Creighton University
Minnesota
Women’s Soccer Set to Open Jimmy Walker Era On Thursday at Minnesota
8/13/2024 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 • 7:00 p.m. CT • Minneapolis, Minn. • Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF)
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The Jimmy Walker era of Creighton women's soccer will officially begin on Thursday, Aug. 15 as the Bluejays travel to battle Minnesota at 7 p.m. in the Twin City.
Follow the Match
Thursday's match will be broadcasted live on Big Ten + with Matt Privratsky on the call, while live stats will be available through Sidearm stats.
Links to video and live stats will be provided on the Creighton Women's Soccer schedule page.
Updates will also be provided during the match on Twitter (@CreightonWSoc).
Scouting Creighton (0-0-0)
The 2024 Creighton women's soccer team enters its 12th year in the BIG EAST with new coaches, renewed energy and new aspirations.
Entering his first season with the Bluejays, head coach Jimmy Walker looks to rebuild a Creighton squad that finished the 2023 season with a 4-9-5 overall record.
With five returning starters boasting a wealth of experience, a small core is in place for Walker's leadership to guide the Bluejays back to the postseason.
The Bluejays bring back 15 letterwinners from a season ago, led by preseason All-BIG EAST selection Azumi Manriki, and fifth-year senior Lara Kazandjian.
Manriki, Creighton's only returning All-BIG EAST selection, is back to lead the offensive attack for the Bluejays this season after scoring a pair of goals and dishing out one assist a year ago, while Kazandjian closed out 2023 with a goal and an assist.
Other threats to look out for are sophomore Anja Jestrovic and fifth-year seniors Ariana Mondiri and Stella Downing. Jestrovic contributed a team-high tying three goals and two assists in eight games a season ago, while Mondiri and Downing are expected to make immediate impacts after having missed last season.
Defensively, fifth-year senior Maddie Radke and senior Alyssa Judkins will anchor the Bluejays backline, while a key area of emphasis in 2024 will be on the goalkeepers. With the departure of five-year starter Keelan Terrell, the Bluejays will look for someone to step up to fill the void.
Sophomore Maddie Merrick is the only goalkeeper on the team with playing experience at the collegiate level, having logged 270 minutes of action in 2023.
With the job still up for grabs, junior Kailey Hall, redshirt freshman Caroline Blum and Louisville transfer Alyssa Zalac will all continue to battle to earn the starting position.
Scouting Minnesota (0-0-0)
The Golden Gophers enter the 2024 season with renewed energy after closing the 2023 season with a 7-6-4 overall record while finishing tied for ninth in the Big Ten with a 3-5-2 league mark.
Minnesota returns 13 letterwinners and four regular starters from last season's team, while welcoming in 10 newcomers to the roster.
Among the top returns are Sophia Boman, Khyah Harper and Sophia Romine, who were named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list earlier this week.
Boman, a four-time All-Big Ten selection, has started all 65 matches in her career and finished last season with five goals and an assist in 1,475 total minutes of action, while Harper appeared in 16 contests, netting one goal and dishing out four assists for the Golden Gophers in 2023.
Romine has been a consistent player in the midfield for Minnesota since joining the team in 2022. She has finished off 14 goals while tallying four assists in 40 career matches with the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota will likely turn to Camellia Xu in goal this season after the departure of graduate Megan Plaschko from a season ago. Xu only appeared in two matches for the Golden Gophers last season but did have success while serving as the goalkeeper for Montana in 2022.
Minnesota was picked to finish 14th in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Head Coach Erin Chastin is in her fourth season at the helm and owns a 23-20-10 overall record at Minnesota.
Series History Against The Golden Gophers
Creighton and Minnesota have met six previous times with the series remaining tied at 2-2-2 following a scoreless draw last season in Omaha.
Minnesota has won two out of the last three meetings, including a 4-2 win over the Bluejays on Nov. 12, 2010, in the NCAA Tournament.
Both of Creighton's victories in the series came during the 1993 season, when the Bluejays opened the year with a 3-2 win in Minneapolis, before outlasting the Golden Gophers, 1-0, in overtime in the Creighton Fall Classic a month later.
Creighton is 1-2-1 against Minnesota in matches played in Minneapolis.
Season-Opener History
Creighton is 17-14-4 in season openers all-time, including the Bluejays' 2-2 draw against Nebraska last season.
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton is 5-4-2 in season-openers.
The Bluejays, however, have outscored foes by an average of 1.51 (53 Goals) to 1.34 (47 Goals) goals per game in the Jays' 35 season-openers.
Head coach Jimmy Walker is 8-7-1 all-time in season-openers, including a 3-4-1 mark at the Division I level.
