Women's Soccer Hosts Northern Illinois & Central Michigan
8/25/2015 4:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Omaha, Neb. - In the first of back-to-back home weekends, Creighton women's soccer will host Northern Illinois (Aug. 28) and Central Michigan (Aug. 30) this weekend.
Northern Illinois (1-1-0) at Creighton (1-1-0)
Friday, Aug. 28 @ 5:00 p.m.
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Video (FREE): http://www.gocreighton.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=1000
Missed it by that much:
Leading Missouri-Kansas City 1-0 with under ten minutes remaining on Sunday, Creighton was on the verge of opening the Ross Paule with consecutive victories. Unfortunately the final 8:13 didn't go the Bluejays way as Missouri-Kansas City got two goals to send Creighton to its first defeat of the season.
Series History:
Creighton leads Northern Illinois, 4-2-1
The Bluejays and Huskies have met seven times prior to Friday's contest with Creighton holding a 4-2-1 edge. The last meeting came on Aug. 23, 2010 at Northern Illinois, the Huskies won that contest 1-0. Creighton has hosted Northern Illinois three times previously, including a 3-0 win in 2008, the Bluejays have posted victories in all three matches.
First Meeting with Central Michigan, 0-0-0
Creighton and Central Michigan will meet for the first time on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Scouting Creighton (1-1-0):
Two matches into the 2015 season, and subsequently into the Ross Paule Era, three things about the Bluejays are becoming clear.
First freshman Erin Scott has taken hold of the starting goalkeeper position, posting a clean sheet in the season opener. Scott nearly extended the scoreless streak to two straight matches, holding Missouri-Kansas City off the scoreboard through the first 81 minutes on Sunday.
Second, junior Ylenia Sachau knows how to make a penalty hurt! Sachau has accounted for both of the Bluejays first two goals, one on a direct kick following a penalty and the other on a penalty kick.
And finally the Bluejays will play at a different pace and in a different style that the team has shown in recent years. Paule has instituted a three back lineup, designed to spread allow the midfielders to spread the ball and promote possession.
Scouting Northern Illinois (1-1-0):
Similar to Creighton, the Huskies opened the 2015 season with a split result over the weekend. Northern Illinois opened the season with a 2-1 win over Lewis, before dropping a 2-1 decision to North Dakota on Aug. 23.
Senior Nicole Gobbo has opened her final campaign with NIU in top form, scoring two of the Huskies' three goals. Gobbo got Northern Illinois on the board in each contest.
In goal the Huskies have sophomore Amy Annala in net for the second consecutive season. Annala started 20 matches last season, allowing 30 goals for a 1.36 Goals Against Average (GAA). In two matches this season Annala has a 1.50 GAA.
Scouting Central Michigan (0-0-1):
The Chippewas played just one game last weekend, settling for a 2-2 draw with Oakland on Aug. 23. After Central Michigan fell behind 1-0 early in the opening period, the Chippewas notched goals in the 19th and 22nd minutes. The two goals came just 2:18 apart.
Freshman Alexis Pelafas got CMU on the board first, then junior Samantha Maher tallied the second score moments later.
The Chippewas held the 2-1 lead into the 76th minute, when Oakland knocked in the equalizer on a penalty kick.
Junior Maddy Bunnell played the entire match in goal for CMU. Bunnell started 11 matches for Central Michigan last season, posting a 2-8-1 mark. She allowed 21 goals in just over 1,000 minutes for a 1.85 GAA.
BIG EAST Honor Roll:
The opening weekend of play yielded two accolades for the Bluejays as junior Ylenia Sachau and freshman Erin Scott each earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
Sachau scored the game-winning goal against South Dakota on Friday before accounting for the Bluejays' lone score in a 2-1 setback at UMKC on Sunday. The junior played center back for the first time in her career, helping Creighton to hold its opposition scoreless for the first 170 minutes of the year.
Scott became the first Creighton rookie since 1997 to record a shutout in the season opener after turning away three shots in the 1-0 win over South Dakota. She followed that up with a seven-save showing in a 2-1 setback at UMKC on Sunday.
Scott Becomes the First Freshman Since 1997 to Post a Clean Sheet in a Season-Opener:
Scott's clean sheet (shutout) in a season-opening contest was just the second time in Creighton women's soccer history that a freshman came out of the gates with a shutout. The last time it happened was in 1997 when Maggie Phalen posted a clean sheet against Wyoming. Ironically Phalen, like Scott, came within minutes of back-to-back shutouts. Phalen allowed her first goal in the 84th minute to Air Force, as the Falcons scored at 83:48. Scott's first goal allowed came at the 81:47 mark against Missouri-Kansas City.
