No. 6 Men's Soccer Opens Regular-Season With Pair of Home Games
8/25/2015 9:44:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Game 1 • Friday, Aug. 28 • Michigan at #6 Creighton • Omaha, Neb. • 7:30 pm
Game 2 • Sunday, Aug. 30 • Milwaukee at #6 Creighton • Omaha, Neb. • 3:30 pm
Up Next
Creighton Men's Soccer opens the regular-season on Friday, Aug. 28 when it hosts Michigan at 7:30 pm at Morrison Stadium.
On Sunday, the Bluejays remain at home when they welcome Milwaukee to town in a 3:30 pm contest.
Both contests are preceded by Creighton Women's Soccer home games.
Follow The Match
Both games this weekend will have a free high-definition video webcast via Jays Video. To access the feed, click on the TV screen icon on the top right corner of GoCreighton.com.
Live stats of the match will be available at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns eight starters and 13 lettermen from last year's team that won the BIG EAST Conference regular-season title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and finished last season ranked No. 7 in the year-end NSCAA poll.
Creighton returns 30 of its 32 goals from last year, including each of its top six scorers. The Bluejays also return 24-of-30 assists from a year ago, and all but five minutes of the nearly 2,044 minutes in goal from last season.
Junior Fabian Herbers earned First Team All-America accolades and BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors after a magnificent 2014 season. He led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8). Herbers is also a standout in the classroom and was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American last year.
Senior Timo Pitter paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a 2014 campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits. Pitter was also named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2014.
Senior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow returns in net after ranking second nationally in goals against average (0.49) and 10th in save percentage (.841) a year ago. Sparrow's career 0.47 goals against average as a Bluejay is the best in Creighton history among goalies with at least 2,000 minutes in net.
Scouting Michigan
Michigan returns six starters and 14 lettermen from a 6-9-3 team that placed seventh in the Big Ten last season. Highlighting UM's victories in 2014 were 3-2 wins over No. 6 Notre Dame and at No. 12 Michigan State.
Captains Colin McAtee (8g, 2a) and James Murphy (2g, 3a) pace the offense, while Lars Eckenrode, Rylee Woods and Andre Morris figure to play a major role on the back line. Evan Louro (1.28 GAA) returns in net after making 10 starts as a freshman.
Michigan is picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten in 2015, one spot behind recent Creighton exhibition opponent Northwestern.
Series History vs. Michigan
Michigan won the only previous meeting against Creighton, 1-0, on Oct. 15, 2013 in Ann Arbor. In that contest, Lars Eckenrode scored his only career goal in the 77th minute off a corner kick feed by Fabio Pereira. Michigan outshot Creighton 18-7 in the contest.
Scouting Milwaukee
Milwaukee returns seven starters and 11 lettermen from last year's team that finished 6-10-3. Before making its way to Omaha on Sunday, the Panthers first host Evansville on Friday night.
Keying the returnees is two-year starting goalkeeper Liam Anderson, who allowed 0.63 GAA as a freshman in 2013 before that number jumped up to 1.44 GAA in 2014.
Offensively, Nick Moon returns up top after earning All-Freshman Team laurels from the Horizon League last year, while Declan Rodriguez is a two-time Second Team All-Horizon League choice.
The Panthers tied Loyola (1-1) on Aug. 15, then fell at SIU Edwardsville (2-0) on Aug. 21, during the exhibition season.
Series History vs. Milwaukee
Creighton is 3-1-1 all-time against Milwaukee in non-exhibition play, including an 0-1-0 mark in Omaha.
The series started in 1983 with a tie in Milwaukee before the series resumed in 1999 with a 3-0 Bluejay win. The teams met in a 2002 NCAA Tournament match moved to Lincoln due to unplayable field conditions at Tranquility Park in Omaha, an eventual 3-2 CU win.
In the last regular-season meeting among the schools, Creighton defeated UWM 1-0 in Madison, Wis., on a goal in the 87th minute by Michael Kraus.
Creighton and Milwaukee met in the preseason last year in Milwaukee, and the teams played to a 90-minute scoreless tie (no overtime was played).
CU outshot the Panthers 16-8 in the contest.
