Women’s Soccer Squares Off With Top-Seeded #18 Georgetown For Trip To BIG EAST Title Match

The fifth-seeded Creighton women's soccer team (8-3-8, 4-3-3 BE) makes their way to Boyds, Md. to face off against top-seeded Georgetown in the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championships Presented by Jeep.

Kickoff between the Bluejays and Hoyas is set for 5:30 p.m. CT at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.

Follow the Match

Live video of Thursday's match will be available on BEDN via FloSports while live stats will be featured through SIDEARM Sports.

Live video for Thursday's semifinals contest will be available on FloSports, with John Fanta, Monika Moore and Meghan Caffey 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 (8-3-8, 4-3-3 BE)

The Bluejays took down No. 4 seed Butler on Oct. 30 with a 6-5 shootout win, thanks to a miraculous save from senior goalkeeper Keelan Terrell in the seventh round of PKs to advanced Creighton to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championships Presented by Jeep on Thursday.

Creighton finished in a tie for third in the BIG EAST with a 4-3-3 record, earning the No. 5 seed in the postseason BIG EAST Tournament.

Overall, Creighton is 8-3-8 on the year, setting a new program record with eight draws. The Bluejays also embarked on a program record eight match unbeaten streak to open the season with victories over Kansas City, North Dakota, Tulsa, and Colorado College.

BIG EAST All-Conference First Team selection Lara Kazandjian leads the Bluejays with four goals this season. 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 on three goals and three assists, while 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.

Three-time All-BIG EAST First Team honoree, Aida Kardovic has delivered a pair of goals this season while ranking second on the team with three assists.

Sophomore Azumi Manriki paces the Bluejays with a team-leading four assists, while junior Maddie Radke has also shared the ball, dishing out three assists of her own.

In total, 12 different Bluejays have found the back of the net at least once this season, as Creighton has scored 26 goals and passed out 22 assists, while out shooting their opponents 293-182.

Senior goalkeeper Keelan Terrell has started 16 matches in goal for the Bluejays this season, recording five shutouts. She has logged 1,459 minutes in between the posts, ranking seventh in the BIG EAST with a 0.99 goals against average, allowing 16 goals. Terrell also ranks seventh in the league with 45 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 returned 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 #18 Georgetown (12-1-5, 8-0-2 BE)

Georgetown enters postseason play with a 15-match unbeaten streak, that dates back to Aug. 28 against NC State.

The Hoyas earned the top seed in the BIG EAST Championship Presented by Jeep after posting a perfect 8-0-2 record in league play.

Georgetown enters Thursday's semifinals match sporting a 12-1-5 overall record. The Hoyas lone lost this season was a 1-0 setback to Virginia back on Aug. 25.

Overall, Georgetown has outscored their opponents 30-8 this season, while shutting out the opposition 13 times.

All-BIG EAST First Team selection Gia Vicari paces the Hoyas and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with 13 total points. She has netted a team-high tying five goals this season while also ranking tied second on the team with three assists.

The BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Julia Leas has also contributed on the offensive side of the pitch. Leas has scored three goals this season while dishing out a team-high four assists.

Seven other Hoyas have netted two or more goals this season, led by five goals from Henley Tippins. Sophomore Maya Lardner leads a group of four Hoyas who have dished out three or more assists this season. Lardner has connected with the goal scorer a team-high tying four times this season.

The BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, Allie Augur has started eight matches this season, recording shutouts is seven of the eight contests. Augur has allowed just two goals in 720 minutes of action for a BIG EAST leading 0.25 goals against average.

True freshman Cara Martin has also logged 900 minutes of action in between the posts, ranking second in the BIG EAST with a 0.60 goals against average. She has started 10 matches allowing six goals this season.

Head coach Dave Nolan is in his 18th season at the helm of Georgetown and holds a 254-90-55 overall career recording, including a 123-43-24 mark in BIG EAST play.

Georgetown earned the Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time since 2018 after capturing the BIG EAST regular season crown with an 8-0-2 record in league play.

