Women's Soccer Opens Home Slate with Iowa State on Thursday Night

Game #3: Iowa State Cyclones (0-0-1) at Creighton Bluejays (1-1-0)
Thursday, August 21, 2025 • 6 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • Morrison Stadium
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES (PDF)

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Creighton (1-1-0) opens the home portion of their 2025 schedule on Thursday, Aug. 21, when it hosts Iowa State (0-0-1) for the coveted Tea Cup Trophy.

Kickoff between the Bluejays and Cyclones is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Morrison Stadium.

Promotional Schedule

Creighton will celebrate the return of student to campus with its annual Get Blue Barbecue.

Thursday is also Heroes Night at Morrison Stadium. All active duty service members, veterans and first responders can purchase tickets for just $3 by showing valid identification at the ticket window.

Follow the Match

Thursday's match against Iowa State will be broadcasted live on ESPN+ with Jake Ryan and Jon Schriner on the call, while live stats will be available through StatBoardcast at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.

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 (1-1-0)

The Bluejays opened the 2025 season with a 1-1 showing during the first week of action on the road. Creighton dropped the season opener at Oklahoma on Aug. 14, before responding with a 2-1 victory over Kansas City on Aug. 17 for their first win of the season.

Brynn Gardner, Ariana Mondiri and Ella Luna lead the way offensively with one goal apiece, while Mallory Connealy and Tori Gillis have been focal pieces in the Bluejays frontline attack early on this season.

Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac has been solid in goal, collecting seven sevens on 18 shots faced in 180 minutes in net.

Coming off the program's most successful season in over a decade, the expectations are higher than ever as the 2025 Creighton Bluejays enter the second season under head coach Jimmy Walker.

The Bluejays return eight players who started at least four matches, including co-captions Ella Offer and Savanna Solomon, from last season's 8-7-2 squad that finished fourth in the BIG EAST and hosted a postseason match for the first time since joining the league in 2013.

It is with that foundation set and 13 letterwinners returning, that the 2025 version of Creighton women's soccer aims to become the first to reach the NCAA postseason since 2010.

Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' poll as Jimmy Walker is in his 18th season with a 185-103-28 career record.

Scouting Iowa State (0-0-1)

Iowa State opened the fall battling to a 2-2 draw with Portland State last Thursday night in Ames.

Lauren Hernandez got the Cyclones started with her first goal of the season in the 22nd minute. Tied at 1-1 at the break, Morgan Goodman quickly delivered the go-ahead goal in the 52nd minute to take a 2-1 lead before setting for a 2-2 draw.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kasey Cannistraro was tested early, collecting one save before allowing two goals in the tie.

Iowa State returns just 11 players, including six starters from last year's team that finished 3-9-6 overall. The Cyclones also welcomed in 15 newcomers, including 10 transfers and five true freshmen.

ISU was picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll, while head coach Matt Fannon enters his sixth season at Iowa State with an 20-47-17 overall record at the helm.

Series History Against The Cyclones

Iowa State has won 7-of-11 all-time meetings against Creighton, but the Bluejays beat the Cyclones in Ames when the squads squared off last fall.

In that contest, Iowa State took an early lead before Tilly Thomas and Azumi Manriki delivered a pair of second half goals to lift the Jays to victory.

Six of the 11 match-ups have taken place in Omaha, where Iowa State holds a 4-1-1 edge in the series. The Bluejays lone win at home came in 2019, when Skylar Heinrich delivered the game-winning goal for Creighton in the 88th minute.

Jimmy Walker is 1-0-0 against Iowa State and Matt Fannon as a head coach.

The Jimmy Walker/Matt Fannon Connection

Creighton head coach Jimmy Walker and Iowa State head coach Matt Fannon has a connection unlike any other.

Walker and Fannon have been close friends since their playing days across the pond in England and that bond grew even larger once the two Englishmen took to coaching.

