Creighton University
Bradley
Finlay Game-Winner Lifts Men's Soccer Past Bradley, 1-0
9/30/2009 10:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. - Ethan Finlay's header off of Seth Sinovic's corner kick four minutes before halftime was enough as the Creighton men's soccer team topped Bradley, 1-0, at Morrison Stadium on a windy Wednesday night in Omaha. The match served as Bradley's (5-3-1, 0-1-0) Missouri Valley Conference opener, while the Jays picked up their first MVC victory of the year to move to 3-2-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference action.
An evenly played match through the first 30 minutes, Creighton settled in and took control of play late in the second half, attempting the final six shots of the opening frame. Peoria native Nick O'Neill's shot on goal helped set up a pair of Sinovic corner kicks which led to the game's lone tally. After Sinovic's initial corner was knocked across the line by the BU defense, he again sent the ball to the near post, where Finlay deflected the ball enough to guide it into the net for his second goal of the season in the 41st minute. The sophomore now has eight career goals, with six serving as game-winners.
The Jays ended the first half with a 1-0 lead and 9-5 shot advantage.
Despite playing into a strong wind, which gusted up to 23 mph, in the second half, the Bluejays continued to attack the Bradley net. Creighton dominated possession after halftime, out-shooting the Braves 8-2. BU did not manage a shot in the second half until the 85th minute, with a wide shot from Jochen Graf. Chris Cutshaw, the Valley's leading scorer, managed just two shots in the match, including a header sent just over the cross bar in the 86th minute.
"I thought we played very well in the second half," said head coach Bob Warming after the victory. "We came on strong and I thought we played the ball well. It's good to get a clean sheet and good for us to have a game when we dominate the performance. We're on our way back."
The final shot count would read 17-7 in CU's favor, including 8-1 shots on goal. Finlay unloaded four shots in the match, while O'Neill would strike for four shots, including a match-high three on goal against his hometown team.
Bluejay keeper Brian Holt made one save for his 16th shutout in 25 career starts. Drew Van Kampen made seven saves for Bradley in net.
Creighton returns to action when it plays host to Evansville on Saturday with an early 6 p.m. kickoff as part of Homecoming Weekend and the "Getting Blue BBQ" festivities.
