First-Place Jays Travel to Second-Place Xavier for BIG EAST Supremacy
10/17/2014 2:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. – The No. 6 Creighton men's soccer team travels to Xavier for a matchup of the top two teams in the BIG EAST Conference at 6 p.m. CT Saturday in Cincinnati.
Creighton stands alone in first place in the conference as the lone unbeaten and untied team after four matches of conference play. After league losses by No. 3 Georgetown and No. 8 Marquette Wednesday, Xavier moved into second place all alone at 3-0-1 in the BIG EAST heading into the weekend battle with CU.
The first-place Bluejays enter the match on a six-game win streak at 11-1-1 overall after a 1-0 victory at St. John's on Wednesday. The Jays are 4-0-0 in the BIG EAST after the victory over the Red Storm. All four of the Bluejays' conference wins have been by a single goal in 2014. CU held on for its fourth straight and seventh overall one-goal victory of the year at SJU. After the win at SJU, the Jays stand 3-0-1 in away games this season.
The Jays posted their eighth shutout of the season at St. John's. CU has allowed only six goals through a dozen matches in 2014 and has only once surrendered more than one goal in a match this fall. The Jays have also blanked all 13 opponents in the first half this season and have trailed only one instance all year – the end of a 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20. CU has not trailed in regulation during the 2014 campaign.
The Bluejays moved up to No. 6 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll on Tuesday following a 2-0 week.
Xavier comes into the match at 9-3-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the BIG EAST after a 2-0 victory over DePaul on Wednesday. The Musketeers are riding a seven-match unbeaten streak including four straight wins at home where they are 6-1-0 this season.
The match with Creighton serves as Xavier's second against a ranked team this year. XU lost at then-No. 21 Wisconsin 4-0 on Aug. 31. The Musketeers' lone home loss occurred in their 2014 opener, a 3-2 setback to Lipscomb.
This is the second meeting between the Bluejays and the Musketeers in men's soccer. CU won the first meeting between the programs 2-0 on Oct. 5, 2013 at Morrison Stadium.
Following the Jays
Fans can follow all of the action on Saturday by clicking on the live stats button at GoCreighton.com or follow @GoCreighton on Twitter. A live video stream of the game will also be available online.
Last Week
10/7: at Drake, W, 1-0
10/11: vs. Butler, W, 2-1
This Week
10/15: at St, John's, W, 1-0
10/18: at Xavier, 6 p.m. CT – Cincinnati, Ohio
What's at Stake
· CU looks to increase its lead to five points in the BIG EAST with a win.
· XU seeks to move into first place in the conference standing with a victory.
Scouting the No. 6 Creighton Bluejays (11-1-1, 4-0-0 BIG EAST)
Sophomore Fabian Herbers became St. John's nemesis for a second straight year, converting a long free kick in the final minute to give Creighton a 1-0 victory Wednesday.
Herbers scored with just under a minute to play on a bouncing free kick from the left sideline that found the back of the net. It marks the second time Herbers' quieted the Red Storm on a long goal conversion. Last season at Morrison Stadium, Herbers stunned SJU in overtime to give the Bluejays their first-ever BIG EAST Conference victory, 1-0.
Creighton won its sixth straight decision as junior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow posted his eighth shutout of the season at St. John's. CU held on for its fourth straight and seventh overall one-goal victory of the year at SJU.
Entering this week, junior Timo Pitter earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week recognition Sparrow claimed BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week honors announced by the conference on Monday.
Last Saturday, Creighton received two goals from Pitter to edge Butler 2-1 at Morrison Stadium to give the Bluejays their fifth consecutive victory.
The Bluejays remain in first place in the BIG EAST this week following their fourth one-goal conference victory of the year - a 1-0 victory at St. John's Wednesday. The Jays remain the only unbeaten and untied squad in the league in the fourth week of conference play at 4-0-0 and 11-1-1 overall.
After a pair of wins last week, the Bluejays moved up three spots to No. 6 in the latest NSCAA poll released Oct. 14. CU is three spots behind BIG EAST foe Georgetown and leads conference rival Marquette by one slot.
CU has trailed only one instance on the year – the end of a 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20. The Jays have yet to trail in regulation this season. Creighton is 3-0-1 on the road this season with 1-0 victories at St. John's (10/15), Villanova (9/27) and Drake (10/4) and a 1-1 tie at Tulsa (9/13).
The Jays' defense has not allowed a first-half goal through 13 matches of 2014. Sparrow has played all 1,194 minutes in goal this year and owns an 11-1-1 record this season. He boasts a miniscule 0.45 goals against average after posting his eighth shutout of the season at SJU on Wednesday. He's allowed just six goals and boasts 35 saves on the year.
Herbers leads the team with seven goals this season. Pitter is second on the squad with five scores on the year. They both lead the team in assists at four apiece and stand atop the Creighton stats sheet with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Lopez-Espin and fellow freshman Lucas Stauffer own a trio of goals and seven points to rank in a tie for third on the squad this year.
Creighton placed third in the 2014 BIG EAST preseason poll as Ribas and Pitter earned recognition on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Ribas was also listed at No. 41 in the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason National Top 100 released in late August.
Senior goalkeeper Alex Bolowich and junior Vincent Keller are the co-captains of this year's squad.
Scouting the Xavier Musketeers (9-3-1, 3-0-1 BIG EAST)
Xavier comes into the match at 9-3-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the BIG EAST after a 2-0 victory over DePaul on Wednesday. The Musketeers are riding a seven-match unbeaten streak including four straight wins at home where they are 6-1-0 this season.