Fannon got his first Division I coaching opportunity at Bowling Green from 2017-19. Following the 2019 season Fannon took over as the head coach at Iowa State and Walker became the head coach at Bowling Green.

Now at Creighton and Iowa State, Walker and Fannon faced off for the first time as head coaches in the inaugural Tea Cup match last season with Walker's Bluejays claiming the 2-1 victory.

Home Opener History

Creighton opens the home portion of their schedule on Thursday against Iowa State in the second edition of the Tea Cup game.

The Bluejays enter Thursday's match against the Cyclones with a 22-9-5 mark in home openers, including a 1-0-0 record under Jimmy Walker.

The Bluejays are also 13-5-4 all-time in its first home match of the season at Morrison Stadium since it opened in 2003 and have won nine of its 12 home openers since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

Creighton Home-Openers at Morrison Stadium

Date Opponent Result

9/5/03 Western Michigan T, 0-0 (2ot)

9/4/04 South Dakota State W, 2-0

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

8/30/06 South Dakota State W, 2-0

8/31/07 Northern Colorado W, 2-1

8/24/08 South Dakota State W, 3-2 (2ot)

8/21/09 Iowa State T, 0-0 (2ot)

8/20/10 South Dakota State T, 0-0 (2ot)

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

8/19/12 Iowa State L, 0-1 (ot)

8/30/13 North Dakota W, 6-0

8/24/14 Incarnate Word W, 2-0

8/21/15 South Dakota W, 1-0

8/19/16 Iowa W, 5-3

9/3/17 South Dakota State L, 2-3 (ot)

9/7/18 South Dakota W, 2-1 (ot)

8/23/19 Kansas State W, 3-2

3/7/21 Xavier L, 0-1

8/19/21 Montana W, 2-1 (2ot)

8/25/22 Kansas City W, 2-1

8/17/23 Nebraska T, 2-2

8/29/24 Western Michigan W, 3-0

Home Sweet Home

Creighton is in its 23rd season of playing home matches inside the friendly confines of Morrison Stadium.

Since opening in 2003, Creighton owns a 118-63-28 (.632) record at Morrison Stadium, including a 56-38-14 mark at home since joining the BIG EAST in 2013 and a 20-30-5 record in home league matches.

Last season, the Bluejays finished with a 5-2-2 record at home, while hosting the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time in program history.

Most Win in Morrison Stadium in a Season

Year Wins Overall Home Record

1. 2010 9 9-1-2

2. 2009 8 8-2-2

2008 8 8-2-1

2005 8 8-1-1

5. 2015 7 7-4-0

2007 7 7-2-1

7. 2022 6 6-1-3

2019 6 6-4-0

2016 6 6-2-2

2013 6 6-4-0

2006 6 6-5-0

12. 2024 5 5-2-2

Some Loyal Fans

Creighton averaged 1,024 fans per match last season, it's the highest average home attendance in a single season in program history.

The Bluejays attracted 9,218 spectators into Morrison Stadium in 2024, a mark that ranked second most in school history and trailed only the 9,308 fans in attendance during 10 matches in 2019.

The Bluejays finished the season rank 36th nationally in average home attendance (1,024) and 43rd in total home attendance (9,218).

The Bluejay faithful showed up in a big way as Creighton hosted a program record crowd of 3,670 for its annual Socctoberfest match against #19 Saint Louis on Sept. 6.

With students back on campus and Thursday being the first home match of the season, Creighton is expecting a packed house to cheer the Bluejays on to victory.

Below is a list of the largest home single season attendance marks in program history, as well as the top 12 largest crowds in school history.

Creighton's Single Season Home Attendance Totals

Rk. Year Games Total Avg.

