No. 7 Bluejays Conclude Regular-Season at Evansville
11/6/2007 5:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
#7 Creighton at Evansville
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7:00 p.m. ? Arad McCutchan Stadium ? Evansville, Ind.
This Week: The Bluejays conclude the regular-season on the road at Evansville Saturday night. The Jays and Purple Aces will kickoff at 7 p.m. Fans can listen to the UE audio broadcast through the link provided at www.gocreighton.com.
Last Week: Creighton played to a 1-1 tie at Drake last Saturday. Thomas Gjoesund's team-leading sixth goal of the season put the Bluejays up in the 19th minute, but a second-half Bulldog tally sent the match into overtime. Matt Allen made seven saves in the stalemate. The fifth tie of the season established a school record for draws in a year.
Scouting Creighton (9-1-5, 3-0-2 MVC): The seventh-ranked Bluejays enter the regular-season finale on a nine-match unbeaten streak (6-0-3), their longest such streak since 2003. CU has not lost a match away from Omaha this year, with a 3-0-1 mark in true road matches and a 2-0-0 record in neutral contests. CU has the top defense in the MVC, with a 0.85 goals against average, allowing just 14 goals in 15 games. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund is Creighton's leading scorer, with six goals in only 11 games played. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with five assists and 13 points, while senior Tony Schmitz (4 g, 4 a) adds 12 points. Tim Walters and Tim Bohnenkamp also have four assists each to help guide the CU offense. CU is having success despite the loss of preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. The CU defense is anchored by sophomores Chris Schuler and Jeff Thayer, along with junior Seth Sinovic. Senior Matt Allen, the only goalkeeper on the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list, has played every minute in net this year and has played more minutes in goal than any keeper in school history. This season he has made 57 saves and has a 0.85 goals against average along with five shutouts.
Scouting Evansville (10-7-0, 3-2-0 MVC): The Purple Aces are the top-scoring offense in the MVC, scoring 42 goals in 17 matches, including a 9-0 win at Lipscomb last Wednesday. The Aces have scored at least three goals in seven matches this year and been shutout just once. Seven different Aces have scored at least four goals, led by Cory Elenio and Ian McAuley's six goals each. Elenio adds a team-best nine assists to lead the UE offense with 21 points. The Aces rank sixth in the MVC in goals against average at 1.39, while starting keeper Alec Dufty has made 58 saves and has a 1.27 goals against this fall. UE lost to both Bradley (2-0) and Drake (4-1), both teams the Jays tied in MVC play.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 164-53-27 (.727) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 357-172-57 (.658) in his 30th year of coaching. Warming, the MVC All-Centennial Coach and the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and is a two-time MVC Coach of the Year. He was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and ranked eighth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open the year.
CU-UE Series: The Bluejays are 15-3-0 all-time against the Purple Aces, including three straight wins and wins in eight of the last nine meetings. CU is 5-2-0 all-time in Evansville, including a 2-0 win in its last trip to UE. The Jays last lost to the Aces in 2004, a 2-1 defeat in Evansville on Oct. 29, 2004. Last year the Bluejays topped Evansville 1-0 on Senior Night in Omaha.
Scenarios: Creighton can enter the State Farm MVC Tournament as high as the No. 1 seed or as low as the No. 4 seed depending on what happens Saturday in Evansville and around the league. There are several scenarios that will determine positioning.
? A win or tie at UE will give CU a first-round bye regardless of what else happens around the league.
? A win would clinch at least a share of the MVC regular-season title, CU's eighth regular-season title and second straight.
? If both Bradley and CU win, they would share the regular-season title for the second straight season the Bluejays would be the No. 2 seed.
? A loss would knock Creighton into a Wednesday game at the MVC Tournament as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed.
Nine is Fine: Creighton enters Saturday's game on a nine-match unbeaten streak (6-0-3), its longest since another nine-match unbeaten streak (8-0-1) in 2003. The Jays have not gone unbeaten in 10 straight matches since the 2000 team won 11 consecutive matches leading up to the NCAA National Championship match.
