Men's Soccer Concludes Regular-Season at Drake
11/5/2009 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Creighton at Drake
Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m. • Cownie Soccer Complex • Des Moines, Iowa
Following the Jays: Live stats for this and select road matches can be followed by clicking on the 'Live Stats' link at www.gocreighton.com. Fans can also watch a live video stream of this match by clicking on the 'Live Video' link on Creighton's home page.
This Week: The Bluejays wrap up the regular-season with a Missouri Valley Conference road match at Drake. CU and DU kickoff at the Cownie Soccer Complex at 7 p.m., in the Jays' fourth straight Valley road contest.
Last Week: Creighton wrapped up its regular-season home schedule with a big non-conference win over No. 7 UCLA. The Bluejays blanked the Bruins 1-0, out-shooting the nationally-ranked opponents 12-5. Ethan Finlay scored the game's lone goal and earned MVC Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Kyle Deremer was recognized as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the clean sheet.
Scouting Creighton (7-3-4, 4-2-3 MVC): The Bluejays have lost just once in their last nine matches, posting a 5-1-3 record in that span. CU is 2-0-3 in true road matches this season, with all three draws coming inside MVC play. CU has scored only 16 goals in 14 matches this fall, topping more than one goal in a match three times. The Bluejays again have a dominating defense which has allowed only seven goals and has posted eight shutouts. Creighton owns a league-best 0.47 goals against average, which ranks fifth in the NCAA, while their shutout percentage of .571 ranks 10th in the nation. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has been in net for all eight Bluejay shutouts this year, while his 0.50 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 seven goals and 17 points and his five game-winning goals this season leads the MVC. Freshman Dion Acoff – a member of the United States U-18 Men's National Team – is tied with Sinovic for the team-lead with four assists.
Scouting Drake (11-6-1, 6-3-0 MVC): The Bulldogs have alternated wins and losses over their last seven games, starting with a win at Creighton (Oct. 14) and they are coming off of a 4-1 win at Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. DU is 5-2-0 at home this fall. Drake leads the MVC with 34 goals scored, as seven different Bulldogs have scored at least three goals on the year. Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout were both on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, as Webb leads the team with seven goals and 18 points. Shrout has five assists, second on the team behind Matt Kuhn's six helpers. Michael Drozd has played nearly 1,300 of DU's 1,640 minutes in goal and has made 39 saves, allowed 16 goals and owns a 1.11 goals against average with five shutouts – the goalkeeper has even been credited with two assists this season.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 190-60-33 (.730) record in his 14th season at CU. His overall record is 383-179-63 (.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-DU Series: The Bluejays are 20-2-6 all-time against Drake, which included a 14-match winning streak from 1992 through 2001. The Jays are 3-2-3 in their last eight meetings with Drake, including a 2-0 win over then No. 24-ranked Drake last year in Omaha and a 1-0 loss to No. 19 Drake last month in Omaha. Four of the last nine meetings between the teams have gone into overtime. DU's win at CU last month marked its first every victory in Omaha, as the Jays are 12-1-2 against the Bulldogs at home now. CU is 6-1-3 all-time in Des Moines against the Bulldogs, including a 1-1 tie on Nov. 3, 2007 the last time the team's met at Cownie Soccer Complex.
Last Time vs. Drake: The Bulldogs snapped a 14 match winless streak in Omaha, winning 1-0 on Oct. 14 for their first ever win on CU's home pitch. Garrett Webb's cross found Thomas Ostrander's head and the Bulldog knocked the ball in the net as it deflected off of a Bluejay defender for the match's lone goal in the 48th minute. CU out-shot DU 19-7 and had an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.
Shutout Streak: Creighton enters the weekend having posted three consecutive shutouts. CU's scoreless minute streak now stands at 363:35, dating back to a first-half goal scored by Evansville on Oct. 17.
1-0 is the Score: Six of Creighton's 14 matches this year have been decided by a final of 1-0, including for of the Jays' seven wins. CU's only two MVC losses have been 1-0 finals.
Novembers to Remember: Creighton hopes to start this November like November, 2008. Last year, the Jays started November with a 2-0 win over Drake, the first of six straight wins in a perfect 6-0-0 month. CU has not lost its first match in November since 2003. The Jays are 19-2-3 (.854) in the month of November since 2004.