1. 2019 10 9,308 931

2. 2024 9 9,218 1,024

3. 2006 11 7,603 691

4. 2009 12 7,371 614

5. 2004 10 7,281 728

6. 2005 10 7,195 720

7. 2023 9 6,473 719

8. 2016 10 6,399 640

9. 2007 10 6,324 632

10. 2017 8 6,166 771

Top 12 Creighton Women's Soccer Home Crowds

*1. 3,670 vs. #19 Saint Louis, Sept. 6, 2024 (T, 0-0)

2. 2,308 vs. Nebraska-Omaha, Sept. 16. 2017 (W, 3-1)

3. 2,023 vs. Kansas State, Aug. 23, 2019 (W, 3-2)

4. 1,834 vs. Nebraska, Aug. 17, 2023 (T, 2-2)

5. 1,678 vs. Nebraska-Omaha, Sept. 20, 2013 (W, 3-2)

6. 1,547 vs. Iowa, Sept. 21, 2007 (L, 0-1)

*7. 1,444 vs. South Dakota, Sept. 9, 2016 (W, 2-1)

8. 1,413 vs. South Dakota State, Sept. 15, 2023 (W, 1-0)

9. 1,289 vs. Northern Iowa, Sept. 23, 2011 (W, 1-0)

10. 1,277 vs. Arizona State, Sept. 18, 2009 (L, 1-2)

11. 1,251 vs. Kansas, Sept. 29, 2006 (W, 1-0)

*12. 1,248 vs. South Dakota, Sept. 7, 2018 (W, 2-1 OT)

* - Socctoberfest Matches

SHE'S BACK

A staple for the Bluejays on the frontline since stepping foot on campus in 2020, co-captain Abigail Santana made her return to the pitch for the first time in 658 days, logging 56 minutes in the Jays' season opener at Oklahoma.

The sixth-year graduate student tore her ACL and MCL during the second preseason practice last fall and missed the entire 2024 season rehabbing the injury.

A valuable piece of Creighton's offense, Santana has scored 14 goals and dished out eight assists, while logging more than 4,900 minutes of action in her Bluejay career.

Late Match Dramatics

Creighton picked up its first win of the season in dramatic fashion as graduate student Ariana Mondiri buried the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 90th minute (89:07) of the Bluejays 2-1 win at Kansas City on Aug. 17.

Mondiri's game-winner marked Creighton's 18th game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation time and/or in overtime since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

Including Mondiri's game-winner on Sunday, Creighton has now scored a game-winning goal during the final 10 minutes of regulation 10 times and a game-winner in golden goal overtime eight times. This also marks the 13th consecutive season that Creighton has scored a game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation and/or in overtime.

Hailey Rothwell continues to own the most dramatic game-winner in recent seasons, scoring in the 110th minute (109:14) of a double-overtime 2-1 win over Montana in the 2021 season opener.

Creighton Game-Winning Goals During

Final 10 Minutes/Overtime since 2013

Date Opponent GW Goal Time (Scorer)

9/15/13 Montana 93:48 (Kirstyn Corder)

8/22/14 at SDSU 82:27 (Kirstyn Corder)

9/7/14 Drake 85:49 (Addison Nokels)

9/21/14 at Omaha 101:57 (Lauren Sullivan)

10/2/14 Providence 106:25 (Addison Nokels)

10/8/15 at Seton Hall 98:26 (Alyssa Jara)

9/25/16 Marquette 107:32 (Lauren Sullivan)

10/15/17 Villanova 88:35 (Kaira Houser)

9/7/18 South Dakota 95:55 (Keelie Fothergill)

9/23/18 Xavier 85:12 (Taryn Jakubowski)

9/6/19 Iowa State 87:50 (Skylar Heinrich)

9/17/19 at Kansas City 85:06 (Kylin Grubb)

4/1/21 at Marquette 91:02 (Ansley Atkinson)

8/19/21 Montana 109:14 (Hailey Rothwell)

10/13/22 at Seton Hall 85:50 (Ariana Mondiri)

9/10/23 at NDSU 83:39 (Hitomi Yamaue)

10/6/24 UConn 84:44 (Stella Downing)

8/17/25 at Kansas City 89:07 (Ariana Mondir)

SHE'S BACK Part 2

Battling injuries throughout her first two seasons as a Bluejay, sophomore Kendal Radke was finally able to lace up the cleats and record her first minutes as a Bluejay in the season opener at Oklahoma (Aug. 14).