Series History Against Hoyas

Creighton and Georgetown will meet for the second time in the semifinals round of the BIG EAST Championships Presented by Jeep on Thursday.

The Bluejays and Hoyas met in the semifinals of the 2020 BIG EAST Championships, with Georgetown converting a penalty kick in the first minute of overtime to advance to the finals with a 2-1 overtime win.

Georgetown holds a 7-0-3 edge in the all-times series, but Creighton's level of competitiveness against the BIG EAST's top team has been strong, forcing overtime in four of the last six battles.

Earlier this season, Georgetown claimed a 4-0 victory over the Bluejays, with goals from Gia Vicari, Maja Lander, Tatum Lenain and Natalie Means.

Last Time Out

In a match that went to sudden victory penalty kicks, the Creighton women's soccer team advanced past Butler with a 6-5 edge on PKs.

Following 110 minutes of match play the contest moved to penalty kicks. As the lower seed the Bluejays went first in each round. Aida Kardovic walked out first to put Creighton ahead 1-0, but Talia Sommer countered for the Bulldogs. Creighton's Ariana Mondiri delivered to make it 2-1.

The Bluejays appeared to hold a 2-1 lead after senior Keelan Terrell stopped an attempt by Butler's Abigail Isger. The stop, however, was waived off as Terrell was ruled to have left her spot early. Isger went on to score on her second attempt to make it 2-2. Lara Kazandjian and Maddie Radke both connected for the Bluejays, while Butler's Becky Dean and Aliya Diagne also found the back of the net as the penalty kicks went to 4-4.

Knotted entering the fifth penalty kicks, each opportunity had the potential to decide the match. Senior Ansley Atkinson quickly punched in her shot, yet Bulldog Sara Trandji delivered to make it 5-5.

Creighton's Abigail Santana made the first misstep for the Bluejays as her shot bounced off the crossbar straight down to Butler goalkeeper Emma Martin. Moments later, however, Butler defender Claire Farrington's shot missed high.

Bluejay midfielder Azumi Manriki connected next and Terrell denied Emily O'Malley with a diving save to propel the Bluejays to the semifinals.

Late in the 71st minute the Bluejays created their first corner of the match. Creighton cashed in its opportunity as Gabby Grimaldi served the ball into Juelle Love. The Philadelphia native delivered her second goal of the season with 71:04 on the clock to put the Bluejays in the driver's seat with a 1-0 lead.

As the match moved to the final ten minutes Butler pushed everyone forward to find the equalizer. The Bulldogs punched a goal in during the 83rd minute as Abigail Isger connected for her eighth goal of the season courtesy of a double assist from Alexei Whittaker and Talia Sommer.

Butler closed the match with a slim lead in shots, 19-18 and held a 10-1 edge on corners.

Creighton in the BIG EAST Tourney

Earning a 6-5 shootout win over Butler on Oct. 30, the Bluejays earned their first win in the BIG EAST Tournament since joining the league in 2013.

Officially going down as a tie, the Bluejays moved to 0-1-1 during two BIG EAST Tournament appearances.

With the 6-5 shootout win over Butler on Sunday, Creighton will be making their second appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals against Georgetown on Thursday night.

The only other time the Bluejays qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament was in 2020, earning the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Division.

Complete results and Creighton BIG EAST Tournament record can be found on page 12 and 13 of the notes packet.

Conference Tournament History

Creighton will be making their second appearance in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championships Presented by Jeep on Thursday against #18 Georgetown. Overall, the Bluejays are making their 19th conference tournament appearance in school history.

The Bluejays are a combined 19-10-6 in conference tournament matches, advancing to the NCAA Tournament five times.

The Bluejays advanced to the semifinals after earning a 6-5 shootout win over Butler on Oct. 30. It was the first time the Bluejays advanced in a conference tournament since Oct. 28, 2012, when Flo Beshiri converted her penalty kick in the 10th round of a shootout against Drake, giving Creighton the 8-7 win in penalty kicks.