The match with Creighton serves as Xavier's second against a ranked team this year. XU lost at then-No. 21 Wisconsin 4-0 on Aug. 31. The Musketeers' lone home loss occurred in their 2014 opener, a 3-2 setback to Lipscomb.
Senior Will Walker leads XU with 16 points on five goals and six assists this season. Freshman Matt Vasquenza owns four scores and three assists for the Musketeers this year. Junior Kyle Martin is second on the squad with five assists this year.
The Xavier defense owns five shutouts at home and has allowed only three goals to opponents through seven matches this season at the XU Soccer Complex. Senior goalkeeper Eric Osswald has 36 saves, a 0.82 goals against average and seven shutouts to register a 9-2-1 record this season.
Creighton-Xavier Series
This is the second meeting between the Bluejays and the Musketeers in men's soccer. CU won the first meeting between the programs 2-0 on Oct. 5, 2013 at Morrison Stadium.
The Last Meeting
OMAHA, Neb. (10/05/2013)– The No. 4 Creighton men's soccer team remained atop the BIG EAST conference standings with a 2-0 victory over Xavier at Morrison Stadium on Saturday night.
Creighton (6-2-2, 2-0-1 BIG EAST) snapped a three-game winless streak with the victory over Xavier (4-5-2, 0-2-0 BIG EAST). The Jays have yet to surrender a goal through three BIG EAST conference matches. The win marked CU's fifth shutout of the season, the fourth at home, resulting in a 4-0-1 record in those contests.
In the 12th minute, CU junior Eric Miller scored his first career game-winning goal after he connected on a header into the net off of a Creighton rebound from the crossbar to give the Jays an early 1-0 lead. It marked Miller's second goal of the season; assisted by senior Zach Barnes.
The Bluejays maintained the one-goal lead into halftime. CU attempted seven shots and four corners in the half to a pair of shots and one corner by XU.
Creighton scored another quick goal in the second half at 50:29. CU sophomore Christian Blandon scored his first goal of the year 20 yards out from the right side to beat XU goalkeeper Eric Osswald. Senior Bruno Castro assisted on the goal to make it 2-0 Jays.
CU sophomore goalkeeper Connor Sparrow earned his third start and claimed his first victory in a Creighton uniform. Sparrow made two saves on the evening and improved to 1-1-1 on the year.
Xavier's Osswald took the loss for the Musketeers in net to fall to 4-3-2 this season.
Pitter and Sparrow Earn BIG EAST Men's Soccer Weekly Honors
Juniors Timo Pitter and Connor Sparrow earned BIG EAST men's soccer weekly honors, the league office announced Monday.
After a 2-0-0 week by Creighton with wins at Drake and against Butler, Sparrow earned BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week recognition while Pitter claimed BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Pitter scored both goals in Creighton's 2-1 win over Butler on Saturday. He registered the game-winning tally in 62nd minute for his second game-winner of the year. With his two goals against the Bulldogs, Pitter moved alone into second place all-time for career goals scored at Morrison Stadium with 15.
Sparrow posted his seventh shutout of the season at Drake on Tuesday while making a season-high seven saves. He played all 180 minutes in goal in wins against both sets of Bulldogs. Sparrow owns a 0.50 goals against average and 10-1-1 record this season while helping lead CU to five straight victories.
The Bluejay goalkeeper and defense have kept opponents off the scoreboard in the first half of all 12 of their matches this season. Sparrow and the Jays have not allowed CU to trail in any regulation match this season.
The conference laurel is the second of the year for Sparrow. He also claimed Goalkeeper of the Week honors after the Jays' opening weekend on Sept. 1. Pitter's accolade is his first of the season from the BIG EAST and second all-time from the conference after receiving the same recognition on Nov. 4, 2013.
The Bluejays' weekly conference award total now stands at five this year. Freshmen Ricky Lopez-Espin and Lucas Stauffer earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week recognition earlier this year. Last season Creighton totaled six Player of the Week honors from the conference.
Jays Rank No. 6 in NSCAA Poll This Week
Following wins at Drake and against Butler last week, the Creighton men's soccer team ranks No. 6 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll released Tuesday afternoon.
Additionally, BIG EAST foes Georgetown and Marquette claimed spots in the top eight at No. 3 and No. 8, respectively. Fellow conference member Xavier also received votes. Nationally, Washington maintained its spot at No. 1 this week.
Creighton remained in the top three of TopDrawerSoccer Top 25 for the third straight week, maintaining its position at No. 2. The Bluejays jumped two places to No. 2 in the latest SoccerAmerica Men's Top 25 released Tuesday. The Jays ascended three spots to No. 3 in the latest CollegeSoccerNews Top 30 released Monday.
Creighton maintained its spot in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll at No. 3 this week. Meanwhile Marquette and Georgetown also kept their positions in the top two, with the Hoyas out front in the regional poll. Conference foe Xavier moved up two spots to fourth in the region while Providence dropped to No. 5.
Creighton in the RPI
The third NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of the season was released on Monday. The RPI is one of the tools utilized by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee when reviewing at-large selections in November.
Despite two victories last week, Creighton slipped one spot to No. 10. The Bluejays are the second team from the BIG EAST in the RPI as Georgetown jumped to No. 8 this week. Conference foes Providence and Marquette rated at No. 19 and No. 20, respectively.
CU's next opponent, Xavier, ranks No. 37 in the RPI amongst all 205 NCAA Division I programs.
Polling History
Creighton has appeared among the top ten of the NSCAA Men's National Poll for at least one week in each of the past 23 seasons dating back to 1992.