Gjoesund's Goals: Thomas Gjoesund has scored four of Creighton's last six goals and leads the team with six goals this season, despite playing in only 11 of CU's 15 matches. He scored CU's lone goal in its 1-1 tie at Drake last Saturday. The native of Norway has scored at least one goal in each of the last three games he's played in.
OT Info: Creighton established a school record by playing in its fifth tie of the season at Drake last Saturday. The Jays trumped the former record of four set by the 2003 team. CU's overtime match at DU also tied the school record for overtime matches in a season at eight, set just last year when the team was 3-2-3 in overtime matches. The Jays are 3-0-5 in OT this season.
Wrap it Up: The Jays enter the week tied for first in the MVC and will aim to clinch at least a share of their eighth regular-season Valley crown and repeat as regular-season champs for the first time since winning five straight from 1992-96. The last three times the Bluejays have played their regular-season finale on the road, they have lost. CU fell at Bradley last year, at Missouri State in 2004 and at Tulsa in 2003. The Bluejays must win or tie in order to receive a bye in the upcoming State Farm MVC Tournament in Omaha.
Minute Man: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen has established the school record for career minutes played in net. The four-year starter has now played 6,081 minutes, topping the former record of 5,974 set by Jim Dalla Riva from 1981-84.
No Road Trip Ups: CU has not lost away from Omaha this year, notching a 5-0-1 mark outside of Morrison Stadium. CU is 3-0-1 in true road matches. The Bluejays have lost at least two games away from Omaha every year since 1996. The 1995 squad was an unblemished 7-0-0 away from home.
Year Away Neutral
2007 3-0-1 2-0-0
2006 5-3-1 2-1-0
2005 5-4-1 2-0-1
2004 3-2-1 1-1-0
2003 5-2-1 0-2-1
2002 7-2-1 3-1-0
2001 3-3-0 1-4-0
2000 9-2-0 4-1-0
1999 4-4-1 0-0-0
1998 5-4-2 3-0-0
1997 4-3-1 3-1-0
1996 6-1-2 4-1-0
1995 5-0-0 2-0-0
Another Allen Record: With back-to-back shutouts of UNC Greensboro (Oct. 20) and Missouri State (Oct. 27), Matt Allen has tied the school record for shutouts in a career. Allen has 24 shutouts to tie the record Jay Fitzgerald set from 1991-95.
More on Matt: And yet another achievement by senior goalkeeper Matt Allen. The Omaha native became the third player in school history to win at least 40 games in his career with a 1-0 shutout over Missouri State (Oct. 27). He is just one win shy of tying current goalkeeper coach Mike Gabb for second on the CU career list.
Foreign Connection: Ten of Creighton's 25 goals this year have come from players not born in the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 12 points. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov leads the team with five assists and 13 points in his first season with the Bluejays.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton has just one loss through its first 15 matches. The last time the Jays went this deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
Thayer Scores: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was a member of the MVC All-Freshman team when he scored four goals and 12 points as a forward last year. This season Thayer has played the majority of the season in the back. Against Missouri State (Oct. 27) he earned on a start in the midfield and scored his first goal of the year and his first career game-winner.
RPI Numbers: The NCAA released its second RPI list on Oct. 30. Creighton was fifth in the initial RPI report and is now eighth. Notably, CU opponents Indiana (4), Tulsa (15), UCLA (23) and Washington (28) are in the top 30. See the top 10 Below:
NCAA Men's Soccer RPI Top 10
1. Wake Forest 6. Santa Clara
2. Boston College 7. Ohio State
3. Northwestern 8. Creighton
4. Indiana 9. Virginia Tech
5. Brown 10. Connecticut
Speaking of the Top 10: Creighton is in the top 10 for the third straight week, tying its highest ranking in the NSCAA poll this year at No. 7. Soccer Times ranks the Jays eighth, College Soccer News has CU ninth and Soccer America ranks the Jays 11th.