2015 Creighton Outlook
Expectations for 2015 are sky-high for a Creighton program that went 16-3-3 and led the nation in winning percentage a year ago en route to its first BIG EAST regular-season title.
A top-notch recruiting class helps support the return of eight starters, including the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year (Fabian Herbers) and the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year (Timo Pitter) for fifth-year head coach Elmar Bolowich, last year's BIG EAST Coach of the Year. In all, 30-of-32 goals scored and all but five goalkeeping minutes return to a program that seeks a sixth College Cup appearance in the past 20 seasons.
Herbers earned First Team All-America accolades and top honors from the BIG EAST after a magnificent sophomore season. He led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8).
Pitter paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a junior campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits.
The Jays also boast four other returners who scored multiple times in 2014. Midfielder Lucas Stauffer had four goals and a pair of assists to earn a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, while classmate Ricky Lopez-Espin was one of the nation's most impressive freshmen before a knee injury in early October ended his season prematurely.
Helping to distribute in the midfield are junior Ricardo Perez and the sophomore duo of Fernando Castellanos and Noah Franke who combined for five goals and four assists a year ago.
The return of Myles Englis from injury, plus recruits like Joel Rystrand, Evan Waldrep and Bryce Gibson should give CU plenty of offensive firepower.
Creighton's defense figures to remain strong and experienced, as well, paced by the return of seniors Eric DeJulio, Mike Paye, Vincent Keller and Connor Sparrow. An influx of talented defenders, headed by Peter Prescott and Felix Kollmannthaler, will also contend for playing time.
Sparrow finished second nationally in goals against average (0.49 GAA) and 10th in save percentage (.841), allowing just 11 scores in 22 contests.
Impressively, Creighton allowed just one first half goal during the 2014 campaign.
DeJulio was the only Bluejay to play every minute last season, while Keller was nearly as durable, starting all 22 contests.
Creighton has annually played one of the top schedules in college soccer, and the 2015 campaign figures to be no different.
Half of Creighton's 18 opponents on the docket finished with top-55 RPI's nationally a year ago, including non-conference showdowns vs. Michigan State, UC Irvine, Tulsa and CSUN.
Creighton also faces a rigorous BIG EAST slate, which features the likes of Georgetown, Providence, Xavier and Marquette in a league that was tabbed third nationally in the final 2014 RPI.
Fueling expectations for Creighton was a foreign trip to Europe for two weeks in July.
While away, the team played against some top clubs from both Germany and Austria, finishing with a 2-2-0 record.
In addition to the extra competition, the team bonded off-the-field while adjusting a new culture and visiting many international landmarks such as Allianz Arena, Neuschwanstein Castle and the former Olympic Stadium in Munich.
Exhibition Recaps
In Creighton's intrasquad scrimmage on August 14th, the “White” team defeated the “Blue” Team, 1-0. Myles Englis scored the lone goal for the White squad in the 20th minute off an assist from Fabian Herbers.
Last Tuesday, Creighton visited former MVC rival Bradley and defeated the Braves, 3-0. Ricky Lopez-Espin, Herbers and Timo Pitter all scored for CU, while Connor Sparrow notched the shutout in net. Creighton outshot the Braves 33-5, putting 13 shots on goal, and had 14 corner kicks.
Against Northwestern last Saturday, Creighton outshot the Wildcats 19-6 in a 5-0 win. Vincent Keller scored twice, while Herbers, Lopez-Espin and Englis scored once each.
Impressive So Far
Creighton has been mighty impressive against each of the last two teams it beat in exhibition play. Consider these quotes from two veteran head coaches:
“We were thoroughly outplayed from the opening whistle on both sides of the ball,” Northwestern coach Tim Lenahan to NUSports.com.
“I told anybody who was willing to listen that they're going to be a preseason favorite to win the national championship. They returned the most players, minutes played, goals, assists and starters in any combination, I think, than any team in the country.” - Bradley coach Jim DeRose to PJStar.com.
Jays Favored In Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton and Georgetown tied for first in the preseason BIG EAST poll that was released on Aug. 18th. Both teams had 77 points and five first-place votes in the poll.