The Bluejays have appeared among the top five of the NSCAA Poll for at least one week in six of the last seven years dating back to 2008 – including all four seasons under head coach Elmar Bolowich.
The Jays have been ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA at least a week in each of the last four seasons under Bolowich.
In 2013 the Jays ranked No. 1 nationally on Sept. 10 as CU owned the top spot for the first time since Sept. 15, 1999.
One Moment in Time
The Bluejays have trailed just one instance this season – at the end of a 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20. Creighton has yet to trail in regulation this season.
Creighton never trailed through its first 653 minutes played in 2014 to register a 5-0-1 record to begin the year. A game-winning overtime goal by then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20 halted the streak.
Since the SLU goal Creighton has posted four shutouts and scored first against Seton Hall and Butler As a result, the Jays have not trailed over the last 540 minutes of the season.
CU goalkeeper Connor Sparrow and the Bluejay defense have teamed up to post eight shutouts this season and have allowed no more than two goals in any match this year.
Starting Off with Bagels
The Bluejays have yet to allow a first-half goal this season through 13 matches.
The Creighton defense has allowed only six goals total this year, each after halftime. Seton Hall is the only team that has scored multiple times against the Jays in 2014.
CU has also posted nine second-half bagels this year leading to eight shutouts and a 1-0 overtime setback to then-No. 20 Saint Louis (9/20) this season.
The other single goals were surrendered at Tulsa in a 1-1 tie (9/13) against UIC during a 3-1 win (9/16) and last Saturday's 2-1 decision over Butler.
Sparrow Shuts It Down in First Half
The last time CU goalkeeper Connor Sparrow allowed a first-half goal in a start was on Oct. 1, 2012. That was when he was a freshman at UMKC. He allowed two scores to his soon-to-be teammates at Creighton.
Sparrow's first-half scoreless streak stands at 976:18. The last goal he allowed was to his current teammate, and fellow BIG EAST honoree this week, Timo Pitter.
If his current streak were spread across both halves, it would mark the third-longest shutout streak in NCAA history at that 976:18.
Sparrow's Career First-Half Only Stats
13 games in 2014 - 0 goals allowed
4 games in 2013 - 0 goals allowed
Final 5 games in 2012 - 0 goals allowed
More Scores After the Break
Thirteen of Creighton's 21 goals this season have occurred in the second half. All six goals surrendered to CU opponents this year have also occurred in the second stanza (5) or in overtime (1).
Awash in Clean Sheets
The Bluejays have blanked eight of their opponents in 2014, including five at Morrison Stadium.
Creighton opened the season with four straight home shutouts, falling one clean sheet shy of tying its single-season consecutive home shutout record (1999, 2003, and 2011) by recording five straight at home.
View an Eclipse
The Bluejays have eclipsed their win total of nine from last season with its eleventh victory of the season at St. John's on Wednesday. CU also matched its conference victory mark of 2013 on Wednesday with its fourth BIG EAST win.
Creighton also notched its eighth shutout of the year on Oct. 15 in Queens, bettering the six clean sheets registered by the Jays a year ago.
German Goal Guild
Native Germans Fabian Herbers and Timo Pitter have scored 12 of the Jays' 21 goals this season including CU's last four scores.
They have assisted each other in five of those 12 tallies.
Herbers stunned St. John's with a last-minute game-winning goal on Wednesday to tally his seventh score of the season.
During Pitter's two-goal performance against Butler on Saturday, Herbers assisted on his teammates' winning goal.
Last week at Drake, Herbers scored the game-winning goal in the 66th minute
On Sept. 30 against UMKC, Herbers recorded the game-winning goal in the fourth minute for his fifth score of the year.
Herbers scored the first goal against UIC and later assisted Pitter on the game-winning score over the Flames (9/16).
Pitter scored the lone goal for the Jays at Tulsa (9/13) on an assist from Herbers.
He also scored against Cincinnati (9/7) while Herbers scored twice against the Bearcats with Pitter assisting on both goals.
Milestone Watch
Senior Jose Ribas is closing in on the all-time top 10 for assists at Creighton.
After assisting on Fabian Herbers' game-winning tally at Drake on Oct. 7, the senior defender has 21 career assists including three this season. He is just two shy of Brian Adams (1991-94) at No. 10 on the list.
#FortressMorrison
After eight home victories in 2014, Creighton is now 21-3-1 in its last 25 matches at Morrison Stadium.
CU has won 10 of its last 11 regular-season matches at Morrison Stadium by a combined score of 24-6.
Last season's 1-0 overtime loss by the Jays to Villanova on Oct. 19 snapped a 12-match unbeaten streak at Morrison Stadium that dated back to September 2012.
The downfall to VU marked the first home loss in a conference match inside Morrison Stadium in almost three years - since a 2-1 loss to Bradley on Nov. 6, 2010.
CU is 13-1-0 against conference foes at home since then – including 10 consecutive shutout victories before the loss to the Wildcats.
A 2-1 postseason setback to Seattle in the 2013 NCAA First Round Tournament snapped a seven-match NCAA Tournament home win streak dating back to 2008.
CU vs. Top 25
Creighton is 1-1-0 against Top 25 teams this year after a 1-0 overtime loss to then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20.
The Bluejays opened the year with a 2-0 defeat of then-No. 20 Stanford on Aug. 29.
The Bluejays are an impressive 24-4-2 against the NSCAA Top 25 all-time at Morrison Stadium and 34-11-3 overall against nationally ranked opponents at home.
CU is 66-45-14 all-time against the NSCAA Top 25.