Time to Turn it Up: Since 2002, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .677, while their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is now .753, including a 5-0-3 mark this year. See the chart below:
Year Pre-Oct. Oct.-On NCAA
2002 5-2-1 13-2-1 College Cup
2003 3-3-2 9-3-2 Quarterfinals
2004 6-1-0 8-3-2 Third Round
2005 4-1-2 11-4-1 Quarterfinals
2006 6-3-2 7-2-1 First Round
2007 4-1-2 5-0-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 53-14-10
October Success: Since 2002, Creighton is now 34-7-6 (.787) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003. The Bluejays were unbeaten in October (5-0-2) this year.
Thomas the Tank: Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund became the seventh Bluejay honored with MVC Player of the Week laurels this season when he was tabbed the Offensive POW on Oct. 22 for his play against Western Kentucky and UNC Greensboro. Gjoesund scored three of CU's four goals last week, including both game winners and two tallies in the final 10 minutes of CU's 2-1 win at WKU. He was also named to the National Team of the Week by College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer.
Other Honors: Along with Thomas Gjoesund, the Bluejays have been tabbed MVC Player of the Week seven times this season. The others are ? Offensive: Tim Walters (9/17), Tony Schmitz (10/15); Defensive: Chris Schuler (9/10), Seth Sinovic (9/24, 10/8) and Matt Allen (10/15).
CK Record: After twice previously tying the Morrison Stadium record for corner kicks this season, the Bluejays established a new record for corner kicks in their 1-0 win over Missouri State (Oct. 27). CU attempted 15 corners in the win, trumping the old record of 13, which had been accomplished three times previously.
Go to the Corner: Creighton's record-setting corner kick performance is a continuation of a year-long trend in which the Bluejays are dominating in the CK stat category. CU leads the MVC with 8.3 corner kicks per game and owns a 124-59 edge in corners.
Attendance Figures: Creighton is on pace to shatter its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 3,117 fans through nine home matches this season. While the NCAA does not release attendance figures until the end of the season, an unofficial look around the country shows Creighton leading the nation in average attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/5)
1. Creighton - 3,117
2. Connecticut - 2,922
3. Duke - 2,788
4. UC Santa Barbara - 2,702
5. Indiana - 2,455
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 35-6-10 (.784) all-time, including 4-1-4 this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 137-22-15 at home. The Bluejays are 51-4-3 at home all-time in Missouri Valley Conference play, including 16-1-2 at Morrison Stadium. CU's lone Valley loss at Morrison Stadium was a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. Since then, the Bluejays have gone unbeaten in their last 13 MVC regular-season home matches. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans continue to turn out in record numbers, as CU's match with Tulsa on Sept. 22 drew 4,023. The 4,023 fans ranked as the sixth-highest game attendance in school history and it follows up CU's last home match which drew a record 5,812 to see UCLA on Sept. 8.
Top Six Creighton Home Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 ? 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
5 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
6 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
5 ? 3,746 vs. Georgetown, Sept. 1, 2006
Holy Schmitz: Senior Tony Schmitz scored the game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois with just 0.4 seconds showing on the clock in double overtime on Oct. 13. He also scored the equalizer in CU's 2-2 draw with Bradley on Oct. 1.
We're Even: Eight of Creighton's 15 matches this season have gone into overtime, with the Jays owning a 3-0-5 mark in extra time. Of Creighton's record setting five ties this year, the first four came at home, as the Bluejays have now recorded 10 ties at Morrison Stadium since the venue opened in 2003. Prior to 2003, the Bluejays had just five home draws combined between 1990 and 2002. The Jays are now 17-10-27 all-time under Bob Warming in overtime games.
Hawaii Two-O: Hawaii native Jeremy Wittig (jersey No. 20) scored his first career goal and added his first career assist in Creighton's 2-2 draw with Bradley (Oct. 10). The redshirt freshman headed in CU's first goal in the 29th minute and then assisted on Tony Schmitz's goal in the 57th minute. Making the night all the more special for Wittig, his family had traveled from Hawaii to watch the match.
