Creighton University
Tulsa
Men's Soccer Opens Regular Season At Home Against Tulsa
8/24/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Creighton is 8-1-1 during its past 10 season-openers and 13-1-4 during home-openers at Morrison Stadium
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Creighton opens the 2021 regular season with a home match against Tulsa.
Follow the Match
Thursday's match will feature live video and live stats.
Live video for the contest will be available on FloSports, while live stats will be featured through StatBroadcast.
A subscription is required to view the event on FloSports. More information can be found at GoCreighton.com/FloSports.
Links to video and live stats will be provided on the Creighton Men's Soccer schedule page.
Updates will be provided during the match on Twitter (@CreightonMSOC).
Scouting Creighton (0-0-0)
The Bluejays enter the 2021 season with all 22 letterwinners returning from last season's squad that posted a 6-6-0 record during the abbreviated 2020 season that was completed in the spring of 2021 because the COVID-19 global pandemic.
2020 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Diego Gutierrez returns to defend his award after pacing Creighton with 16 points from five goals and six assists during his first season in a Bluejay uniform.
The Omaha native had a goal or assist in four of the team's five home matches during the spring and tallied multiple goals during two of those contests. Gutierrez also claimed a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team.
In addition to Gutierrez, four other Bluejays -- Charles Auguste, Duncan McGuire, Musa Qongo and Callum Watson -- each made the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season.
Creighton also welcomed 12 newcomers, including freshmen Manu Toledano (Spain) and Miguel Ventura (Portugal) who are each expected to contribute during their first seasons in Omaha.
Head coach Johnny Torres is in his third year at the helm of the Bluejays after spending 12 years as an assistant coach.
Scouting Tulsa (0-0-0)
The Golden Hurricane finished 6-4-2 during the 2020 season, with all of their matches against American Athletic Conference foes, including a 0-1-1 showing during the league postseason tournament.
Tulsa returns 17 letterwinners, including 10 starters from last season, and welcomed 16 newcomers to the roster.
Alex Meinhard leads Tulsa's returners after being named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year last season. The Estonia native scored seven goals, including a nation-best five game-winners. He recently earned Preseason AAC Offensive Player of the Year accolades. The Golden Hurricane were picked third in the AAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
In addition to Meinhard, midfielder Chase Bromstedt and defender Mariano Fazio were both named to the Preseason All-AAC Team.
Ben Barkley also returns after ranking second on the team in points with six from two goals and two assists.
Head Coach Tom McIntosh is in his 27th season at the helm, and has an overall record of 260-186-54.
Series History Against Golden Hurricane
Creighton leads the all-time series against Tulsa, 20-10-3.
The Bluejays defeated the Golden Hurricane 4-3 (2OT) during the last meeting between the two schools on Sept. 24, 2019.
Creighton's Yudai Tashiro scored the game winner off an indirect free kick during the 106th minute during the 2019 match.
The Bluejays are 8-1-1 against Tulsa at Morrison Stadium, including seven consecutive wins. The Golden Hurricane's lone victory at Morrison Stadium came on Sept. 22, 2007.
Creighton and Tulsa were both members of the Missouri Valley Conference for men's soccer from 1991-2004.
Season-Opener Success
Creighton is 8-1-1 during its past 10 lid-lifters, including its 2-1 overtime win at Marquette last season.
Thursday will mark the 27th time in program history that the Bluejays will open the season at home (first since 2-0 win in 2018 against Clemson). Creighton is 20-2-4 the previous 26 times.
Overall, the Bluejays are 21-3-7 during their first match of the season since Creighton restarted its men's soccer program in 1990.
Fortress Morrison
Creighton is 147-29-21 overall at Morrison Stadium (opened in 2003), which includes a 4-1-0 mark last season.
The Bluejays are 13-1-4 during home-openers at Morrison Stadium (lone loss in 2017 to Virginia Tech).
Additionally, Creighton has never lost consecutive matches at Morrison Stadium during the same season.
The Bluejays are 25-1-3 in their next home match following a home loss at Morrison (lone loss came during 2017 opener following final contest of 2016), including a 1-0-0 mark last season.