Cutting It Close
Creighton played in a dozen one-goal decisions in 2013 that included all nine of its losses. The Jays also posted two ties last season and one this year.
Through 13 matches this year, the Bluejays claim seven one-goal victories over St. John's (10/14), Butler (10/11), Drake (10/7), Seton Hall (10/4), Villanova (9/27), Western Illinois (9/5) and Santa Clara (8/31).
The 1-0 overtime downfall to Saint Louis (9/20) is the Jays' first one-goal loss of the year.
CU is 22-12 in games decided by one goal since the beginning of 2012. Creighton is 5-3-6 in overtime matches during that same span.
One Goal to Nil
Following CU's 1-0 win at St. John's on Oct. 15, Creighton has now won 21 of its previous 29 matches ending in a 1-0 score dating back to the beginning of 2011 when head coach Elmar Bolowich took over the program.
Creighton posted 1-0 victories over St. John's (10/14), Villanova (9/27), Western Illinois (9/5) and Santa Clara (8/31) earlier this year. The Jays later fell 1-0 to then-No. 20 Saint Louis on Sept. 20.
Ribas Now No. 1 in All-Time Assists at Morrison
After notching an assist on the game winner against UMKC on Sept. 30, senior Jose Ribas passed Jose Gomez (2010-12) and Tim Bohnenkamp (2004-07) for the No. 1 spot on the career assists posted inside Morrison Stadium with 16 helpers.
Pitter Climbing Morrison Record Book Too
Junior Timo Pitter's pair of goals against Butler on Sept. 16 moved him into No. 2 all-time on the stadium list at 15 scores behind former CU great Ethan Finlay (28).
Currently he ranks No. 2 in shots as well as shots on goal and points all-time at home, trailing Finlay in each case.
Fifty is Nifty
Creighton head coach Elmar Bolowich recorded win No. 50 on the Creighton sidelines on Sept. 5. The Bluejays' 1-0 victory over Western Illinois produced the milestone.
Bolowich enters this week with a 58-16-7 record with the Bluejays in his fourth season at CU. He led Creighton to three NCAA Tournaments and two College Cup appearances in his first three seasons with the program.
First Series Wins
The 2014 campaign has been a series of firsts for the Bluejays against a handful of foes.
The Bluejays recorded a first-time triumph over Seton Hall on Oct. 4. The Jays' victories over Villanova (9/27), UIC (9/16), Cincinnati (9/7) and Western Illinois (9/5) were also the first by Creighton against each opponent.
CU evened the series with BIG EAST foes Seton Hall and Villanova at 1-1 apiece following one-goal victories over the past two Saturdays.
Creighton finally doused the Flames in their third attempt all-time after UIC won the two previous meetings of the series – all played at Morrison Stadium.
The Jays notched their first win against WIU in five tries. The Leathernecks won three matches against CU in the early 1980's before salvaging a 1-1 tie at Morrison Stadium in 2007.
Creighton registered a victory against first-time opponent Cincinnati, blanking the Bearcats 3-0.
Stauffer Claims BIG EAST Rookie of the Week Recognition
Creighton men's soccer freshman Lucas Stauffer claimed Rookie of the Week recognition from the BIG EAST; the league office announced Oct. 6.
Stauffer scored twice off the bench including the game-winner with 57 seconds remaining to lift the Bluejays to a 3-2 win over Seton Hall on Saturday night. As a result, he posted his first multiple-goal game of his young career.
After Creighton jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Pirates, just over a minute later Stauffer netted his first score to give the Jays a 2-0 lead on an assist from sophomore Ricardo Perez who opened the scoring for CU. Following two goals by SHU to knot the game at 2-2, freshman Noah Franke fed Stauffer from the right side. Franke's pass set up a Stauffer header from just inside the top of the box in the 90th minute to give the Jays a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.
Through his first two BIG EAST career matches this season, Stauffer is the leading scorer with three goals and six points. He also owns both of the Bluejays' game-winners including Creighton's lone goal in a 1-0 victory at Villanova on Sept. 27.
The conference laurel is the first for Stauffer at CU. Last season Creighton totaled six Player of the Week honors from the conference.
California Dreamin'
After blanking then-No. 20 Stanford and Santa Clara on opening weekend, Creighton improved its record to 18-0-3 against California-based schools in its last 21 meetings.
Last year the Jays shut out Cal Poly on Sept. 1, 2013. CU won both matches against teams from the Golden State in 2012 by defeating Santa Clara and Saint Mary's by 1-0 margins on the road.
Creighton's last loss to a team from California came on Sept. 7, 2003, a 2-1 double-overtime setback at Loyola Marymount.
Newcomers Prove Net Worth
2014 marked the fifth consecutive season that a CU newcomer scored the first goal of the year in the season opener.
Freshman Ricky Lopez-Espin scored the game-winning goal against then-No. 20 Stanford to begin this season.
Last year it was Fabian Herbers who found the back of the net in the opener against then-No. 14 Tulsa.
In 2012, newcomer Sean Kim scored Creighton's first goal to pull the Jays even against Northern Illinois. Former Bluejay Carlos McCrary also notched his first goal at Creighton in the win over the Huskies.
Newcomer Guido Pena helped Creighton down Denver 1-0 in 2011.
Jose Gomez started the current streak in 2010 when he notched a goal in the Bluejays' 2-0 defeat of Loyola.
Starting the Season Off Right
After a 2-0 shutout of No. 20 Stanford, Creighton is unbeaten in its last eight season-opening matches, going 6-0-2 in those contests.
Creighton has allowed one total goal to its last six season-opening opponents. Northern Illinois scored the lone goal in 2012 sandwiched between five years of shutouts.