Oh Shoot: Andrei Gotsmanov led a record-setting night against Bradley (Oct. 10). The junior unleashed 10 shots to set the CU record for shots at Morrison Stadium and tie the venue record set by Alejandro Bedoya of Fairleigh Dickinson (vs. Missouri State on Sept. 1, 2006). CU's 28 shots against BU also established a school record for shots at Morrison Stadium and fell one shy FDU's record set against MSU that same day. Gotsmanov has established a Morrison Stadium record for shots in a season, with 38 shots attempted at home this year.
Battling the Best: Creighton's win over second-ranked Indiana (Sept. 13) was the Bluejays' best win against a top 25 team since topping No. 2 SMU in 2000. The win improved the Bluejays to 5-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll. CU is 2-0-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams this year, while also playing to a scoreless draw with No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 8) and defeating No. 24 Washington 2-1 on Sept. 29. The Bluejays are now 8-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 18-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 46-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Dacy Has Surgery: Junior forward Byron Dacy will undergo surgery to repair his torn left ACL. Dacy suffered the injury in the 13th minutes of CU's exhibition match with Ohio State on Aug. 18. He attempted to rehabilitate the knee and played in two regular-season matches - two minutes against UCLA (Sept. 8) and 19 minutes against Loyola Marymount (Sept. 15). He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against LMU. His surgery took place Oct. 10.
Write the Script: Junior forward Tim Walters enjoyed an outstanding homecoming at the Saint Louis Nike Classic (Sept. 13-15). The St. Louis native scored the game-winning goal against second-ranked Indiana in a 2-1 win (Sept. 13). Making the homecoming all the more special, Tim's father played soccer at IU from 1976-79. Walters was rewarded with his first start as a Bluejay on Sept. 15 and he assisted the game-winning goal in overtime of CU's 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount. For his efforts in leading CU to the co-championship of the tournament, he was named co-MVP, MVC Offensive Player of the Week and to three national teams of the week.
Three of a Kind: CU's backline of Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic and Jeff Thayer were each named to the Saint Louis Nike Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 13-15) for their efforts in shutting down No. 2 Indiana, 2-1, and shutting out Loyola Marymount. 1-0. Sinovic also earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, one week after Schuler earned the award.
Andrei the Giant: Junior Andrei Gotsmanov paid immediate dividends in his first weekend at Creighton, scoring CU's first game-winning goal of the year and notching a multiple goal match in the Jays' 3-0 win over Green Bay. The multiple goal match was the fourth of Gotsmanov's career, after recording two hat tricks and a two-goal match at St. John's as a freshman in 2004 (his only other year of collegiate competition).
Rookie Watch: Freshmen Andrew Duran and Tucker Sindlinger have been named among the Top 100 Freshmen to Watch by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Duran, a two-time prep All-American, was named the NSCAA National Player of the Year last season as a midfielder at Lincoln-Way (Ill.) East High. Sindlinger, a forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has extensive international playing experience as part of the Region II Olympic Development Program.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen and junior forward Byron Dacy have been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Allen enters this season on pace to set CU career records for shutouts and minutes played. Dacy has led the team in scoring in each of his first two seasons, but will miss the remainder of this year due to a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. Allen joins Dacy on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current manager, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2007 Byron Dacy & Matt Allen
2006 Byron Dacy
2004 Julian Nash
2003 David Wagenfuhr
2002 Mike Tranchilla
2001 Mike Tranchilla
1997 Johnny Torres (Won)
1996 Ross Paule
1993 Keith DeFini & Brian Kamler
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7:00 p.m. ? Arad McCutchan Stadium ? Evansville, Ind.
This Week: The Bluejays conclude the regular-season on the road at Evansville Saturday night. The Jays and Purple Aces will kickoff at 7 p.m. Fans can listen to the UE audio broadcast through the link provided at www.gocreighton.com.
