Creighton University
11-0-0
Drake
7-3-0
Pair Of Second-Half Goals Spur Top-Ranked Bluejays Past Drake, 2-1
10/6/2015 10:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. -- For the second time in the last four games, the top-ranked Creighton men's soccer team used a second-half scoring onslaught to rally to victory. Tuesday night, the Bluejays scored a pair of goals within the final 11 minutes of play to overcome former Missouri Valley Conference rival, Drake, 2-1.
With the victory, the Bluejays pushed their record to 11-0-0, the program's best start since 1993. Creighton remains the lone unbeaten and untied team in NCAA Division I.
After conceding a goal just 21 seconds prior to intermission, Head Coach Elmar Bolowich and the Bluejays regrouped, outshooting the Bulldogs (7-3-0) by a staggering 21-2 margin in the second half.
"I felt like we had the energy and manpower to turn this game around," Bolowich said. "It was just a matter of staying patient. We knew they would pack it in during the second half. It was just about being patient, finding your opportunities, and capitalizing on them."
Creighton pushed across the equalizing goal in the 79th minute when Timo Pitter collected his own blocked shot and sent a soaring attempt into the right side of the net.
Six minutes later, the Bluejays struck again, this time with Vincent Keller collecting a ball in the box and finding Ricky Lopez-Espin on the left side. Espin gathered the ball in mid-air and sent a fluid, right-footed shot past the outstretched arms of Drake keeper Darrin MacLeod.
"Fortunately for us, the ice broke," Bolowich said. "Sometimes you have games where you run out of time.
"The guys did a great job of managing on the field. They didn't get rattled and didn't try to play Drake's game. We tried to play our game, and that was very, very important."
For the third-consecutive outing, Creighton limited the opposition to fewer than five shots. In their last three victories, the Bluejays have outshot their opponents by a 58-13 margin.
The Bluejays have come back from 1-0, second-half deficits to win three separate times this season. Sept. 4, Creighton came back to beat Cal State Northridge, 2-1. The Bluejays scored three unanswered goals Sept. 26 to defeat Seton Hall, scoring all three goals within the final 11 minutes.
Creighton will host BIG EAST opponent, St. John's, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m. The match will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
Team Stats
Sunday,Mueng (1)
Cross by DU12, headed away by CU22. DU4
44:39
PITTER, Timo (6)
CU18 shot in box is blocked. CU18 collec
78:41
LOPEZ-ESPIN, Ricky (2)
Assisted By: KELLER, Vincent
CU11 shot saved, collected by CU4. Pass
84:52
