Saturday, October 31
Providence, R.I.
6:00 PM
Creighton University
16-1 (7-1BE)
3
at
1
Providence
7-6-2 (3-4-1BE)
1
2
F
Creighton
2
1
3
Providence
0
1
1
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Sweet Sixteen! No. 1 Men's Soccer Clinches 16th Win With 3-1 Victory At Providence
10/31/2015 9:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 1 Creighton Men's Soccer improved its nation-leading win percentage to .941 with a 3-1, league victory at Providence on Saturday. Hermann Trophy candidate Fabian Herbers, the leading point scorer in NCAA Division I, tallied one goal and two assists in the match to run his season total to 13 goals and 12 assists (38 points).
Herbers, who has recorded a point in 16 of Creighton's 17 matches, including seven consecutive contests, gave the Bluejays (16-1-0, 7-1-0 BIG EAST) an early, 1-0 lead with a ninth-minute goal.
Fernando Castellanos won a loose ball just inside the box that teammate Ricky Lopez-Espin corralled. Lopez-Espin sent the ball to his immediate left back to Castellanos who found Herbers with a one-touch pass that Herbers buried into the left side of the net.
The goal marked the 13th time this season that the Bluejays have scored the opening goal of a match. Creighton came away victorious in each of those matches.
Twelve minutes prior to intermission, Herbers, in full stride, chased down a ball on the left end line and crossed it to Ricardo Perez who extended the Bluejays' lead to 2-0. With the goal, Perez became the fourth Creighton player to score at least four goals this season, joining Herbers, Timo Pitter, and Myles Englis.
The Friars' (7-6-2, 3-4-1 BIG EAST) Julian Gressel cut Providence's deficit to 2-1 with a 58th-minute goal, improving his streak of consecutive games with a point to four.
Creighton remained focus following Gressel's score, and eventually added another goal of its own to secure the win.
Following a takeaway by Vincent Keller in Providence's attacking third, Pitter moved the ball ahead to Herbers at midfield who sent a pinpoint lofted pass to Lopez-Espin at the right side of the box. Lopez-Espin gathered the ball and sent a booming shot past from 15 yards out past the Providence keeper. The goal was Lopez-Espin's third of the season.
With his two assists on Saturday, Herbers moved into a tie for sixth-place on Creighton's all-time list for single-season assists with 12.
In net for the Bluejays, Connor Sparrow picked up his 16th win of the season, improving his career record at Creighton to 34-6-4 (.818). He is the program's all-time leader for win percentage.
The Bluejays' win on Saturday came following Creighton's narrow, 2-1 loss to Xavier on Wednesday. Over the past two seasons, Creighton is 4-0-0 in matches following losses.
With the victory over Providence, Creighton seized control of its BIG EAST tournament destiny, clinching at least a top-two seed in the upcoming tournament (Nov. 8-15).
If the Bluejays were to defeat first-place Georgetown in Creighton's regular-season finale on Thursday, Nov. 5, they would clinch the top seed in the tournament and capture the program's 14th regular season conference title. Creighton's match-up with Georgetown will kick off at 1:00 p.m., in Washington, D.C., and will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
Herbers, who has recorded a point in 16 of Creighton's 17 matches, including seven consecutive contests, gave the Bluejays (16-1-0, 7-1-0 BIG EAST) an early, 1-0 lead with a ninth-minute goal.
Fernando Castellanos won a loose ball just inside the box that teammate Ricky Lopez-Espin corralled. Lopez-Espin sent the ball to his immediate left back to Castellanos who found Herbers with a one-touch pass that Herbers buried into the left side of the net.
The goal marked the 13th time this season that the Bluejays have scored the opening goal of a match. Creighton came away victorious in each of those matches.
Twelve minutes prior to intermission, Herbers, in full stride, chased down a ball on the left end line and crossed it to Ricardo Perez who extended the Bluejays' lead to 2-0. With the goal, Perez became the fourth Creighton player to score at least four goals this season, joining Herbers, Timo Pitter, and Myles Englis.
The Friars' (7-6-2, 3-4-1 BIG EAST) Julian Gressel cut Providence's deficit to 2-1 with a 58th-minute goal, improving his streak of consecutive games with a point to four.
Creighton remained focus following Gressel's score, and eventually added another goal of its own to secure the win.
Following a takeaway by Vincent Keller in Providence's attacking third, Pitter moved the ball ahead to Herbers at midfield who sent a pinpoint lofted pass to Lopez-Espin at the right side of the box. Lopez-Espin gathered the ball and sent a booming shot past from 15 yards out past the Providence keeper. The goal was Lopez-Espin's third of the season.
With his two assists on Saturday, Herbers moved into a tie for sixth-place on Creighton's all-time list for single-season assists with 12.
In net for the Bluejays, Connor Sparrow picked up his 16th win of the season, improving his career record at Creighton to 34-6-4 (.818). He is the program's all-time leader for win percentage.
The Bluejays' win on Saturday came following Creighton's narrow, 2-1 loss to Xavier on Wednesday. Over the past two seasons, Creighton is 4-0-0 in matches following losses.
With the victory over Providence, Creighton seized control of its BIG EAST tournament destiny, clinching at least a top-two seed in the upcoming tournament (Nov. 8-15).
If the Bluejays were to defeat first-place Georgetown in Creighton's regular-season finale on Thursday, Nov. 5, they would clinch the top seed in the tournament and capture the program's 14th regular season conference title. Creighton's match-up with Georgetown will kick off at 1:00 p.m., in Washington, D.C., and will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
Team Stats
CU
PC
Goals
3
1
Shots
15
9
Shots on Goal
6
3
Saves
2
3
Corners
5
2
Fouls
14
12
Scoring Plays
HERBERS, Fabian (13)
Assisted By: CASTELLANOS,Fernando , LOPEZ-ESPIN, Ricky
GOAL by CU HERBERS, Fabian (FIRST GOAL), Assist by CASTELLANOS,Fernando and LOPEZ-ESPIN, Ricky, goal number 13 for season.
9:00
PEREZ, Ricardo (4)
Assisted By: HERBERS, Fabian
14 cross to 10, 7y out
32:46
GRESSEL,JULIAN (4)
Assisted By: JECEWIZ,MARK
GOAL by PC GRESSEL,JULIAN, Assist by JECEWIZ,MARK, goal number 4 for season.
57:23
LOPEZ-ESPIN, Ricky (3)
Assisted By: HERBERS, Fabian
GOAL by CU LOPEZ-ESPIN, Ricky, Assist by HERBERS, Fabian, goal number 3 for season.
86:12
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
2
Shots
5
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's SoccerM/F
/ Men's Soccer
D/M
/ Men's SoccerF
/ Men's SoccerM/F
/ Men's Soccer
M/F
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's SoccerCreighton Men's Soccer Highlights at Butler -10-25-25
Saturday, October 25
Creighton Media Availability Men's Soccer - 10/21/25
Tuesday, October 21
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights at Villanova - 10-17-25
Friday, October 17
2025 Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Ethan Finlay
Thursday, October 16