Last Week: Creighton played to a 1-1 tie at Drake last Saturday. Thomas Gjoesund's team-leading sixth goal of the season put the Bluejays up in the 19th minute, but a second-half Bulldog tally sent the match into overtime. Matt Allen made seven saves in the stalemate. The fifth tie of the season established a school record for draws in a year.
Scouting Creighton (9-1-5, 3-0-2 MVC): The seventh-ranked Bluejays enter the regular-season finale on a nine-match unbeaten streak (6-0-3), their longest such streak since 2003. CU has not lost a match away from Omaha this year, with a 3-0-1 mark in true road matches and a 2-0-0 record in neutral contests. CU has the top defense in the MVC, with a 0.85 goals against average, allowing just 14 goals in 15 games. Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund is Creighton's leading scorer, with six goals in only 11 games played. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov leads the team with five assists and 13 points, while senior Tony Schmitz (4 g, 4 a) adds 12 points. Tim Walters and Tim Bohnenkamp also have four assists each to help guide the CU offense. CU is having success despite the loss of preseason MAC Hermann Trophy candidate Byron Dacy, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. The CU defense is anchored by sophomores Chris Schuler and Jeff Thayer, along with junior Seth Sinovic. Senior Matt Allen, the only goalkeeper on the MAC Hermann Trophy preseason watch list, has played every minute in net this year and has played more minutes in goal than any keeper in school history. This season he has made 57 saves and has a 0.85 goals against average along with five shutouts.
Scouting Evansville (10-7-0, 3-2-0 MVC): The Purple Aces are the top-scoring offense in the MVC, scoring 42 goals in 17 matches, including a 9-0 win at Lipscomb last Wednesday. The Aces have scored at least three goals in seven matches this year and been shutout just once. Seven different Aces have scored at least four goals, led by Cory Elenio and Ian McAuley's six goals each. Elenio adds a team-best nine assists to lead the UE offense with 21 points. The Aces rank sixth in the MVC in goals against average at 1.39, while starting keeper Alec Dufty has made 58 saves and has a 1.27 goals against this fall. UE lost to both Bradley (2-0) and Drake (4-1), both teams the Jays tied in MVC play.
Head Coach: Head coach Bob Warming (Berea, 1975) is in his second stint as the Bluejays' head coach with a 164-53-27 (.727) record in his 12th season at CU. His overall record is 357-172-57 (.658) in his 30th year of coaching. Warming, the MVC All-Centennial Coach and the all-time winningest soccer coach at CU, has guided teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, is a five-time finalist for National Coach of the Year and is a two-time MVC Coach of the Year. He was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and ranked eighth among active Division I coaches in career victories to open the year.
CU-UE Series: The Bluejays are 15-3-0 all-time against the Purple Aces, including three straight wins and wins in eight of the last nine meetings. CU is 5-2-0 all-time in Evansville, including a 2-0 win in its last trip to UE. The Jays last lost to the Aces in 2004, a 2-1 defeat in Evansville on Oct. 29, 2004. Last year the Bluejays topped Evansville 1-0 on Senior Night in Omaha.
Scenarios: Creighton can enter the State Farm MVC Tournament as high as the No. 1 seed or as low as the No. 4 seed depending on what happens Saturday in Evansville and around the league. There are several scenarios that will determine positioning.
? A win or tie at UE will give CU a first-round bye regardless of what else happens around the league.
? A win would clinch at least a share of the MVC regular-season title, CU's eighth regular-season title and second straight.
? If both Bradley and CU win, they would share the regular-season title for the second straight season the Bluejays would be the No. 2 seed.
? A loss would knock Creighton into a Wednesday game at the MVC Tournament as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed.
Nine is Fine: Creighton enters Saturday's game on a nine-match unbeaten streak (6-0-3), its longest since another nine-match unbeaten streak (8-0-1) in 2003. The Jays have not gone unbeaten in 10 straight matches since the 2000 team won 11 consecutive matches leading up to the NCAA National Championship match.
