Creighton University
Butler
Women’s Soccer Hosts Butler For Senior Night On Thursday
10/26/2022 11:45:00 AM | Women's Soccer
With a win, the Bluejays will secure a home match in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022 • 6:30 p.m. | Omaha, Neb. | Morrison Stadium | Senior Day
VIDEO | FloSports Info | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF)
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For the second time in three seasons, Creighton (8-3-6, 4-3-2 BE) has earned a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bluejays will now look to close out the regular season on a high note and secure home field advantage in the first round with a win over Butler (7-7-3, 4-3-2 BE) on Thursday night.
The Bluejays and Bulldogs sit tied for fourth in the BIG EAST standings. A win for either team will guarantee a home match in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament on Sunday.
Creighton and Xavier are scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. inside Morrison Stadium, with senior day festivities being performed prior to the match.
Follow the Match
Thursday's match vs. Xavier will feature both live stats and live video.
All Creighton home matches will have free live stats at http://creighton.statbroadcast.com.
Live video for Thursday's contests will be available on FloSports, with Jon Schriner and Josh Peterson on the call.
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 Women's Soccer schedule page.
Updates will be provided during the match on Twitter (@CreightonWSoc).
Scouting Creighton (8-3-6, 4-3-2 BE)
Despite suffering a 2-1 setback at Xavier on Sunday, Creighton secured a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament and will look to earn home field advantage with a win over Butler on Thursday.
The Bluejays are 4-3-2 in the BIG EAST this season and currently sit in a tie for fourth in the BIG EAST Standings. Overall, the Bluejays are 8-3-6 this season.
The Bluejays opened the season with a program record eight match unbeaten streak and have extended their program record for ties out to six with a 1-1 draw against DePaul on Oct. 20.
Junior Lara Kazandjian paces the Bluejays on the offensive side of the pitch with a team-best four goals. She has also shared the love and dished out an assist for a team-high tying nine points this season.
Classmate Hannah Luke also has nine points so far this year from three goals and three assists. Abigail Santana, Ariana Mondiri and Jenny Grissom have also been key contributors on the offensive end this season.
Santana and Mondiri have each found the back of the net three times while also dishing out a pair of assists. Grissom has netted three goals of her own this season for a total of six points.
Sophomore Azumi Manriki has added a goal and is tied for the team-lead with three assists, while senior Aida Kardovic and junior Maddie Radke have also shared the ball, dishing out three assists apiece.
In total, 12 different Bluejays have found the back of the net at least once this season, as Creighton has scored 24 goals and dished out 19 assists, while out shooting their opponents 260-153.
Senior goalkeeper Keelan Terrell returned to the lineup after missing three matches with an arm injury. She has recorded five shutouts while starting 14 matches in goal, logging 1,259 minutes in between the posts.
She ranks seventh in the BIG EAST with a 1.00 goals against average, allowing 14 goals. Terrell also ranks ninth in the league with 38 total saves.
Freshman Lisa Hall has also made three starts in goal this season for the Bluejays. She has played 272 minutes in between the posts, making four saves and allowing two goals for a 0.66 goals against average.
The Bluejays entered the 2022 season with 18 returning letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 7-10-2 record. Creighton returns 11 players who started 10 or more matches in 2021.
Creighton was picked seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, while Kardovic was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team for the second straight season.
Head coach Ross Paule is in his eighth year at the helm of the Bluejays.
Scouting Butler (7-7-3, 4-3-2 BE)
Controlling their own destiny, Butler looks to secure home field advantage in the BIG EAST Tournament with a result against Creighton on Thursday.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-2 draw against Georgetown and sit tied for fourth place in the BIG EAST standings with a 7-7-3 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in the BIG EAST with one match remaining.
Senior Katie Soderstrom and junior Abigail Isger pace Xavier and the BIG EAST with 18 total points. Isger has scored a BIG EAST-best seven goals this season, while also contributing four assists.
Soderstrom, the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, has been atop the BIG EAST in goals scored and assists all season. She has found the back of the net six times this season while dishing out a league-leading six assists.
Talia Sommer, the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, has been a strong point for the Bulldogs. Sommer has netted four goals and dished out three assists to rank tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 11 total points.
Overall, Butler has scored 29 goals and dished out 28 assists, while outshooting their opponents 278-153.
Sophomore Emma Martin has started each of the last three matches in goal for the Bulldogs. She has allowed just four goals while collecting 12 saves in 287 total minutes in between the posts.
Redshirt freshman Anna Pierce has played the majority of the time in net for the Bulldogs. Pierce ranks tied for seventh in the BIG EAST with 40 saves while her 1.30 goals against average is 10th best in the league.
Butler was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Co-Head Coach Tari St. John is in her 17th year at the helm of Butler and holds a 177-124-34 overall record while co-head coach Rob Alman is in his 11th season with the Bulldogs and holds a 127-61-26 overall mark.
Series History Against Bulldogs
Creighton and Butler have met 14 times previously with the Bulldogs holding a 12-1-1 advantage in the all-time series. Thursday will be the third straight year that the Bluejays have closed the regular season with a match against Butler.
Creighton has dropped the last eight matches against the Bulldogs, with their last results being a 1-1 tie back on Oct. 25, 2014.