Lopez-Espin, Sparrow Claim BIG EAST Player of the Week Honors
CU freshman Ricky Lopez-Espin earned Rookie of the Week honors from the BIG EAST and junior Connor Sparrow claimed Goalkeeper of the Week recognition, the league office announced on Sept. 1.
The accolades mark the first of the season for the Bluejays. Last season Creighton totaled six Player of the Week honors from the conference. The laurels are the first for both Lopez-Espin and Sparrow at Creighton.
Lopez-Espin's first two career goals were both game winners as Creighton marched out to a 2-0-0 record with a 2-0 win over No. 20 Stanford and a 1-0 triumph over Santa Clara. He also assisted on an insurance goal against the Cardinal and finished the weekend with five points.
Sparrow played all 180 minutes in net and backstopped the Bluejays to a 2-0-0 weekend, including the 2-0 shutout of No. 20 Stanford. The junior made three saves in the victory over the Cardinal and added five more in the 1-0 blanking of Santa Clara.
Poll Position
The BIG EAST men's soccer coaches selected Creighton to place third in the 2014 preseason poll. CU garnered one of the 10 first-place votes to help total 63 overall points. Georgetown and Marquette were tied atop the poll for first place with 75 points apiece. The Hoyas edged the Golden Eagles 5-4 in first-place votes.
Tough 2014 Slate
The Bluejays' 2014 schedule features five regular-season contests against 2013 NCAA Tournament teams, including four from the Jays' nine-match BIG EAST conference slate. CU also hosted Wisconsin in an exhibition match.
The Jays' will host 12 opponents and travel to play six other squads in the 2014 regular season. The slate is highlighted by nine matches against teams that finished among the top 50 in the final 2013 NCAA RPI; six of those are home contests.
Starting in mid-October, Creighton will face the other four BIG EAST squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year in a span of just under a month to close out the regular season. The Bluejays battle three opponents that advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2013 including Georgetown, Marquette and Stanford.
2014 Preseason Poll
Creighton was one of four BIG EAST programs to receive votes from the NSCAA in the 2014 preseason poll. The other conference schools in the poll included Georgetown and Marquette. St. John's received 10 votes in the rankings while the Jays netted 14 votes.
In addition to the trio of contests against BIG EAST foes that received votes, Creighton's schedule involves three other teams that earned votes in the poll. The Jays opened the regular season at home against Stanford on Aug. 29. Two other 2014 non-conference foes also claimed votes in Saint Louis (10) and Tulsa (5).
2013 in Review
Creighton finished last year unranked on a three-game skid after compiling a 9-9-2 overall mark following an NCAA Tournament First Round setback against Seattle.
CU played a lot of tight matches in 2013 as each of the Jays' nine losses came by a single goal. The Bluejays completed their first season in the BIG EAST Conference with a 4-4-1 mark and a fifth-place finish.
The Jays climbed as high as No. 1 in the 2013 rankings on September 10 – the first time since 1999 that CU held the top spot. Overall, the Bluejays found themselves ranked in nine NSCAA weekly polls during the last regular season.
Fourth-year head coach Elmar Bolowich leads the Jays in their quest for the program's 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 23 seasons in 2014. Creighton returns 13 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's team.
Inaugural BIG EAST Season Review
Creighton ended its conference season in Providence with a pair of 2-1 setbacks to the Friars in the regular-season finale and a BIG EAST Championship quarterfinal match.
CU never dipped below the .500 mark in conference and toggled between wins and losses over its last five league matches. Overall, Creighton won three of its last five regular-season matches after a three-game scoreless drought in mid-October.
The Jays were 3-1 at home in BIG EAST matches beginning with a 1-0 overtime defeat of St. John's in its conference debut (9/21), a 2-0 win over Xavier (10/5) a 1-0 overtime setback to Villanova (10/19) and a 5-1 victory over DePaul (11/2) on Senior Day.
The Bluejays' road record in conference was deceiving at 1-3-1 last season. All three losses were settled by a single goal. In fact the only two league matches not decided by a single goal or less last year were CU victories over Xavier (2-0) and DePaul (5-1) at home.
Creighton finished 2-2-1 against fellow 2013 BIG EAST tournament teams. The Jays tied No. 1 seed Georgetown in Washington D.C., lost at No. 2 Marquette and at No. 4 Providence while defeating No. 3 Xavier 2-0 at home and No. 6 Butler 3-2 on the road.
CU was 2-6-1 in true road contests in 2013 including a 1-3-1 mark in conference.
Jays Rank Among the Top 10 in Average Home Attendance for 11th Straight Season
With 27,156 fans attending matches last season, Creighton ranked sixth nationally in total home attendance. The Jays finished fourth in average home attendance in 2013 at 2,716 fans per contest.
Over 5,200 fans witnessed Creighton's 1-0 double-overtime defeat of No. 7 St. John's in the Jays' BIG EAST debut on Sept. 21 at Morrison Stadium. The crowd of 5,282 ranked as the sixth-largest crowd ever to attend a collegiate match at the Bluejays' home. The match also ranked No. 10 in single-game attendance nationally last season.
The total edged out a contingent of 5,102 Bluejay faithful that witnessed CU defeat Columbia 3-1 earlier in the season on Sept. 6. That crowd ranks No. 7 all-time in the Creighton record books for single-match home attendance.
Creighton is now 5-7-1 in front of 5,000-plus fans since 2000.