Shootout Notes

With postseason play in full swing, a shootout is likely to play a factor in the result of a match if it's tied after 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.

Creighton took full advantage of the shootout format on Sunday against Butler. The Bluejays advanced to the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championships with a 6-5 PKs win, behind a miraculous save from senior Keelan Terrell in the seventh round of PKs.

Before last Sunday's contest against Butler, Creighton had made 1-of-2 penalty kick opportunities this season, including an Aida Kardovic conversion from the spot on Oct. 23 at Xavier. Kardovic took the only other penalty kick for the Bluejays this season but was denied by the Tulsa goalkeeper.

In the shootout win over Butler; Kardovic, Ariana Mondiri, Lara Kazandjian, Maddie Radke, Ansley Atkinson and Azumi Manriki each converted their penalty kicks propelling the Bluejays into the semifinals.

Kardovic is now 7-of-8 in her career on penalty kicks while the seven other Bluejays have each converted one penalty kicks.

Creighton - Penalty Kick Conversions

Name '22 '21 '20 '19 Total

Aida Kardovic 2-3 2-2 3-3 - 7-8

Abigail Santana 0-1 1-1 - - 1-2

Hailey Rothwell - 1-1 - - 1-1

Ariana Mondiri 1-1 - - - 1-1

Lara Kazandjian 1-1 - - - 1-1

Maddie Radke 1-1 - - - 1-1

Ansley Atkinson 1-1 - - - 1-1

Azumi Manriki 1-1 - - - 1-1

More PK Knowledge

Last Sunday's 6-5 penalty shootout win over Butler was the Bluejays first penalty kick shootout since playing in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship against Drake, on Oct. 28, 2012. It was a doozy as Creighton won 8-7 in a 10-round penalty kick shootout.

True freshman Flo Beshiri appeared for the second time all season and converted her attempt in the 10th round to clinch the win for the Bluejays.

With last Sunday's shootout win over Butler, Creighton is now 3-3 all-time in conference tournament shootouts, including a 3-1 mark all-time in shootouts away from home.

Trio of Bluejays Earn All-BIG EAST Honor

Creighton women's soccer midfielder's Aida Kardovic and Lara Kazandjian earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors, while senior Jordy Rothwell claimed a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team, the league announced on Wednesday morning.

Earning her third consecutive All-BIG EAST First Team honor, Kardovic became just the second Bluejay in school history to earn three straight All-Conference First Team honors. She is joined by Brittney Neumann, who earned All-MVC First Team accolade in 2009, 2010 and 2011, as the only players to earn First Team All-Conference honors in three straight seasons.

The Kassel, Germany native has appeared in 13 matches for Creighton this season, logging a combined 880 minutes. Kardovic has found the back of the net twice this season, while ranking second on the team with three assists. During her Bluejay career, Kardovic has delivered nine goals and five assists, playing 2,794 minutes.

In her first season with the Bluejays, Kazandjian earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors after leading the Bluejays with four goals during the regular season. The Kirkland, Quebec native started 14 of her 16 appearances this season, playing 1,116 minutes while collecting a team-high nine points. The junior midfielder earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Sept. 12 after netting her first goal as a Bluejay in Creighton's 2-0 victory over Tulsa.

Senior Jordy Rothwell also earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team as the Wisconsin native ranked fourth on the team with 1,446 minutes played this season. She also contributed one goal in Creighton's 2-0 win over Marquette on Sept. 29. The co-captain has appeared in all 19 matches this season, starting 16. She has delivered four goals and two assists during her four-year Bluejay career, while playing a combined 5,113 career minutes. Rothwell's 2022 honor is her second by the league as she earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in 2019.

Last Time We Were Here...

Creighton's last appearance in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinals was in 2020, when they played Georgetown in Providence, R.I.