Date School Opponent Result
9/10/97 Tiffin at Ashland L, 0-4
8/29/98 Tiffin Houghton College L, 0-8
9/2/99 Tiffin Trine W, 8-0
8/30/00 Tiffin Saginaw Valley W, 2-1 (ot)
8/28/01 Tiffin at Notre Dame College W, 8-0
9/7/02 Tiffin at Milligan L, 2-4
8/29/03 Duquesne vs. Howard W, 2-1
8/27/04 Duquesne at Bowling Green L, 3-7
8/28/05 Duquesne vs. Jacksonville W, 5-2
8/25/06 Duquesne at Vermont T, 1-1
8/30/18 Findlay Urbana W, 1-0
9/8/19 Findlay Northwood W, 2-1
3/4/21 BGSU at Akron W, 3-0
8/19/21 BGSU at Notre Dame L, 1-3
8/18/22 BGSU Michigan State L, 0-2
8/20/23 BGSU at #17 Michigan State L, 1-3
Production Returns
Creighton returns just five players who started nine or more matches from last fall's team that finished 4-9-5 and 2-7-1 in the BIG EAST Conference.
All told, CU returns 54.5 percent of its starts, 56.0 percent of its minutes, 80.0 percent of its goals, 56.3 percent of its assists, 73.2 percent of its points, 83.0 percent of its shots and 22.1 percent of its saves off of last year's squad.
Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:
Stat Returners Departures
Starts 108 (54.5%) 90 (45.5%)
Minutes 9,973 (56.0%) 7,847 (44.0%)
Goals 16 (80.0%) 4 (20.0%)
Assists 9 (56.3%) 7 (43.7%)
Points 41 (73.2%) 15 (26.8%)
Shots 176 (83.0%) 36 (17.0%)
Saves 18 (23.4%) 59 (76.6%)
Scoring First Yields Success
Despite finishing the 2023 season with a 2-1-2 record when scoring first, Creighton has had incredible success when scoring first since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bluejays own a 61-11-12 record when finding the back of the net first but are 18-76-8 when their opponent scores first and 0-0-7 in scoreless draws.
Creighton Picked Seventh In BIG EAST Preseason Poll
The Bluejays were picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Aug. 13.
earned 44 points in the preseason coaches' poll to place seventh overall. The Jays' went just 2-7-1 during BIG EAST play last season, but with five returning starters boasting a wealth of experience and 15 total returning letterwinners, first-year head coach Jimmy Walker has the tools to lead the Bluejay back to the postseason.
Defending BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion Georgetown claimed the top spot with 100 points, including the maximum 10 first-place votes. UConn tallied one first-place vote and a total of 91 points to place second, while Xavier beating out Butler (70) by two points for third with 72 points. Providence (66) and St. John's (57) closed out the top six, while Seton Hall (43), Marquette (22), Villanova (22) and DePaul (19) rounded out the bottom half of the poll.
The top six teams in the final league standings will qualify for the 2024 BIG EAST Championship Presented by JEEP. The first-round matchups will be hosted by the higher seed on Nov. 3 (3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5), while the semifinals on Nov. 7 (1 vs. winner of 4/5 and 2 vs. winner of 3/6) and final match on Nov. 10 will be played in Boyds, Md.
Manriki Tabbed To Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Senior midfielder Azumi Manriki earned individual recognition as the BIG EAST Preseason honors and poll were released on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Manriki, a Hiroshima, Japan native, was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last fall after pacing the Bluejays and ranking sixth in the BIG EAST with 46 total shots. She contributed two goals and dished out an assist while logging 1,570 minutes of action over 18 contests. Manriki is one of just five players returning to the squad this season after starting at least nine matches during the 2023 season.
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Natalie Tavana, Seton Hall, Sr., F
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Kaitlyn Mahoney, UConn, Gr., GK
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Abigail Isger, Butler, Gr., F
Caitlin O'Malley, Butler, Gr., D
Talia Sommer, Butler, Jr., M/F
Azumi Manriki, Creighton, Sr., M
Natalie Means, Georgetown, Jr., F
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Sr., M
Kayla Briggs, Providence, So., F
Natalie Tavana, Seton Hall, Sr., F
Lucy Cappadona, UConn, Gr., D
Kaitlyn Mahoney, UConn, Gr., GK
Chioma Okafor, UConn, Jr., F
Natalie Bain, Xavier, Jr., D
Maria Galley, Xavier, Jr., GK
Season Outlook
Creighton heads into the 2024 season with a new coaching staff and 13 players who have yet to appear in a Bluejay uniform, but aspirations of a return trip to the postseason still remains as the program's biggest goal.
New head coach Jimmy Walker, who led Bowling Green State to two NCAA Tournament appearances in four years, was hired in late November after the departure of former Bluejay great Ross Paule. Walker comes to Creighton with a lofty résumé which includes nearly three decades worth of coaching experiences.
With five returning starters boasting a wealth of experience, a small core is in place for Walker's leadership to guide the Bluejays back to the postseason.
The Bluejays bring back 15 letterwinners from a season ago, led by All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Azumi Manriki, and by graduate student and co-captain, Abigail Santana.
Midfielders/Forwards
Returning the nucleus of an offense that scored 20 goals a season ago will pay dividends as the Bluejays are equipped to make another postseason appearance.
Manriki, Creighton's only returning All-BIG EAST selection, is back to lead the offensive attack for the Bluejays this season after scoring a pair of goals and dishing out one assist a year ago, while Santana is expected to by a key contributor along the front line after leading the team with three goals and four assists in 2023.