At then-No. 22 Saint Louis on Oct. 2, 2013, 3,070 fans packed Hermann Stadium to watch the Bluejays battle the Billikens last season. It marked the largest crowd in a regular-season true road contest to see the Jays play since 5,648 fans saw CU visit then-No. 3 Maryland on Sept. 30, 2011.
In 2012, then-No. 2 Creighton fell 2-1 to then-No. 14 Old Dominion on Sept. 14 in front of 6,848 fans – the largest home crowd all-time at Morrison Stadium.
Last Time Out
Sophomore Fabian Herbers became St. John's nemesis for a second straight year, converting a long free kick in the final minute to give the No. 6 Creighton men's soccer team a 1-0 victory at the Red Storm's Belson Stadium Wednesday night.
Herbers scored with just under a minute to play on a bouncing free kick from the left sideline that found the back of the net. It marks the second time Herbers' quelled the Red Storm on a long goal conversion. Last season at Morrison Stadium, Herbers' stunned SJU in overtime to give the Bluejays their first-ever BIG EAST Conference victory, 1-0.
With the win Creighton improves to 11-1-1 overall and 4-0-0 in the BIG EAST. The Bluejays remain the only unbeaten and untied team in the conference. SJU falls to 4-6-3 overall and 1-3-0 in the conference standings.
Creighton dominated the first half on offense leading St. John's in shots 9-3. The Bluejays also led 2-0 in corner kicks and 3-0 for shots on goal over the Red Storm.
The Bluejays' best chance before the break came midway through the half when junior Timo Pitter's shot rattled off the left post. CU kept attacking on offense in the second half with several chances up front before Herbers' goal at 89:01.
The Jays held on for their fourth straight and seventh overall one-goal victory of the season. Sparrow played all 90 minutes in net for Creighton and improved to 11-1-1 on the year with one save against SJU.
No. 20 Stanford Recap
Creighton upset No. 20 Stanford 2-0 in the 2014 season opener at Morrison Stadium Aug. 29.
With the win the Bluejays moved to 1-0-0 while the Cardinal fell to 0-1-0 to begin the 2014 season.
Lopez-Espin scored the game winner and his first career goal in the 11th minute on a feed from Pitter to give the Bluejays an early 1-0 lead. Lopez-Espin scored his first career goal from the right side beating the Stanford goalkeeper to the left.
In the second half, Herbers tallied the second goal for the Jays in the 53rd minute on an assist from Lopez-Espin. Herbers received a long touch pass from Lopez-Espin on the left side, on a play started by junior Christian Blandon, and chipped it in over the goalie to yield the final score.
Sparrow posted his first shutout of the season while playing a full 90 minutes in net. CU outshot Stanford 7-6 and tied in corners at 3-3.
Santa Clara Recap
Creighton edged Santa Clara 1-0 Aug. 31 after a long weather delay between halves.
Lopez-Espin scored his second career goal and game-winning tally of the season in the 59th minute. Ribas assisted on the score.
With the win the Bluejays improved to 2-0-0 while the Broncos fell to 1-1-0. It marks the 19th consecutive season that Creighton stands unbeaten after two contests.
The first half ended in a scoreless draw. Santa Clara led Creighton 3-1 in shots on goal and 4-1 in corner kicks.
Immediately after the conclusion of the half, the game was delayed two hours and 51 minutes due to lightning.
Creighton came out with more energy and aggressive play in the second half. It paid off with the Lopez-Espin score. Creighton bettered its shot total from the first half by five and led in corners after the delay 3-1.
Sparrow posted his second shutout of the season while playing a full 90 minutes in net to improve to 2-0-0 on the year.
Western Illinois Recap
Powered junior Brendan Hines-Ike's first career goal, the eighth-ranked Creighton men's soccer team downed Western Illinois 1-0 on Sept. 5.
The win lifted the Bluejays to 3-0-0 on the season, while Western Illinois fell to 1-2-0.
Following a scoreless first half, Hines-Ike gathered his own shot then put home the game winner at the 49:27 mark of the match. The play began on a Creighton corner sent in from the right side by Herbers.
Sparrow extended his Morrison Stadium scoreless streak to 495 minutes since enrolling at Creighton prior to the 2013 season.
Creighton outshot Western Illinois 21-3, while the Bluejays won the battle of corners, 6-1.
Cincinnati Recap
No. 8 Creighton breezed past Cincinnati 3-0 at home in Morrison Stadium on Sept. 7.
The win lifted Creighton to 4-0-0 in 2014, while Cincinnati fell to 0-2-2.
Despite entering halftime deadlocked, the Bluejays controlled possession in the opening frame, tallying a shot edge of 7-2.
The Bluejays broke through in the 52nd minute as sophomore Fabian Herbers took a pass from junior Timo Pitter just outside the goal box and beat Cincinnati's Alex Gill for a goal into an open net from 15 yards out.
Pitter pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 68th minute via a shot just in front of the keeper, taking a pass from sophomore Lucas Stauffer for his first goal of the season. A short time later it was Herbers and Pitter hooking up again as Pitter centered a pass seamlessly to Herbers for an easy goal from eight yards out.
The Bluejays closed the match with an 18-5 edge on shots and a 9-1 lead in corners earned.
Tulsa Recap
No. 2 Creighton earned a 1-1 draw at Tulsa's Hurricane Stadium on Sept. 13.
The Bluejays took a 1-0 lead into halftime with a goal by junior Timo Pitter, but Tulsa rallied early in the second half to knot the score at 1-1, eventually forcing the tie.
With the draw the Bluejays remain undefeated at 4-0-1 while the Golden Hurricane stands 2-2-1 on the year. It was the first overtime match for Creighton this season, but the fourth consecutive contest that Tulsa went into extra sessions.