The Hoyas snagged a 2-1 overtime win, when Julia Leas buried a penalty kick in the 91st minute after Keelan Terrell was called for a foul in the box. The Hoyas advanced to the finals, where they took down Butler 2-1 in overtime, earning the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Official RPI Rankings

The seventh official RPI Rankings were released by the NCAA on Monday. The Bluejays are listed at No. 97 in the release, after being 84 (Oct. 23), 68th (Oct. 16), 65th (Oct. 9), 70th (Oct. 2), 94th (Sept. 25) and 52nd (Sept. 18).

BIG EAST in the RPI (Oct. 31 edition)

24. Georgetown

27. Xavier

84. Connecticut

92. St. John's

97. Creighton

104. Butler

153. Marquette

171. Providence

234. Seton Hall

237. DePaul

246. Villanova

Tied For 3rd Nationally In Ties

Creighton has battled their way to a school-record eight draws this season. The eight draws currently rank tied for3rd most in the NCAA this season.

The University of Pacific and Canisius leads the NCAA with 10 ties each this season, while Creighton paces the BIG EAST.

Bluejays All-Time vs. Top 25 Competition

Facing off against #18 Georgetown on Thursday, Creighton will be seeking its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating #12 Wisconsin, 1-0, back on Sept. 3, 1994.

Including Creighton's loss to #23 Georgetown on Sept. 25, the Bluejays have faced ranked opposition 21 times and hold a 1-16-4 overall record. Since current head coach Ross Paule took the helm in 2015, Creighton is 0-6-3 against ranked opponents, with each of the three draws coming against Georgetown.

Date Opponent Result

10/27/90 at #20 Central Florida T, 1-1 (ot)

9/3/94 #12 Wisconsin W, 1-0

10/30/94 #7 at Cincinnati L, 4-5 (ot)

11/15/02 % at #6 Santa Clara L, 1-5

11/12/04 % at #8 Kansas L, 1-3

8/26/05 #25 Wisconsin L, 0-2

11/16/07 % vs. #9 USC L, 0-3

9/2/11 #5 Oklahoma State L, 0-1

8/26/12 at #4 Oklahoma State L, 1-4

10/20/13 * at #15 Georgetown L, 0-4

10/11/14 * at #13 DePaul L, 0-2

10/19/14 * #25 Georgetown L, 0-1

10/28/16 * #10 Georgetown L, 0-3

10/5/17 * at #12 Georgetown T, 1-1 (2ot)

10/19/17 * #22 Butler L, 0-3

9/14/18 #20 Oklahoma State L, 0-2

10/4/18 * #5 Georgetown L, 1-7

10/13/19 * at #10 Georgetown T, 2-2 (2ot)

4/16/21 & vs. #10 Georgetown L, 1-2 (ot)

9/23/21 * #25 Georgetown T, 1-1 (2ot)

9/25/22 * at #23 Georgetown L, 0-4

* BIG EAST?regular-season match

BIG EAST Tournament match (Providence, R.I.)

% NCAA?Tournament

Home matches in bold.

Bluejays Extend School-Record with Eighth Draw

After recording their seventh tie of the season with a 1-1 draw against Butler on Oct. 27, the Bluejays extended the program-record for ties in a single season out to eight with another 1-1 draw at Butler in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament on Oct. 30.

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 eight draws this season are the most by a Creighton squad in a single season ever, surpassing the 2003 and 2004 teams that battled to four draws in their respected seasons.

In head coach Ross Paule's first seven seasons, Creighton had just 11 ties in 119 contests. This season, the Bluejays have had eight ties in 19 matches.

Year # Ties # of Matches

1. 2022 8 19

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. With the postseason in full swing, overtime is back into play with some additional changes. First, there is no golden goal. Teams will now play two 10-minute periods before heading to a shootout if the score remains tied after the overtime periods.

Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton has played 36 overtime matches with the Bluejays going 8-14-14 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 128 overtime matches with the Bluejays holding a 35-42-51 mark in those contests.

Women’s Soccer Squares Off With Top-Seeded #18 Georgetown For Trip To BIG EAST Title Match

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