Gjoesund's Goals: Thomas Gjoesund has scored four of Creighton's last six goals and leads the team with six goals this season, despite playing in only 11 of CU's 15 matches. He scored CU's lone goal in its 1-1 tie at Drake last Saturday. The native of Norway has scored at least one goal in each of the last three games he's played in.
OT Info: Creighton established a school record by playing in its fifth tie of the season at Drake last Saturday. The Jays trumped the former record of four set by the 2003 team. CU's overtime match at DU also tied the school record for overtime matches in a season at eight, set just last year when the team was 3-2-3 in overtime matches. The Jays are 3-0-5 in OT this season.
Wrap it Up: The Jays enter the week tied for first in the MVC and will aim to clinch at least a share of their eighth regular-season Valley crown and repeat as regular-season champs for the first time since winning five straight from 1992-96. The last three times the Bluejays have played their regular-season finale on the road, they have lost. CU fell at Bradley last year, at Missouri State in 2004 and at Tulsa in 2003. The Bluejays must win or tie in order to receive a bye in the upcoming State Farm MVC Tournament in Omaha.
Minute Man: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen has established the school record for career minutes played in net. The four-year starter has now played 6,081 minutes, topping the former record of 5,974 set by Jim Dalla Riva from 1981-84.
No Road Trip Ups: CU has not lost away from Omaha this year, notching a 5-0-1 mark outside of Morrison Stadium. CU is 3-0-1 in true road matches. The Bluejays have lost at least two games away from Omaha every year since 1996. The 1995 squad was an unblemished 7-0-0 away from home.
Year Away Neutral
2007 3-0-1 2-0-0
2006 5-3-1 2-1-0
2005 5-4-1 2-0-1
2004 3-2-1 1-1-0
2003 5-2-1 0-2-1
2002 7-2-1 3-1-0
2001 3-3-0 1-4-0
2000 9-2-0 4-1-0
1999 4-4-1 0-0-0
1998 5-4-2 3-0-0
1997 4-3-1 3-1-0
1996 6-1-2 4-1-0
1995 5-0-0 2-0-0
Another Allen Record: With back-to-back shutouts of UNC Greensboro (Oct. 20) and Missouri State (Oct. 27), Matt Allen has tied the school record for shutouts in a career. Allen has 24 shutouts to tie the record Jay Fitzgerald set from 1991-95.
More on Matt: And yet another achievement by senior goalkeeper Matt Allen. The Omaha native became the third player in school history to win at least 40 games in his career with a 1-0 shutout over Missouri State (Oct. 27). He is just one win shy of tying current goalkeeper coach Mike Gabb for second on the CU career list.
Foreign Connection: Ten of Creighton's 25 goals this year have come from players not born in the United States. Leading goal-scorer Thomas Gjoesund is a native of Norway, as the Scandinavian has six goals and 12 points. Junior Andrei Gotsmanov was born in Belarus, before moving to the US with his family and attending high school in Minnesota. Gotsmanov leads the team with five assists and 13 points in his first season with the Bluejays.
Long Time With Lone Loss: Creighton has just one loss through its first 15 matches. The last time the Jays went this deep into a season without two losses was the 1993 team which opened the year 19-0-0.
Thayer Scores: Sophomore Jeff Thayer was a member of the MVC All-Freshman team when he scored four goals and 12 points as a forward last year. This season Thayer has played the majority of the season in the back. Against Missouri State (Oct. 27) he earned on a start in the midfield and scored his first goal of the year and his first career game-winner.
RPI Numbers: The NCAA released its second RPI list on Oct. 30. Creighton was fifth in the initial RPI report and is now eighth. Notably, CU opponents Indiana (4), Tulsa (15), UCLA (23) and Washington (28) are in the top 30. See the top 10 Below:
NCAA Men's Soccer RPI Top 10
1. Wake Forest 6. Santa Clara
2. Boston College 7. Ohio State
3. Northwestern 8. Creighton
4. Indiana 9. Virginia Tech
5. Brown 10. Connecticut
Speaking of the Top 10: Creighton is in the top 10 for the third straight week, tying its highest ranking in the NSCAA poll this year at No. 7. Soccer Times ranks the Jays eighth, College Soccer News has CU ninth and Soccer America ranks the Jays 11th.