GK Connor Sparrow, M Timo Pitter and F Fabian Herbers were each named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Pitter was a unanimous selection, while Sparrow was named BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
This is the eighth time in the last 11 years, and 15th time since 1990, that Creighton has been picked to win its league in the preseason.
Opening Up
Creighton has won its last five season-opening match-ups, including 2-0 wins over nationally-ranked Tulsa (2013) and Stanford (2014) in the past two seasons.
CU's unbeaten streak stretches to eight (6-0-2) in season-opening matches if you go back to a 2007 tie vs. San Diego State, and the Jays are 12-1-6 in its last 19 season lid-lifters.
Creighton is 17-2-6 in season-openers since reinstating soccer in 1990, and 21-5-6 all-time in season-opening matches overall.
Freshmen, In Openers
Creighton enters Friday having started five true freshmen in four previous season-openers under Elmar Bolowich, with all five men developing into key players for the program.
Last year it was Ricky Lopez-Espin, and in 2013 it was Fabian Herbers.
In 2012, both Vincent Keller and Timo Pitter started on opening night, while in 2011 it was Eric Miller.
It's also interesting to note that in each of Creighton's last five season-opening wins, the game-winning goal was scored by a Bluejay making their debut, including a true freshman in 2014 (Lopez-Espin), 2013 (Herbers) and 2011 (Guido Pena):
Game Winner in Debut in a
Creighton Season-Opener, Last 5 Years
2014 Ricky Lopez-Espin*
2013 Fabian Herbers*
2012 Carlos McCrary
2011 Guido Pena*
2010 Jose Gomez
*true freshman
Turning Two A Good Start
Creighton has not lost either of its first two games in any of the previous eight seasons, a streak it will look to continue this weekend. In that time, the Bluejays have started 2-0-0 five times and 1-0-1 on three occasions.
First Two Games, Previous Eight Seasons
Year 1st Game 2nd Game
2007 T 2-2 (2ot) W 3-0
2008 W 4-1 W 4-0
2009 T 0-0 (2ot) W 1-0
2010 W 2-0 W 4-0
2011 W 1-0 W 5-0
2012 W 3-1 T 1-1 (2ot)
2013 W 2-0 W 3-0
2014 W 2-0 W 1-0
Scoring Early, Often
Creighton scored five goals against Northwestern last Saturday night, an impressive showing against a Wildcat team that allowed only 12 goals all of 2014 and was fifth nationally in goals against average.
Northwestern had not allowed five goals or more in any game since a 6-1 loss to UCSB on Sept. 9, 2005.
Perennial Power
Creighton won the program's first BIG EAST title last season when it claimed the regular-season crown with a 7-1-1 mark.
The Bluejays now own 13 regular-season and 13 conference tournament titles in program history, all since 1992.
Top 10 Jays, Again
Creighton has been ranked sixth nationally in the preseason edition of the NSCAA Top 25 Coaches poll.
It's the fourth time in the last five years the Bluejays have been ranked in the top-10 of the preseason poll, and 11th time since 1998.
Creighton has now spent at least one week in the top 10 of the NSCAA poll in each of the last 24 seasons.
Another Strong Class
College Soccer News has dubbed Creighton's recruiting class as the nation's 31st best. Among the newcomers the website highlights are Evan Waldrep, Jacob Rooth and Peter Prescott.
Top 10 Crowds
Creighton finished last season 10th nationally in average home attendance and fifth overall in total home attendance.
It was the 11th straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top-10 nationally in average home attendance.
Herbers & Pitter Earn Preseason Acclaim
Fabian Herbers and Timo Pitter have both been recognized nationally in the preseason. Both men are among the 30 players on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Creighton is one of six schools with two players on the list, joining Charlotte, CSU Bakersfield, Georgetown, Kentucky and Stanford.
Top Drawer Soccer also honored Herbers and Pitter on their Preseason Best XI Teams. Herbers was a first-team pick at forward, while Pitter was a second-teamer as a midfielder.
College Soccer News also acknowledged Herbers and Pitter on its Preseason All-America Teams. Herbers was a first-team choice at forward, while Pitter was a second-team midfielder.