What a Winner: Sophomore Ethan Finlay has scored seven goals this season, including a league-leading five game-winners. Of his 13 career goals, nine have been game-winning tallies. He led the conference with four game-winning scores as a freshman last year and his nine career game-winners is tops among active Bluejays.
Road Warriors: When CU plays at Drake on Saturday, it will mark its fourth straight MVC road match. 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.
California Dreaming: After their 1-0 win over No. 7 UCLA last Saturday, the Bluejays are undefeated in their last 12 matches against California-based schools, posting an 9-0-3 record in that span. In fact, Creighton has not allowed a goal to a California school in its last eight meetings, out-scoring Golden State squads 9-0 in that span. CU posted a 4-0-0 record against California teams last year, out-scoring Cali schools 6-0. 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 its 1-0 win over No. 7 UCLA (Oct. 31), Creighton has now followed its last 14 draws with wins, including all four 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.
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 went 4-1-3 this October 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 43-8-11 (.782) 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 2,427 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-5 attendance leaders in the country is below (according to Soccer America).
Rank School Avg. Attendance
1. UC Santa Barbara 4,541
2. Connecticut 3,092
3. Maryland 2,695
4. Creighton 2,427
5. New Mexico 2,254
Pulling Rank: Creighton is 2-1-0 against top-25 opponents this year, defeating then No. 23 Cal Poly 1-0 (Sept. 5) and No. 7 UCLA 1-0 (Oct. 31) and falling by the same score to Drake on Oct. 14 – all at home. The Bluejays are still an impressive 14-2-1 (.853) against the NSCAA top 25 at Morrison Stadium and are now 24-9-2 against nationally-ranked opponents at home all-time. The Jays are 53-39-9 all-time against the coaches top 25.
50+ Wins at Morrison: With its 5-2-1 record this year, the Bluejays are 52-11-11 (.777) all-time at Morrison Stadium. Creighton has lost just one home match in four of the last five seasons. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 153-27-15 (.823) 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.
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 eight shutouts this season and his career goals against average now stands at 0.50. 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 33 matches and 3,066 minutes played. He has logged 20 shutouts in his 33 career 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 14 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.
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 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 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, Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m. • Cownie Soccer Complex • Des Moines, Iowa
Following the Jays: Live stats for this and select road matches can be followed by clicking on the 'Live Stats' link at www.gocreighton.com. Fans can also watch a live video stream of this match by clicking on the 'Live Video' link on Creighton's home page.
This Week: The Bluejays wrap up the regular-season with a Missouri Valley Conference road match at Drake. CU and DU kickoff at the Cownie Soccer Complex at 7 p.m., in the Jays' fourth straight Valley road contest.
Last Week: Creighton wrapped up its regular-season home schedule with a big non-conference win over No. 7 UCLA. The Bluejays blanked the Bruins 1-0, out-shooting the nationally-ranked opponents 12-5. Ethan Finlay scored the game's lone goal and earned MVC Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Kyle Deremer was recognized as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the clean sheet.
Scouting Creighton (7-3-4, 4-2-3 MVC): The Bluejays have lost just once in their last nine matches, posting a 5-1-3 record in that span. CU is 2-0-3 in true road matches this season, with all three draws coming inside MVC play. CU has scored only 16 goals in 14 matches this fall, topping more than one goal in a match three times. The Bluejays again have a dominating defense which has allowed only seven goals and has posted eight shutouts. Creighton owns a league-best 0.47 goals against average, which ranks fifth in the NCAA, while their shutout percentage of .571 ranks 10th in the nation. Sophomore goalkeeper Brian Holt has been in net for all eight Bluejay shutouts this year, while his 0.50 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 seven goals and 17 points and his five game-winning goals this season leads the MVC. Freshman Dion Acoff – a member of the United States U-18 Men's National Team – is tied with Sinovic for the team-lead with four assists.
