most-attended MVC home match, which was set last year when 3,192 attended the CU-Evansville match on Oct. 11.
Streaks Stopped: A number of impressive streaks by the Bluejays were stopped on Sept. 19 in their 1-0 loss to Missouri State. The loss was CU's first MVC loss since 2006, snapping an 11-match (8-0-3) unbeaten streak in league play. It was also Creighton's first home MVC loss since 2004, spoiling a 15-match (14-0-1) Valley home unbeaten stretch. The loss also ended an undefeated home streak of nine (8-0-1) matches, dating back to last September. The defeat served as just the second regular-season MVC loss in Morrison Stadium history.
We'll Meet Again: For this year only, MVC men's soccer is playing a double round-robin schedule, with teams playing each other at home and on the road. CU has the benefit of playing every MVC team at home this year before returning the trip for the rematch. The Jays will play five of their first six MVC matches at home, but then finish league play with four straight road contests. The MVC will return to its normal format next year when Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Central Arkansas join the league as men's soccer affiliates.
That's a Winner: Seth Sinovic scored his sixth career goal in CU's 1-0 victory over No. 23 Cal Poly on Sept. 5. In fact, Sinovic scored three straight game-winning goals dating back to last season, as he was responsible for CU's game-winning goals in NCAA Tournament wins over Tulsa and UConn in 2008.
New Season, Same Results: Creighton posted a school-record 13 shutouts last year, and started the 2009 campaign with two shutouts for the first time since the 1999 season. The Jays have recorded seven shutouts in 13 matches this fall to rank 12th in the nation in shutout percentage after leading the country in that category last year.
Jordan Out: Starting sophomore midfielder Greg Jordan will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Cal Poly on Sept. 5. The hard-nosed defensive-mid started 18 of the first 20 matches of his career, including both matches he played in this year before injuring his knee.
Sinovic's Second Sr. Season: Opponents are disappointed to find out that Seth Sinovic is back for his fifth season of soccer at Creighton after being listed as a senior on last year's Bluejay roster. It wasn't until after what was thought to be his final year on campus last year, that the Jays appealed to the NCAA for a redshirt. Sinovic was limited to just four minutes of play in one contest during his first year on campus in 2005. The fifth-year captain is now back for what is sure to be his final collegiate soccer campaign.
Preseason Favorites: The Missouri Valley Conference coaches have tabbed the Bluejays as preseason favorites for the fifth straight season. CU received four of the six first-place votes to total 34 points. Drake, which received a first-place vote, is picked to finish second with 27 points.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Creighton and Loyola (Md.) are the only schools in the country with three players 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. Fifth-year seniors Byron Dacy, Chris Schuler and Seth Sinovic are each on the list. Dacy, a forward, is the first player in the award's history to be named to the list four times. Schuler, a defender, was an NSCAA Second-Team All-American last year and Sinovic, a defender, was an NSCAA All-Region pick. Andrei Gotsmanov was a semifinalist for the award last year. The trio is 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
2009 Byron Dacy, Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic
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
Fantastic Fans: Creighton ranked fifth in the nation in both overall and average attendance in 2008. The Jays brought in 28,647 fans for an average of 2,604 per game. CU had four crowds of better than 3,000 fans last year, including a season-high 4,071 against Gonzaga in the season-opener. The Bluejays have ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA attendance in each of the first six seasons of Morrison Stadium.
Top Five Creighton Home Crowds
1 – 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 – 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 – 5,609 vs. Missouri State, Sept. 19, 2009
3 – 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 – 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 – 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 – 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 – 5,609 vs. Missouri State, Sept. 19, 2009
4 – 4,071 vs. Gonzaga, Aug. 29, 2008
5 – 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
Gotsmanov Gone: The Bluejay offense will need to replace 2008 leading scorer Andrei Gotsmanov. Gotsmanov was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy last year, leading the team and MVC with 10 goals. He added four assists to top the Jays with 24 points and earn become CU's first NSCAA First-Team All-American since 2002. Despite playing just two seasons at Creighton, Gotsmanov ended his career with Morrison Stadium career records in points (34), goals (14), shots (83) and shots on goal (32).
Walters Still Around: Tim Walters joins the Bluejay coaching staff as a student assistant as he finishes his undergraduate degree this year. Walters played at Creighton for three years, starting 29 of 53 matches played. One of three Bluejays to start every match last year, all three of his goals scored in 2008 were game-winners.
Nine of 11 Starters Back: Creighton returns nine starters from last year's team, including every defensive starter from a team which led the NCAA in shutout percentage (.650), finished second in the nation with a 0.48 goals against average and set a school-record with 13 shutouts. Goalkeeper Brian Holt and key defensive cogs Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic, Akin Akinrinade, Kyle Deremer and Greg Jordan are all back. Attackers Jeff Thayer and Ethan Finlay tied for second on the team with 16 points last year. Byron Dacy and Sergio Castillo both earned 10 starts last year as well. The Jays lost just Andrei Gotsmanov and Tim Walters from the starting eleven.
Schuler has CLASS: Chris Schuler is one of 30 national men's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the pitch who are candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Preseason Summary: Creighton finished 2-1-0 in the exhibition season, posting a pair of home shutouts to go along with a 4-2 road loss to the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. The Jays opened with a 7-0 rout of the Red Fury Latin All-Stars on Aug. 22. Seniors Thomas Gjoesund and Jeff Thayer each scored twice in that win. Ethan Finlay scored both goals in CU's loss at Kansas City on Aug. 24. The Jays then notched a 5-0 win over the Nebraska Club Team on Aug. 27, with five different players scoring. Thayer and Finlay, the Jays' returning leading scorers from last year, topped the team with three goals each in the preseason.
Playing in Peru: The Bluejays had an opportunity to play and train during an 11-day trip to Peru in late May. The team traveled to the country's capital of Lima from May 21 through June 1 and stayed at the Regatas Club. The Jays took on professional teams and collegiate squads at different venues in the South American country. As part of the foreign tour, the Jays were allotted 10 days of training prior to the trip, providing valuable time together to prepare for the 2009 season.
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/ Men's SoccerCreighton Men's Soccer Media Availability 9/30/25
Tuesday, September 30
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights at DePaul - 9-27-25
Saturday, September 27
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability 9/24/25
Thursday, September 25
Creighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Marquette 9-19-25
Saturday, September 20