Radke redshirted her first year on campus after suffering a leg injury over the summer prior to her freshman season. She then missed the entire 2024 season after breaking her leg in a practice prior to the Bluejays 2-1 victory over Iowa State.

In total, Radke went more than 750 days without playing in a competitive soccer match before playing the final 15 minutes against Oklahoma last Thursday.

Queen B

Just two matches into the season, senior forward and Bowling Green transfer Brynn Gardner has already made an immediate impact in her short time with the Bluejays.

The Whitehouse, Ohio native inserted herself into a starting role right away and delivered her first goal as a Bluejay with a strike from distance in the Jays' 2-1 win over Kansas City on Aug. 17.

Over the course of her career, Gardner has been an offensive weapon, netting 15 goals and passed out 14 assists, while logging more than 3,600 minutes of action in 56 contests. In 2023, Gardner earned First Team All-MAC and OCSA All-Ohio Second Team honors, while claiming MAC All-Freshman Team honors after scoring six goals and dishing out seven assists in 2022.

Marcy (Gans) Parker Get Hall of Fame Call

Bluejay women's soccer alumni Marcy (Gans) Parker was recently announced as an inductee into the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 56th class in school history.

The Creighton women's soccer record holder in goals (38) and points (91), Gans joins the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame after starring for the Bluejays from 2005-08. Gans also remains the Morrison Stadium leader in goals (23), shots (156), shots on goal (69) and points (54).

The first two-time Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Tournament MVP in league history (2005, 2007), Gans assisted the game-winning goal in the 2005 final and compiled a hat trick vs. Evansville in the 2007 semifinals. In the 2007 final against Illinois State, she assisted on an equalizer in the 87th minute, then scored in a shootout to help CU to the league tournament title.

She was a First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick in 2007 and 2008 after earning Third Team All-Valley accolades her first two seasons, making her one of five players in program history to earn All-Conference honors four times.

Gans was a First Team Academic All-District selection in 2007 and a Third Team NSCAA Scholar All-American in both 2007 and 2008.

Gans graduated from Creighton in 2009 with an Exercise Science degree. She played professionally for the Boston Renegades in the USL W-League, then served as an assistant coach at Kansas City and Avila. She is currently the Director of Results Administration and Operations with Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unite. Marcy and her husband Bradley Parker, a former Creighton men's soccer goalkeeper, live in Stilwell, Kan., with their three kids.

Bluejay Defense is the Key

Finishing last season with an 8-7-2 overall record, there was one pattern that had developed for the Bluejays over the course of the season.

When Creighton's defense holds its opponents to one goal or less the Bluejays were 8-2-1 with five shutouts, but if the defense allowed two goals or more goals, CU went 0-5-1.

Over the course of the first two matches this season, Creighton is 1-0-0 when holding its opponent to one goal or less, but 0-1-0 when allowing more than two goals.

Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton owns an impressive 76-24-24 record when holding its opponents to one goal or less, collecting 52 shutouts in the process. CU, however, is 12-71-5 when allowing two or more goals in a match.

Creighton's Record When Allowing...

Year 1 or less goals 2 or more goals

2013 7-1-1 2-7-0

2014 8-2-2 2-4-0

2015 8-1-0 2-9-0

2016 6-1-2 3-5-0

2017 4-3-2 0-8-1

2018 6-1-1 0-9-0

2019 6-4-2 2-3-1

2020 4-2-0 0-4-0

2021 7-4-2 0-6-0

2022 8-1-8 0-3-0

2023 3-2-3 1-7-2

2024 8-2-1 0-5-1

2025 1-0-0 0-1-0

Totals 76-24-24 12-71-5

Bringing the Physicality

Over the course of the last few years there is one portion of the game that Creighton is not shy to bring, and that is the physicality.