Creighton took the lead in the 40th minute on a goal by junior Timo Pitter from five yards out following a nice pass by Fabian Herbers from the left side. It marked a second straight match with a goal for Pitter, his second of the season.
The Bluejays would hold that one-goal edge heading into halftime. The teams tied with five shots apiece in the opening half. Each squad made a pair of saves before the break.
Tulsa's Akeil Barrett scored his third goal of the season with exactly 37 minutes left in regulation to knot the score at 1-1.
Shots were even again in the second half with three on each side. Tulsa posted one save in the half.
The Bluejays had opportunities in the second overtime, forcing Tulsa to make the three final saves of the match but the Golden Hurricane held on to force the tie.
Creighton's Connor Sparrow allowed just his first goal of the season while playing a full 110 minutes in net to move to 4-0-1 on the year.
UIC Recap
No. 3 Creighton defeated UIC 3-1 at Morrison Stadium on Sept. 16.
The Bluejays never trailed in the contest, extending their streak to six straight matches this season in which Creighton has yet to fall behind. An early goal from CU sophomore Fabian Herbers put the Jays ahead. He later assisted on the game-winning score by junior Timo Pitter in the second half to secure the victory.
Creighton improved to 5-0-1 with the win while UIC dropped to 3-2-1 with the setback. It marked the first victory in the series for the Bluejays against UIC in three attempts - all at Morrison Stadium.
The Bluejays took an early one-goal lead on Herbers' score, his fourth of the season. Classmate Ricardo Perez dished the ball to Herbers on the right side of the goal in the ninth minute and Herbers buried it into the far left side of the net from 10 yards out.
The Jays' 1-0 lead held into halftime. Creighton controlled the ball most of the half in its offensive end, not giving many chances to the Flames.
Creighton freshman Ricky Lopez-Espin and Pitter each scored their third goal of season, respectively, in the second half. UIC registered the first goal by an opponent in Morrison Stadium this season in between CU's second-half goals.
Pitter scored in the 58th minute on a nice pass from Herbers that coaxed the UIC goalie out of position. Pitter gathered the ball and blasted it past a UIC defender from the right side for the score.
UIC's Jose Fuentes scored his first goal of the season on a drive towards the net from the left side in the 75th minute to cut the Creighton lead to 2-1.
In the 84th minute Lopez-Espin added an insurance goal for CU, scoring from the top center of the box on an assist from Fernando Castellanos to yield the final result.
Creighton's Connor Sparrow allowed just his second goal of the season while playing a full 90 minutes in net to move to 5-0-1 on the year.
No. 20 Saint Louis Recap
In front of a season-record crowd of 4,544 at Morrison Stadium, No. 20 Saint Louis stunned the No. 3 Creighton men's soccer team 1-0 in overtime at the Bluejays' annual Homecoming match.
Creighton suffered its first loss of the year to drop to 5-1-1 on the season while Saint Louis improved to 6-1-0. The Bluejays dominated the scoring chances in the match but could not convert a goal.
The teams ended regulation in a 0-0 tie. But minutes later SLU's leading scorer this season, Robert Kristo, recorded the game winner at 93:54 of overtime to give the Billikens a victory. It marked his fourth goal and second game-winning tally of the season.
Freshman Lucas Stauffer led the Jays on offense with four shots on goal. Creighton's Connor Sparrow allowed just his third goal of the season while playing every minute in net tonight, but he suffered his first loss of the year to drop to 5-1-1.
The final result marks the first loss of 2014 for the Jays and first road victory of the season for the Billikens.
Villanova Recap
The No. 12 Creighton men's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory at Villanova in the 2014 BIG EAST opener for both teams at the Wildcats' Higgins Soccer Complex on Sept. 27.
CU freshman Lucas Stauffer's his first career goal for the Bluejays was the difference maker. Shortly after his shot rebounded off the goal hardware, Stauffer headed in a rebound to give the Jays a 1-0 lead just 15 minutes into the contest. That goal held as the game winner as the Jays' defense and junior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow recorded their fifth shutout of the year.
With the win, Creighton improved to 6-1-1 overall and 1-0-0 in conference play. Villanova dropped to 0-1-0 in the BIG EAST and 3-4-1 overall following the loss.
The win is the first road victory for the Jays this year after a 1-1 draw at Tulsa earlier this month to move to 1-0-1 away from home. It also marks Creighton's second consecutive 1-0 win in a BIG EAST conference opener after defeating then-No. 7 St. John's 1-0 in overtime at Morrison Stadium last season.
Creighton controlled the ball much of the first half and created several scoring opportunities. Stauffer's goal helped CU remain undefeated this season with a halftime lead at 3-0-1.
The second of two yellow cards issued to Villanova's Oscar Umar resulted in a red card at 53:02. As a result, the Wildcats played a man down for the remainder of the second half.
Creighton dominated on offense with a 28-9 lead in shot attempts and an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks.
CU avenged its first loss in the series with the Wildcats when the Bluejays fell to Villanova 1-0 in overtime on Oct. 19, 2013 in the programs' first meeting. The all-time series is now tied at 1-1.
UMKC Recap
Fabian Herbers scored in the fourth minute and Connor Sparrow blanked his former team in No. 11 Creighton's 2-0 men's soccer victory over UMKC on Tuesday evening at Morrison Stadium.
The game was delayed for 56 minutes in the 14th minute after heavy lightning and rain in the area.