Time to Turn it Up: Since 2002, the Bluejays' pre-October winning percentage is .677, while their October-on winning percentage since 2002 is now .753, including a 5-0-3 mark this year. See the chart below:
Year Pre-Oct. Oct.-On NCAA
2002 5-2-1 13-2-1 College Cup
2003 3-3-2 9-3-2 Quarterfinals
2004 6-1-0 8-3-2 Third Round
2005 4-1-2 11-4-1 Quarterfinals
2006 6-3-2 7-2-1 First Round
2007 4-1-2 5-0-3 ???
?02-07 28-11-9 53-14-10
October Success: Since 2002, Creighton is now 34-7-6 (.787) in the month of October, including back-to-back undefeated Octobers in 2002 and 2003. The Bluejays were unbeaten in October (5-0-2) this year.
Thomas the Tank: Sophomore Thomas Gjoesund became the seventh Bluejay honored with MVC Player of the Week laurels this season when he was tabbed the Offensive POW on Oct. 22 for his play against Western Kentucky and UNC Greensboro. Gjoesund scored three of CU's four goals last week, including both game winners and two tallies in the final 10 minutes of CU's 2-1 win at WKU. He was also named to the National Team of the Week by College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer.
Other Honors: Along with Thomas Gjoesund, the Bluejays have been tabbed MVC Player of the Week seven times this season. The others are ? Offensive: Tim Walters (9/17), Tony Schmitz (10/15); Defensive: Chris Schuler (9/10), Seth Sinovic (9/24, 10/8) and Matt Allen (10/15).
CK Record: After twice previously tying the Morrison Stadium record for corner kicks this season, the Bluejays established a new record for corner kicks in their 1-0 win over Missouri State (Oct. 27). CU attempted 15 corners in the win, trumping the old record of 13, which had been accomplished three times previously.
Go to the Corner: Creighton's record-setting corner kick performance is a continuation of a year-long trend in which the Bluejays are dominating in the CK stat category. CU leads the MVC with 8.3 corner kicks per game and owns a 124-59 edge in corners.
Attendance Figures: Creighton is on pace to shatter its average home attendance record of 2,015 set in 2004. The Jays are averaging 3,117 fans through nine home matches this season. While the NCAA does not release attendance figures until the end of the season, an unofficial look around the country shows Creighton leading the nation in average attendance.
NCAA Attendance Leaders (as of 11/5)
1. Creighton - 3,117
2. Connecticut - 2,922
3. Duke - 2,788
4. UC Santa Barbara - 2,702
5. Indiana - 2,455
Home Sweet Morrison: The Bluejays are now 35-6-10 (.784) all-time, including 4-1-4 this year. Since 1990, the Bluejays are 137-22-15 at home. The Bluejays are 51-4-3 at home all-time in Missouri Valley Conference play, including 16-1-2 at Morrison Stadium. CU's lone Valley loss at Morrison Stadium was a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 SMU on Oct. 1, 2004. Since then, the Bluejays have gone unbeaten in their last 13 MVC regular-season home matches. The Jays have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in attendance in all four years that Morrison Stadium has been open.
Fantastic Fanatics: Bluejay soccer fans continue to turn out in record numbers, as CU's match with Tulsa on Sept. 22 drew 4,023. The 4,023 fans ranked as the sixth-highest game attendance in school history and it follows up CU's last home match which drew a record 5,812 to see UCLA on Sept. 8.