Through the first two matches this season, Creighton has racked up 33 fouls and a total of three yellow cards. The Bluejays 16.50 fouls per game are tied for the third-most in the country.

During the Bluejays' 2-1 win over Kansas City on Aug. 17, Creighton was called for 26 fouls over the course of the match. The Bluejays 26 fouls were its most in a single match since being called for 27 fouls at Iowa State last season.

In 17 matches last fall, Creighton's racked up 258 fouls, leading the country with 15.18 fouls per match. In addition, the Bluejays were cautioned with 29 yellow cards, tied for the 12th most nationally.

Creighton's 29 yellow cards last season were the most in a single season since at least the 2000 season. Just four years ago, the Bluejays were booked for six yellow cards,, ranking 301st out of 335 teams in Division I.

Year FPG Yellow Cards

2025 16.50 (T-3rd) 3 (T-17th)

2024 15.18 (1st) 29 (T-12th)

2023 11.28 (33rd) 12 (209th)

2022 9.85 (118th) 9 (278th)

2021 9.17 (169th) 6 (301st)

2020 10.70 (48th) 4 (215th)

2019 11.56 (39th) 17 (41st)

2018 8.94 (171st) 10 (155th)

Scoring First Yields Success

Last season Creighton had tremendous success when scoring the first goal of the match. The Bluejays went 7-2-1 when scoring first, but 1-5-0 when the opponent found the back of the net first. The Bluejays were also 0-0-1 in scoreless draws.

Additionally, CU was 4-1-1 when leading at the break, 1-3-0 when trailing at halftime and 3-3-1 when tied at the break in 2024.

Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013, Creighton owns a 69-13-13 when finding the back of the net first, including a 1-0-0 record this season. However, the Bluejays are 19-82-8 when the opponent scores first, including 0-1-0 this fall, and 0-0-8 in scoreless draws.

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 278-23-13 all-time record when scoring two or more goals in a match, including its 2-1 win over Kansas City on Aug. 17. On the flip side, the Bluejays are 47-254-52 when being held to fewer than two goals.

Additionally, the Bluejays are 71-8-4 when scoring two or more goals and 15-87-24 when netting fewer than two goals since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

Production Returns

Creighton returns eight players who started four or more matches from last fall's team that finished 8-7-2 and finished fourth in the BIG EASTwith a 5-4-1 league record.

All told, CU returns 51.9 percent of its starts, 53.8 percent of its minutes, 38.1 percent of its goals, 43.8 percent of its assists, 39.7 percent of its points, 35.7 percent of its shots and 100 percent of its saves off of last year's squad.

Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:

Stat Returners Departures

Starts 97 (51.9%) 90 (48.1%)

Minutes 9,056 (53.8%) 7,774 (46.2%)

Goals 8 (38.1%) 13 (61.9%)

Assists 7 (43.8%) 9 (56.2%)

Points 23 (39.7%) 35 (60.3%)

Shots 66 (35.7%) 119 (64.3%)

Saves 61 (100%) 0 (0.0%)

Women's Soccer Opens Home Slate with Iowa State on Thursday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mallory Connealy

Stella Downing

Brynn Gardner

Tori Gillis

Ella Luna

Azumi Manriki

Ariana Mondiri

Ella Offer

Kendal Radke

Abigail Santana

Savanna Solomon

Tilly Thomas

Alyssa Zalac

Women's Soccer Opens Home Slate with Iowa State on Thursday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mallory Connealy

Stella Downing

Brynn Gardner

Tori Gillis

Ella Luna

Azumi Manriki

Ariana Mondiri

Ella Offer

Kendal Radke

Abigail Santana

Savanna Solomon

Tilly Thomas

Alyssa Zalac

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