Top 100 Trio
Fabian Herbers, Timo Pitter and Connor Sparrow all earned a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top 100 list of the nation's top players. Herbers checked in at No. 5, while Pitter (No. 18) and Sparrow (No. 74) made the Bluejays one of eight teams nationally with three players in the top-75.
Sparrow A Rare Bird
Senior GK Connor Sparrow enters his senior season as Creighton's all-time leader in goals against average, allowing just 0.47 goals per 90 minutes in a Bluejay uniform.
Sparrow's numbers are even more impressive at home, where he owns a 0.31 GAA in a Creighton uniform at Morrison Stadium.
Of the 12 goals that Sparrow has allowed as a Bluejay, only one has come prior to halftime.
Tough 2015 Slate
The Bluejays' 2015 schedule features five regular-season contests against teams that were nationally-ranked in the preseason NSCAA poll, as CU meets No. 3 Georgetown, No. 7 Providence, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 19 Xavier and No. 20 UC Irvine.
Creighton also has a game vs. Tulsa and won an exhibition vs. Northwestern, two teams that were listed among those 'also receiving votes.”
All told, Creighton's 2015 schedule will see it face nine teams that finished last year in the top 55 of the RPI, including five games against teams that reached the Sweet 16.
Badger State Greats
Creighton doesn't land many soccer players from Wisconsin, but two recent players from America's Dairlyland have gone on to be special players.
Ethan Finlay (Marshfield, Wis.) was runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2011 after being named a First Team All-American and helping the Bluejays to the College Cup. Finlay was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year (2010, '11).
Andrew Ribeiro (Green Bay, Wis.) started every game in both 2011 and 2012, when the Bluejays returned to the College Cup. Ribeiro was also named a First Team All-American by the NSCAA in 2012, as well as MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
This year's Creighton team does not have a player from Wisconsin.
Bolowich Keeps CU Winning
Creighton ranks tied for third nationally with 63 wins in the previous four years, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Elmar Bolowich. Bolowich was named BIG EAST Co-Coach of the Year last season after helping the Bluejays to a league title.
Below is a list of the nation's most wins since Bolowich arrived before the 2011 season.
2011-14 2015 Total Next
Rk. Team Wins Wins Wins Game
1. Coastal Carolina 73 0 73 8/28
2. Maryland 64 0 64 8/28
3. Creighton 63 0 63 8/28
Akron 63 0 63 8/28
5. North Carolina 61 0 61 8/28
6. New Mexico 60 0 60 8/29
You Play To Win The Game
Creighton's 16-3-3 record last year led the nation in winning percentage (.795). The Bluejays were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after falling in penalty kicks vs. UMBC during the team's 10th appearance in the national quarterfinals in the last 19 years.
So Close
Each of Creighton's last 14 losses have been by a single goal, including every setback in 2013 and 2014.
Creighton has fallen behind by two goals just four times in 90 games under Elmar Bolowich, and lost by two goals just twice.
Streaks To Watch
Creighton is 34-0-2 under Elmar Bolowich when leading at halftime.
Creighton is 15-0-1 in its last 16 games when scoring first, and 55-3-2 under Bolowich.
Creighton has not trailed at half in any of its last 23 games. The last time CU trailed at the break was Nov. 12, 2013, when Providence scored in the final 10 seconds of the first half to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
Sunday Funday
Creighton is 18-1-1 on Sunday's under Elmar Bolowich. CU was 4-0-0 on the day last season, and its only loss on a Sunday came vs. William & Mary (3-2 in double-OT) during the 2013 campaign.
Creighton has outscored the opposition 38-10 in those Sunday games.
Creighton Soccer's European Vacation
Creighton spent nearly two weeks in Europe in early July, spending most of that time in Germany and Austria. The team went 2-2-0 against strong competition, but also bonded in a foreign culture that included trips Neuschwanstein Castle, Allianz Arena and Munich's Olympic Stadium, among other areas.
O Captain! My Captain!
Seniors Vincent Keller and Eric DeJulio have been named captains on this year's team. Both men started all 22 games a season ago for Creighton's BIG EAST champion club.