Creighton is 1-5-0 all-time against Butler in matches played in Omaha, including a 0-5-0 mark in matches played inside Morrison Stadium.
Last season, Butler took down Creighton 3-1 with goals from Alli Leonard, Amanda Kowalski and Katie Soderstrom.
What A Senior Class
Creighton will honor 11 seniors prior to its final home match of the season on Thursday vs. Butler as Ansley Atkinson, Gabby Grimaldi, Jenny Grissom, Aida Kardovic, Juelle Love, Renée Pountney, Jordy Rothwell, Keelan Terrell, Michaela Weist, Emma Yackley and Hitomi Yamaue will be recognized.
This senior class has recorded 33 wins over the last five years, while guiding Creighton to its first BIG EAST Tournament appearance in 2020. The Bluejays have qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament this season and will play in the first-round of competition on Sunday afternoon.
Battle For Home Field
With a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament secured already, Creighton looks to earn home field advantage for its first-round match.
The Bluejays are currently in tie for fourth in the BIG EAST with Butler, as the Bulldogs visit Morrison Stadium in the regular season finale on Thursday.
With a win, Creighton will earn the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the BIG EAST Championships and will host a first-round match.
Below are all the scenarios that can determine Creighton's seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.
• With a Win on Thursday (17 pts.) and a St. John's loss or tie, Creighton is #3 Seed.
• With a Win (17 pts.) and a SJU win, CU is the #4 Seed.
• With a Draw (15 pts.) and a SJU win or draw, would be tied with Butler at 15 pts. Tie break is most points vs. all teams qualified for the tournament which requires knowing the 6th place team in order to seed #4 and #5.
• With a Draw (15 pts.) and a SJU loss, there would be a 3-way tie for 3. SJU would be #3 and CU would be #4 or #5.
• With a loss (14 pts.) and a Connecticut and Marquette win, there is a 3-way tie for 5th. UConn is #5, CU is #6 and MU is out.
• With a Loss (14 pts.) and a UConn and MU loss or tie, CU is #5.
• With a loss (14 pts.) and a UConn win and a MU loss or tie, UConn is #5 and CU is #6.
• With a loss (14 pts.) and a MU win and a UConn loss or tie, CU is #5 and MU is #6.
Official RPI Rankings
The sixth official RPI Rankings were released by the NCAA on Monday. The Bluejays are listed at No. 86 in the release, after being 68th (Oct. 16), 65th (Oct. 9), 70th (Oct. 2), 94th (Sept. 25) and 52nd (Sept. 18).
BIG EAST in the RPI (Oct. 23 edition)
23. Georgetown
25. Xavier
84. Creighton
90. Connecticut
97. St. John's
108. Butler
152. Providence
173. Marquette
227. Seton Hall
241. DePaul
249. Villanova
Atkinson Makes Return To The Pitch
To a standing ovation, senior Ansley Atkinson returned to the pitch for the first time in 399 days on Oct. 20 against DePaul.
Atkinson checked in for Hailey Rothwell in the 39th minute for her first action on pitch this season. Atkinson logged 37 minutes of play in her first action since Sept. 16, 2021, against Iowa State. The Minneapolis, Minn. native was leading the NCAA in assists before suffering a torn ACL in the 40th minute of play against the Cyclones.
Second Unbeaten Streak Comes To An End
The Bluejays had their six-match BIG EAST unbeaten streak come to an end on Sunday with a 2-1 setback at Xavier.
The six-match unbeaten streak was the second longest run during conference play but the longest since the Bluejays finished conference play with a seven-match unbeaten streak in 2002.
The 2002 Bluejay squad closed conference play with a 6-0-1 record, while capturing a Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season and Tournament Title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Tied For 20th Nationally In Ties
Creighton has battled their way to a school-record six draws this season. The six draws currently rank tied for 20th most in the NCAA this season.
The University of Pacific leads the nation with 10 ties this season, while Creighton and St. John's, which tied earlier this year, pace the BIG EAST with six draws each.
Bluejays Extend School-Record with Sixth Draw
Creighton extended its program record for draws in a single season out to six with a 1-1 tie against DePaul on Oct. 20.
The Bluejays surpassed the previous school-record of four draws in a single season with a 1-1 draw at St. John's on Oct. 6.
The six draws this season are the most by a Creighton squad in a single season, surpassing the 2003 and 2004 teams that battled to four draws in their respected seasons.
Year # Ties # of Matches
1. 2022 6 17
2. 2004 4 21
2003 4 21
4. 2019 3 18
2017 3 18
2012 3 19
2011 3 18
2005 3 21
9. 11 years with two ties (last 2021)
Impact of No Overtime
The 2022 season brought one major change to NCAA Soccer as overtime periods were eliminated from the regular season. Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton has played 35 overtime matches with the Bluejays going 8-14-13 in those contests.
In the first four years in the BIG EAST, Creighton went 5-4-4 in matches that went extra time. The five seasons prior to 2022 have not fared quite as well, as the Bluejays have gone 3-10-9 in overtime matches.
In total, Creighton has played 127 overtime matches with the Bluejays holding a 35-42-50 mark in those contests.