Creighton ended its 2020 home season with a 4-3 victory against DePaul.
The Bluejays are 65-14-8 at Morrison Stadium since the start of 2013 when the program joined the BIG EAST and 26-7-2 during home league matches.
Creighton Picked Third in BIG EAST
The Bluejays claimed the No. 3 position in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Aug. 18
Creighton received 74 points for third in the coaches' poll. Georgetown totaled 98 points and eight of 11 possible first-place votes for the top spot, while Seton Hall claimed the three remaining first-place votes and tallied 93 points overall for the second position.
Providence, Marquette, St. John's and Butler hold the four through seven positions, respectively, with just 12 points separating the Friars in fourth (67) and the Bulldogs at No. 7 (55).
The top six teams in the final league standings will qualify for the 2021 BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP. The first round matchups will be hosted by the higher seed on Nov. 6 (3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5), while the number one seed will host the semifinals on Nov. 11 (1 vs. winner of 4/5 and 2 vs. winner of 3/6) and final match on Nov. 14.
Creighton finished 6-6-0 overall and 5-3-0 in league play to finish second in the Midwest Division of the BIG EAST during the abbreviated 2020 season that was completed during the spring of 2021.
Gutierrez Tabbed Preseason Co-Offensive POY
Senior forward Diego Gutierrez earned BIG EAST Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year status and the Bluejays claimed the No. 3 position in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Aug. 18. Gutierrez shared the preseason offensive player of the year honor with Seton Hall's C.J. Tibbling.Â
Gutierrez earned 2020 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors after totaling 16 points from five goals and six assists during his first season in a Creighton uniform (completed during spring of 2021). The Omaha native also earned United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team recognition last season.
He owns 49 points during 55 career Division I games (11 at Creighton, 44 at UNO) from 15 goals and 19 assists.
Season Outlook
The 2021 Creighton Men's Soccer team welcomes a return to normalcy with a full schedule of 17 regular-season matches, including nine contests at home.
The Bluejays posted a 6-6 record during the 2020 season that was completed during the spring of 2021 because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Creighton returns each starter and all 22 players that appeared in at least one match during the abbreviated 2020 season.
Head coach Johnny Torres and his experienced squad have their sights set on earning their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2016.
Diego Gutierrez earned the 2020 BIG EAST Offensive Player award after pacing Creighton with 16 points from five goals and six assists during his first season in a Bluejay uniform. The Omaha native had a goal or assist in four of the team's five home matches during the spring and tallied multiple goals during two of those contests. Gutierrez also claimed a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team.
In addition to Gutierrez, four other Bluejays -- Charles Auguste, Duncan McGuire, Musa Qongo and Callum Watson -- each made the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season.
McGuire ended the year with 11 points (four goals, three assists), including two in five of the final six regular-season affairs, and Auguste recorded 10 points from three goals and four assists. Overall, the Bluejays scored 22 goals with 29 helpers during 12 matches for a league-best 6.00 points per match (72 points). Additionally, Creighton ranked at the top of the league in assists and second for goals.
Watson and Qongo also contributed to the Bluejay attack with a combined seven assists and one goal.
Despite being an offensive juggernaut, Creighton ranked near the bottom of the conference defensively. Opponents scored 21 times last season and the Bluejays tallied only one shutout.
BIG EAST Preseason Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Paul Kruse made just three starts last season because of injuries, forcing true freshman Nathan Schnur into action. The rookie logged 828 minutes and posted five wins, including one clean sheet.
In addition to returning each letterwinner from last season, Creighton also welcomed eight newcomers for the 2021 campaign.
Defenders Liam Gilligan (San Francisco, Calif.), Sean Green (St. Louis, Mo.) and Miguel Ventura (Portugal), midfielders Ryan Braake (Omaha), Jackson Castro (Plano, Texas) and Jack Redd (Papillion, Neb.), forward Manu Toledano (Spain) and goalkeeper Patrick Millard (Iowa Western CC / Australia) push the Bluejay roster to a total of 32 players.