Game 2 • Sunday, Aug. 30 • Milwaukee at #6 Creighton • Omaha, Neb. • 3:30 pm
Up Next
Creighton Men's Soccer opens the regular-season on Friday, Aug. 28 when it hosts Michigan at 7:30 pm at Morrison Stadium.
On Sunday, the Bluejays remain at home when they welcome Milwaukee to town in a 3:30 pm contest.
Both contests are preceded by Creighton Women's Soccer home games.
Follow The Match
Both games this weekend will have a free high-definition video webcast via Jays Video. To access the feed, click on the TV screen icon on the top right corner of GoCreighton.com.
Live stats of the match will be available at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns eight starters and 13 lettermen from last year's team that won the BIG EAST Conference regular-season title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and finished last season ranked No. 7 in the year-end NSCAA poll.
Creighton returns 30 of its 32 goals from last year, including each of its top six scorers. The Bluejays also return 24-of-30 assists from a year ago, and all but five minutes of the nearly 2,044 minutes in goal from last season.
Junior Fabian Herbers earned First Team All-America accolades and BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors after a magnificent 2014 season. He led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8). Herbers is also a standout in the classroom and was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American last year.
Senior Timo Pitter paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a 2014 campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits. Pitter was also named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2014.
Senior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow returns in net after ranking second nationally in goals against average (0.49) and 10th in save percentage (.841) a year ago. Sparrow's career 0.47 goals against average as a Bluejay is the best in Creighton history among goalies with at least 2,000 minutes in net.
Scouting Michigan
Michigan returns six starters and 14 lettermen from a 6-9-3 team that placed seventh in the Big Ten last season. Highlighting UM's victories in 2014 were 3-2 wins over No. 6 Notre Dame and at No. 12 Michigan State.
Captains Colin McAtee (8g, 2a) and James Murphy (2g, 3a) pace the offense, while Lars Eckenrode, Rylee Woods and Andre Morris figure to play a major role on the back line. Evan Louro (1.28 GAA) returns in net after making 10 starts as a freshman.
Michigan is picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten in 2015, one spot behind recent Creighton exhibition opponent Northwestern.
Series History vs. Michigan
Michigan won the only previous meeting against Creighton, 1-0, on Oct. 15, 2013 in Ann Arbor. In that contest, Lars Eckenrode scored his only career goal in the 77th minute off a corner kick feed by Fabio Pereira. Michigan outshot Creighton 18-7 in the contest.
Scouting Milwaukee
Milwaukee returns seven starters and 11 lettermen from last year's team that finished 6-10-3. Before making its way to Omaha on Sunday, the Panthers first host Evansville on Friday night.
Keying the returnees is two-year starting goalkeeper Liam Anderson, who allowed 0.63 GAA as a freshman in 2013 before that number jumped up to 1.44 GAA in 2014.
Offensively, Nick Moon returns up top after earning All-Freshman Team laurels from the Horizon League last year, while Declan Rodriguez is a two-time Second Team All-Horizon League choice.
The Panthers tied Loyola (1-1) on Aug. 15, then fell at SIU Edwardsville (2-0) on Aug. 21, during the exhibition season.
Series History vs. Milwaukee
Creighton is 3-1-1 all-time against Milwaukee in non-exhibition play, including an 0-1-0 mark in Omaha.
The series started in 1983 with a tie in Milwaukee before the series resumed in 1999 with a 3-0 Bluejay win. The teams met in a 2002 NCAA Tournament match moved to Lincoln due to unplayable field conditions at Tranquility Park in Omaha, an eventual 3-2 CU win.
In the last regular-season meeting among the schools, Creighton defeated UWM 1-0 in Madison, Wis., on a goal in the 87th minute by Michael Kraus.
Creighton and Milwaukee met in the preseason last year in Milwaukee, and the teams played to a 90-minute scoreless tie (no overtime was played).
CU outshot the Panthers 16-8 in the contest.
2015 Creighton Outlook
Expectations for 2015 are sky-high for a Creighton program that went 16-3-3 and led the nation in winning percentage a year ago en route to its first BIG EAST regular-season title.