Scouting Drake (11-6-1, 6-3-0 MVC): The Bulldogs have alternated wins and losses over their last seven games, starting with a win at Creighton (Oct. 14) and they are coming off of a 4-1 win at Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. DU is 5-2-0 at home this fall. Drake leads the MVC with 34 goals scored, as seven different Bulldogs have scored at least three goals on the year. Garrett Webb and Kevin Shrout were both on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, as Webb leads the team with seven goals and 18 points. Shrout has five assists, second on the team behind Matt Kuhn's six helpers. Michael Drozd has played nearly 1,300 of DU's 1,640 minutes in goal and has made 39 saves, allowed 16 goals and owns a 1.11 goals against average with five shutouts – the goalkeeper has even been credited with two assists this season.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 190-60-33 (.730) record in his 14th season at CU. His overall record is 383-179-63 (.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-DU Series: The Bluejays are 20-2-6 all-time against Drake, which included a 14-match winning streak from 1992 through 2001. The Jays are 3-2-3 in their last eight meetings with Drake, including a 2-0 win over then No. 24-ranked Drake last year in Omaha and a 1-0 loss to No. 19 Drake last month in Omaha. Four of the last nine meetings between the teams have gone into overtime. DU's win at CU last month marked its first every victory in Omaha, as the Jays are 12-1-2 against the Bulldogs at home now. CU is 6-1-3 all-time in Des Moines against the Bulldogs, including a 1-1 tie on Nov. 3, 2007 the last time the team's met at Cownie Soccer Complex.
Last Time vs. Drake: The Bulldogs snapped a 14 match winless streak in Omaha, winning 1-0 on Oct. 14 for their first ever win on CU's home pitch. Garrett Webb's cross found Thomas Ostrander's head and the Bulldog knocked the ball in the net as it deflected off of a Bluejay defender for the match's lone goal in the 48th minute. CU out-shot DU 19-7 and had an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.
Shutout Streak: Creighton enters the weekend having posted three consecutive shutouts. CU's scoreless minute streak now stands at 363:35, dating back to a first-half goal scored by Evansville on Oct. 17.
1-0 is the Score: Six of Creighton's 14 matches this year have been decided by a final of 1-0, including for of the Jays' seven wins. CU's only two MVC losses have been 1-0 finals.
Novembers to Remember: Creighton hopes to start this November like November, 2008. Last year, the Jays started November with a 2-0 win over Drake, the first of six straight wins in a perfect 6-0-0 month. CU has not lost its first match in November since 2003. The Jays are 19-2-3 (.854) in the month of November since 2004.
What a Winner: Sophomore Ethan Finlay has scored seven goals this season, including a league-leading five game-winners. Of his 13 career goals, nine have been game-winning tallies. He led the conference with four game-winning scores as a freshman last year and his nine career game-winners is tops among active Bluejays.
Road Warriors: When CU plays at Drake on Saturday, it will mark its fourth straight MVC road match. 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.
California Dreaming: After their 1-0 win over No. 7 UCLA last Saturday, the Bluejays are undefeated in their last 12 matches against California-based schools, posting an 9-0-3 record in that span. In fact, Creighton has not allowed a goal to a California school in its last eight meetings, out-scoring Golden State squads 9-0 in that span. CU posted a 4-0-0 record against California teams last year, out-scoring Cali schools 6-0. 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 its 1-0 win over No. 7 UCLA (Oct. 31), Creighton has now followed its last 14 draws with wins, including all four 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.
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 went 4-1-3 this October 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 43-8-11 (.782) 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 2,427 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-5 attendance leaders in the country is below (according to Soccer America).
Rank School Avg. Attendance
1. UC Santa Barbara 4,541
2. Connecticut 3,092
3. Maryland 2,695
4. Creighton 2,427
5. New Mexico 2,254
Pulling Rank: Creighton is 2-1-0 against top-25 opponents this year, defeating then No. 23 Cal Poly 1-0 (Sept. 5) and No. 7 UCLA 1-0 (Oct. 31) and falling by the same score to Drake on Oct. 14 – all at home. The Bluejays are still an impressive 14-2-1 (.853) against the NSCAA top 25 at Morrison Stadium and are now 24-9-2 against nationally-ranked opponents at home all-time. The Jays are 53-39-9 all-time against the coaches top 25.
50+ Wins at Morrison: With its 5-2-1 record this year, the Bluejays are 52-11-11 (.777) all-time at Morrison Stadium. Creighton has lost just one home match in four of the last five seasons. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 153-27-15 (.823) 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.
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 eight shutouts this season and his career goals against average now stands at 0.50. 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 33 matches and 3,066 minutes played. He has logged 20 shutouts in his 33 career 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 14 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.
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 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 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 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