Other threats to look out for are senior Lara Kazandjian and sophomore Anja Jestrovic. Kazandjian, a 2022 All-BIG EAST selection, closed out 2023 with a goal and an assist, while Jestrovic contributed a team-high tying three goals and two assists in eight games.
Fellow seniors Ariana Mondiri and Stella Downing are also expected to make immediate impacts to the Creighton attack with their return to the pitch after having missed last season.
Other threats to play along the Bluejays front line include transfers Marissa LeVine (UC Irvine), Ella Luna (Ole Miss), Kelis Brown (Oklahoma) and Mallory Connealy (Xavier).
Defense
Defensively the Bluejays have a large hole to fill after the departure of All-BIG EAST honoree Peighton Steffen, 2023 graduate Gabby Grimaldi and freshman Maia Sirota.
Although Steffen, Grimaldi and Sirota have departed, Walker has added depth to the Bluejays backline with the addition of Ella Offer (Xavier), Reese Carpenter (Xavier) and freshman Samantha Lee.
In addition, Creighton will look to graduate student Maddie Radke to play a more significant role along the Bluejays back line this fall. A traditional defender, Radke only saw action in 13 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury last season.
Goalkeepers
Another key area of emphasis in 2024 will be on the goalkeepers. With the departure of five-year starter Keelan Terrell, the Bluejays will look for someone to step up to fill the void.
Sophomore Maddie Merrick is the only goalkeeper on the team with playing experience at the collegiate level, having logged 270 minutes of action in 2023.
With the job still up for grabs, junior Kailey Hall, redshirt freshman Caroline Blum and Louisville transfer Alyssa Zalac will all continue to battle to earn the starting position.
The Gauntlet
Ranked as one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, Creighton will face two opponents ranked in the Top-15 of the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top-25 poll.
In addition, the Bluejays will battle three power 5 opponents, including Minnesota, Iowa State and Nebraska all on the road.
The Bluejays being the month of September with a trip down I-80 to battle #6 preseason ranked Nebraska on Sept. 1, before returning home on Sept. 6 to face United Soccer Coaches Preseason #12 and perennial Atlantic 10 powerhouse Saint Louis in the Jays annual Soccertoberfest match on Sept. 6.
Leading the Ship
Seniors Stella Downing, Alyssa Judkins, Maddie Radke and Abigail Santana were chosen by the players as captains for the 2024 season.
Santana was voted as a captain for the second straight season, while Downing, Judkins and Radke are each earning the honor for the first time in their Bluejay careers.
International Flavor
Creighton finds players from all over the globe to come to Omaha, Nebraska to play soccer and this year's roster features a more robust team with players from nine different countries.
Creighton head coach Jimmy Walker has gathered a group of 12 players from eight different international countries, while the remaining 18 players hail from the United States.
Canada: (4) Stella Downing, Lara Kazandjian, Tejia Murray-Powell, Alyssa Zalac
England: (2) Millie Thistleton, Tilly Thomas
France: (1) Ariana Mondiri
Germany: (1) Caroline Blum
Japan: (1) Azumi Manriki
Norway: (1) Andrine Westlie
Puerto Rico: (1) Jess Torres
Serbia: (1) Anja Jestrovic
United State: (18)
Scoring Two Works Almost Everytime
It would stand to reason that scoring goals increases a team's chances of winning. For the Bluejays, that is most certainly the case.
Since the program began in 1989, Creighton owns a 272-22-12 all-time record when scoring two or more goals in a match. On the flip side, the Bluejays are 46-247-52 when being held to fewer than two goals.
Additionally, the Bluejays are 65-7-3 when scoring two or more goals, but 14-80-24 when netting fewer than two goals since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.
Bluejay History in First Road Match of Season
Creighton hits the road for the first time this season on Thursday, Aug. 15 for a battle at Minnesota. The Bluejays have not had the greatest success in its first road match of the season, but still own a
14-18-2 mark all-time in road openers.
The Bluejays, however, have not won its road opener since posting a 2-1 win at Kansas City in 2019 and have not won a season opener on the road since downing South Dakota State, 3-2, in 2014.
BIG EAST Extends Contract With FloSports
The BIG EAST Conference, including Creighton University, has partnered with FloSports from 2021-25 to deliver hundreds of subscription-based events leaguewide. This includes virtually every Creighton-produced home webcast in men's soccer, women's soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, baseball and softball.
Founded in 2006, FloSports features a growing library of more than 300,000 hours of premium content including news, expert commentary, films, documentaries and more.
A subscription is required to view events on FloSports. A subscription to FloSports grants access to the entire FloSports catalog across all of its websites. So rather than paying for individual subscriptions to multiple BIG EAST schools to watch Creighton play road events, now one subscription to FloSports will let you watch all the school-produced events streamed on-line.
Subscribers who cannot watch a game "live" will still be able to watch an archived version of those games "on-demand".
For a complete rundown of the costs and options, go to the Bluejays website at https://gocreighton.com/news/2021/8/17/flosports-information.aspx