A top-notch recruiting class helps support the return of eight starters, including the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year (Fabian Herbers) and the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year (Timo Pitter) for fifth-year head coach Elmar Bolowich, last year's BIG EAST Coach of the Year. In all, 30-of-32 goals scored and all but five goalkeeping minutes return to a program that seeks a sixth College Cup appearance in the past 20 seasons.
Herbers earned First Team All-America accolades and top honors from the BIG EAST after a magnificent sophomore season. He led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8).
Pitter paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a junior campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits.
The Jays also boast four other returners who scored multiple times in 2014. Midfielder Lucas Stauffer had four goals and a pair of assists to earn a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, while classmate Ricky Lopez-Espin was one of the nation's most impressive freshmen before a knee injury in early October ended his season prematurely.
Helping to distribute in the midfield are junior Ricardo Perez and the sophomore duo of Fernando Castellanos and Noah Franke who combined for five goals and four assists a year ago.
The return of Myles Englis from injury, plus recruits like Joel Rystrand, Evan Waldrep and Bryce Gibson should give CU plenty of offensive firepower.
Creighton's defense figures to remain strong and experienced, as well, paced by the return of seniors Eric DeJulio, Mike Paye, Vincent Keller and Connor Sparrow. An influx of talented defenders, headed by Peter Prescott and Felix Kollmannthaler, will also contend for playing time.
Sparrow finished second nationally in goals against average (0.49 GAA) and 10th in save percentage (.841), allowing just 11 scores in 22 contests.
Impressively, Creighton allowed just one first half goal during the 2014 campaign.
DeJulio was the only Bluejay to play every minute last season, while Keller was nearly as durable, starting all 22 contests.
Creighton has annually played one of the top schedules in college soccer, and the 2015 campaign figures to be no different.
Half of Creighton's 18 opponents on the docket finished with top-55 RPI's nationally a year ago, including non-conference showdowns vs. Michigan State, UC Irvine, Tulsa and CSUN.
Creighton also faces a rigorous BIG EAST slate, which features the likes of Georgetown, Providence, Xavier and Marquette in a league that was tabbed third nationally in the final 2014 RPI.
Fueling expectations for Creighton was a foreign trip to Europe for two weeks in July.
While away, the team played against some top clubs from both Germany and Austria, finishing with a 2-2-0 record.
In addition to the extra competition, the team bonded off-the-field while adjusting a new culture and visiting many international landmarks such as Allianz Arena, Neuschwanstein Castle and the former Olympic Stadium in Munich.
Exhibition Recaps
In Creighton's intrasquad scrimmage on August 14th, the “White” team defeated the “Blue” Team, 1-0. Myles Englis scored the lone goal for the White squad in the 20th minute off an assist from Fabian Herbers.
Last Tuesday, Creighton visited former MVC rival Bradley and defeated the Braves, 3-0. Ricky Lopez-Espin, Herbers and Timo Pitter all scored for CU, while Connor Sparrow notched the shutout in net. Creighton outshot the Braves 33-5, putting 13 shots on goal, and had 14 corner kicks.
Against Northwestern last Saturday, Creighton outshot the Wildcats 19-6 in a 5-0 win. Vincent Keller scored twice, while Herbers, Lopez-Espin and Englis scored once each.
Impressive So Far
Creighton has been mighty impressive against each of the last two teams it beat in exhibition play. Consider these quotes from two veteran head coaches:
“We were thoroughly outplayed from the opening whistle on both sides of the ball,” Northwestern coach Tim Lenahan to NUSports.com.
“I told anybody who was willing to listen that they're going to be a preseason favorite to win the national championship. They returned the most players, minutes played, goals, assists and starters in any combination, I think, than any team in the country.” - Bradley coach Jim DeRose to PJStar.com.
Jays Favored In Preseason BIG EAST Poll
Creighton and Georgetown tied for first in the preseason BIG EAST poll that was released on Aug. 18th. Both teams had 77 points and five first-place votes in the poll.
GK Connor Sparrow, M Timo Pitter and F Fabian Herbers were each named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Pitter was a unanimous selection, while Sparrow was named BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
This is the eighth time in the last 11 years, and 15th time since 1990, that Creighton has been picked to win its league in the preseason.