The Bluejays (7-1-1) got on the board in the game's fourth minute as Jose Ribas sent a pass from the left sideline to the middle of the box, where Herbers headed it past UMKC keeper Chris McGaughey for his team-leading fifth goal of the season. The assist by Ribas was his 16th at Morrison Stadium, breaking a three-way tie for most in facility history he had shared with Tim Bohnenkamp and Jose Gomez.
Creighton had four strong scoring chances in the last 16 minutes of the first half, only to be denied by McGaughey in the quest for a two-score lead. The Jays outshot UMKC 12-5 in the first half and had four corner kicks.
Creighton dominated possession in the second half as well, finishing the evening with a 25-7 lead in shots and a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The Bluejays got a key insurance goal with 4:42 remaining as Fernando Castellanos fired from eight yards out into an open net after teammate Timo Pitter dribbled around and through a pair of Kangaroo defenders. It was the first career goal by Castellanos and Pitter's team-leading fourth assist of the fall.
Sparrow, who played at UMKC as a freshman in 2012, earned his sixth shutout in nine starts to lower his season goals against average to a scant 0.32.
McGaughey made seven saves in net for UMKC.
Seton Hall Recap
Freshman Lucas Stauffer of the No. 11 Creighton men's soccer team scored his second goal of the match with 57 seconds left to give the Bluejays a 3-2 decision over Seton Hall at Morrison Stadium Saturday night.
With the win, Creighton moves to 2-0-0 in the league. CU is all alone in first place in the BIG EAST as the only undefeated and untied team in the conference through two weekends of action. The Bluejays improved to 8-1-1 overall.
Seton Hall dropped to 0-2-0 in the BIG EAST and 2-5-2 overall following the loss.
Stauffer posted his first multiple-goal game of his young career with two scores including the game-winning tally with just under a minute left in regulation to secure the win for the Bluejays.
Creighton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind an opening goal from sophomore Ricardo Perez in the 35th minute. Perez was able to get control of a long pass from midfield by junior Christian Blandon to open the scoring at 1-0.
Just under a minute later, Stauffer netted his first score to give the Jays a 2-0 lead. The freshman took a feed from Perez on the left side to score from about eight yards out. The Jays took the 2-0 lead into halftime, dominating the Pirates on offense.
Seton Hall got on the board in the 77th minute on a goal by Mateusz Brela who connected on a header from a throw-in off the hands of Shawn Morrison.
The Pirates' Patrick Burd scored the equalizer unassisted in the 82nd minute to knot the score at 2-2.
Freshman Noah Franke fed Stauffer from the right side setting up a header from just inside the top of the box with 57 seconds remaining to give the Jays a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.
Creighton goalkeeper Connor Sparrow played all 90 minutes in goal for the Jays and improved to 8-1-1 with the victory.
CU avenged its first loss in the series with the Pirates when the Bluejays fell to SHU 3-2 on Oct. 26, 2013 in the programs' first meeting in South Orange, N.J. The all-time series is now tied at 1-1.
Drake Recap
The No. 9 Creighton men's soccer team edged Drake 1-0 at the Cownie Soccer Complex Stadium on Oct. 7.
CU sophomore Fabian Herbers scored his team-leading sixth goal of the year on a header in the 66th minute. Senior Jose Ribas sent in the pass from the left side to notch his third assist of the year. The goal would hold up as the Jays earned their seventh non-conference win of the season.
The Bluejays earned their fourth straight win to improve to 9-1-1 overall. Drake dropped to 2-7-2 with the loss.
Creighton's best scoring chances in the first stanza came just 15 minutes into the match as senior Sean Kim's shot ricocheted off the DU left post. Junior Timo Pitter was there to control the rebound but drilled a shot off the middle of the crossbar.
The Bluejays led the Bulldogs 7-4 in shots and 2-1 in shots on goal in the first half.
In the second half both teams were more active on the offensive end. CU outpaced Drake 16-12 on shots in the match and 5-2 on corners but the shots on goal were even at 7-7.
Creighton goalkeeper Connor Sparrow played all 90 minutes in goal and made a season-high seven saves in the win. He improved to 9-1-1 with the victory.
Butler Recap
Junior Timo Pitter scored twice for the No. 9 Creighton men's soccer team in a 2-1 win over Butler at Morrison Stadium Saturday night.
Pitter registered two goals in a match for the first time this season and for the third occasion in his CU career. The junior's scores gave Creighton a two-goal cushion before Butler closed within one, but the Bluejays held on for the one-goal victory.
Creighton improves to 10-1-1 on the year with the win and remains the only undefeated and untied team in the BIG EAST at 3-0-0. Butler falls to 4-5-3 overall and 0-3-0 in the conference standings.
Pitter was opportunistic on a deflection off of a BU defender early in the first half. The ball bounced to Pitter on the top left of the box and he drilled one past the Butler goalkeeper to put the Bluejays up 1-0 in the 13th minute.
That lead would hold into halftime. CU kicked five corners in the first stanza while holding the Bulldogs to zero. The Jays shut out the Bulldogs in the first half to extend their opponents' scoreless streak before the break to all 12 matches this season.
In the 62nd minute Pitter's second goal of the match gave the Bluejays a 2-0 advantage. Sophomore Fabian Herbers passed the ball from the center of the box and Pitter drove towards the goal from the right side, putting it past the BU goalkeeper from a few yards out.
Butler's Caleb Postlewait cut the CU lead to 2-1 in the 82nd minute. An assist from David Goldsmith fed Postlewait on the left side who angled a shot past CU keeper Connor Sparrow.
The Jays held on for their third straight and sixth overall one-goal victory of the season. Sparrow played all 90 minutes in net for Creighton and improved to 10-1-1 on the year.