Opening Up
Creighton has won its last five season-opening match-ups, including 2-0 wins over nationally-ranked Tulsa (2013) and Stanford (2014) in the past two seasons.
CU's unbeaten streak stretches to eight (6-0-2) in season-opening matches if you go back to a 2007 tie vs. San Diego State, and the Jays are 12-1-6 in its last 19 season lid-lifters.
Creighton is 17-2-6 in season-openers since reinstating soccer in 1990, and 21-5-6 all-time in season-opening matches overall.
Freshmen, In Openers
Creighton enters Friday having started five true freshmen in four previous season-openers under Elmar Bolowich, with all five men developing into key players for the program.
Last year it was Ricky Lopez-Espin, and in 2013 it was Fabian Herbers.
In 2012, both Vincent Keller and Timo Pitter started on opening night, while in 2011 it was Eric Miller.
It's also interesting to note that in each of Creighton's last five season-opening wins, the game-winning goal was scored by a Bluejay making their debut, including a true freshman in 2014 (Lopez-Espin), 2013 (Herbers) and 2011 (Guido Pena):
Game Winner in Debut in a
Creighton Season-Opener, Last 5 Years
2014 Ricky Lopez-Espin*
2013 Fabian Herbers*
2012 Carlos McCrary
2011 Guido Pena*
2010 Jose Gomez
*true freshman
Turning Two A Good Start
Creighton has not lost either of its first two games in any of the previous eight seasons, a streak it will look to continue this weekend. In that time, the Bluejays have started 2-0-0 five times and 1-0-1 on three occasions.
First Two Games, Previous Eight Seasons
Year 1st Game 2nd Game
2007 T 2-2 (2ot) W 3-0
2008 W 4-1 W 4-0
2009 T 0-0 (2ot) W 1-0
2010 W 2-0 W 4-0
2011 W 1-0 W 5-0
2012 W 3-1 T 1-1 (2ot)
2013 W 2-0 W 3-0
2014 W 2-0 W 1-0
Scoring Early, Often
Creighton scored five goals against Northwestern last Saturday night, an impressive showing against a Wildcat team that allowed only 12 goals all of 2014 and was fifth nationally in goals against average.
Northwestern had not allowed five goals or more in any game since a 6-1 loss to UCSB on Sept. 9, 2005.
Perennial Power
Creighton won the program's first BIG EAST title last season when it claimed the regular-season crown with a 7-1-1 mark.
The Bluejays now own 13 regular-season and 13 conference tournament titles in program history, all since 1992.
Top 10 Jays, Again
Creighton has been ranked sixth nationally in the preseason edition of the NSCAA Top 25 Coaches poll.
It's the fourth time in the last five years the Bluejays have been ranked in the top-10 of the preseason poll, and 11th time since 1998.
Creighton has now spent at least one week in the top 10 of the NSCAA poll in each of the last 24 seasons.
Another Strong Class
College Soccer News has dubbed Creighton's recruiting class as the nation's 31st best. Among the newcomers the website highlights are Evan Waldrep, Jacob Rooth and Peter Prescott.
Top 10 Crowds
Creighton finished last season 10th nationally in average home attendance and fifth overall in total home attendance.
It was the 11th straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top-10 nationally in average home attendance.
Herbers & Pitter Earn Preseason Acclaim
Fabian Herbers and Timo Pitter have both been recognized nationally in the preseason. Both men are among the 30 players on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. Creighton is one of six schools with two players on the list, joining Charlotte, CSU Bakersfield, Georgetown, Kentucky and Stanford.
Top Drawer Soccer also honored Herbers and Pitter on their Preseason Best XI Teams. Herbers was a first-team pick at forward, while Pitter was a second-teamer as a midfielder.
College Soccer News also acknowledged Herbers and Pitter on its Preseason All-America Teams. Herbers was a first-team choice at forward, while Pitter was a second-team midfielder.
Top 100 Trio
Fabian Herbers, Timo Pitter and Connor Sparrow all earned a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top 100 list of the nation's top players. Herbers checked in at No. 5, while Pitter (No. 18) and Sparrow (No. 74) made the Bluejays one of eight teams nationally with three players in the top-75.
Sparrow A Rare Bird
Senior GK Connor Sparrow enters his senior season as Creighton's all-time leader in goals against average, allowing just 0.47 goals per 90 minutes in a Bluejay uniform.
Sparrow's numbers are even more impressive at home, where he owns a 0.31 GAA in a Creighton uniform at Morrison Stadium.
Of the 12 goals that Sparrow has allowed as a Bluejay, only one has come prior to halftime.
Tough 2015 Slate
The Bluejays' 2015 schedule features five regular-season contests against teams that were nationally-ranked in the preseason NSCAA poll, as CU meets No. 3 Georgetown, No. 7 Providence, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 19 Xavier and No. 20 UC Irvine.
Creighton also has a game vs. Tulsa and won an exhibition vs. Northwestern, two teams that were listed among those 'also receiving votes.”
All told, Creighton's 2015 schedule will see it face nine teams that finished last year in the top 55 of the RPI, including five games against teams that reached the Sweet 16.
Badger State Greats
Creighton doesn't land many soccer players from Wisconsin, but two recent players from America's Dairlyland have gone on to be special players.
Ethan Finlay (Marshfield, Wis.) was runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2011 after being named a First Team All-American and helping the Bluejays to the College Cup. Finlay was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year (2010, '11).
Andrew Ribeiro (Green Bay, Wis.) started every game in both 2011 and 2012, when the Bluejays returned to the College Cup. Ribeiro was also named a First Team All-American by the NSCAA in 2012, as well as MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
This year's Creighton team does not have a player from Wisconsin.
Bolowich Keeps CU Winning
Creighton ranks tied for third nationally with 63 wins in the previous four years, which coincides with the arrival of head coach Elmar Bolowich. Bolowich was named BIG EAST Co-Coach of the Year last season after helping the Bluejays to a league title.
Below is a list of the nation's most wins since Bolowich arrived before the 2011 season.
2011-14 2015 Total Next
Rk. Team Wins Wins Wins Game
1. Coastal Carolina 73 0 73 8/28
2. Maryland 64 0 64 8/28
3. Creighton 63 0 63 8/28
Akron 63 0 63 8/28
5. North Carolina 61 0 61 8/28
6. New Mexico 60 0 60 8/29
You Play To Win The Game
Creighton's 16-3-3 record last year led the nation in winning percentage (.795). The Bluejays were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after falling in penalty kicks vs. UMBC during the team's 10th appearance in the national quarterfinals in the last 19 years.
So Close
Each of Creighton's last 14 losses have been by a single goal, including every setback in 2013 and 2014.
Creighton has fallen behind by two goals just four times in 90 games under Elmar Bolowich, and lost by two goals just twice.
Streaks To Watch
Creighton is 34-0-2 under Elmar Bolowich when leading at halftime.
Creighton is 15-0-1 in its last 16 games when scoring first, and 55-3-2 under Bolowich.
Creighton has not trailed at half in any of its last 23 games. The last time CU trailed at the break was Nov. 12, 2013, when Providence scored in the final 10 seconds of the first half to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
Sunday Funday
Creighton is 18-1-1 on Sunday's under Elmar Bolowich. CU was 4-0-0 on the day last season, and its only loss on a Sunday came vs. William & Mary (3-2 in double-OT) during the 2013 campaign.
Creighton has outscored the opposition 38-10 in those Sunday games.
Creighton Soccer's European Vacation
Creighton spent nearly two weeks in Europe in early July, spending most of that time in Germany and Austria. The team went 2-2-0 against strong competition, but also bonded in a foreign culture that included trips Neuschwanstein Castle, Allianz Arena and Munich's Olympic Stadium, among other areas.
O Captain! My Captain!
Seniors Vincent Keller and Eric DeJulio have been named captains on this year's team. Both men started all 22 games a season ago for Creighton's BIG EAST champion club.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's SoccerCreighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Omaha 9-10-25
Thursday, September 11
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability September 9
Tuesday, September 09
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights & Postgame vs Denver 9-5-25
Saturday, September 06
Creighton Media Availability 9.3.25 - Men's Soccer
Wednesday, September 03