Top Six Creighton Home Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,407 vs. Saint Louis, Aug. 31, 1997
4 ? 4,345 vs. Virginia (Exh.), Aug. 28, 1993
5 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
6 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
Top Five Morrison Stadium Crowds
1 ? 5,812 vs. UCLA, Sept. 8, 2007
2 ? 5,743 vs. Stanford (Exh.), Aug. 26, 2005
3 ? 4,029 vs. UMKC (Exh.), Aug. 27, 2004
4 ? 4,023 vs. Tulsa, Sept. 22, 2007
5 ? 3,746 vs. Georgetown, Sept. 1, 2006
Holy Schmitz: Senior Tony Schmitz scored the game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois with just 0.4 seconds showing on the clock in double overtime on Oct. 13. He also scored the equalizer in CU's 2-2 draw with Bradley on Oct. 1.
We're Even: Eight of Creighton's 15 matches this season have gone into overtime, with the Jays owning a 3-0-5 mark in extra time. Of Creighton's record setting five ties this year, the first four came at home, as the Bluejays have now recorded 10 ties at Morrison Stadium since the venue opened in 2003. Prior to 2003, the Bluejays had just five home draws combined between 1990 and 2002. The Jays are now 17-10-27 all-time under Bob Warming in overtime games.
Hawaii Two-O: Hawaii native Jeremy Wittig (jersey No. 20) scored his first career goal and added his first career assist in Creighton's 2-2 draw with Bradley (Oct. 10). The redshirt freshman headed in CU's first goal in the 29th minute and then assisted on Tony Schmitz's goal in the 57th minute. Making the night all the more special for Wittig, his family had traveled from Hawaii to watch the match.
Oh Shoot: Andrei Gotsmanov led a record-setting night against Bradley (Oct. 10). The junior unleashed 10 shots to set the CU record for shots at Morrison Stadium and tie the venue record set by Alejandro Bedoya of Fairleigh Dickinson (vs. Missouri State on Sept. 1, 2006). CU's 28 shots against BU also established a school record for shots at Morrison Stadium and fell one shy FDU's record set against MSU that same day. Gotsmanov has established a Morrison Stadium record for shots in a season, with 38 shots attempted at home this year.
Battling the Best: Creighton's win over second-ranked Indiana (Sept. 13) was the Bluejays' best win against a top 25 team since topping No. 2 SMU in 2000. The win improved the Bluejays to 5-5-1 all-time against teams ranked in the top-five of the coaches poll. CU is 2-0-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams this year, while also playing to a scoreless draw with No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 8) and defeating No. 24 Washington 2-1 on Sept. 29. The Bluejays are now 8-1-1 against NSCAA top 25 teams at Morrison Stadium and 18-8-2 against top 25 teams at home all-time. CU owns a 46-37-9 mark all-time against the coaches top 25.
Dacy Has Surgery: Junior forward Byron Dacy will undergo surgery to repair his torn left ACL. Dacy suffered the injury in the 13th minutes of CU's exhibition match with Ohio State on Aug. 18. He attempted to rehabilitate the knee and played in two regular-season matches - two minutes against UCLA (Sept. 8) and 19 minutes against Loyola Marymount (Sept. 15). He scored the game-winning goal in overtime against LMU. His surgery took place Oct. 10.
Write the Script: Junior forward Tim Walters enjoyed an outstanding homecoming at the Saint Louis Nike Classic (Sept. 13-15). The St. Louis native scored the game-winning goal against second-ranked Indiana in a 2-1 win (Sept. 13). Making the homecoming all the more special, Tim's father played soccer at IU from 1976-79. Walters was rewarded with his first start as a Bluejay on Sept. 15 and he assisted the game-winning goal in overtime of CU's 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount. For his efforts in leading CU to the co-championship of the tournament, he was named co-MVP, MVC Offensive Player of the Week and to three national teams of the week.
Three of a Kind: CU's backline of Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic and Jeff Thayer were each named to the Saint Louis Nike Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 13-15) for their efforts in shutting down No. 2 Indiana, 2-1, and shutting out Loyola Marymount. 1-0. Sinovic also earned MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors, one week after Schuler earned the award.
Andrei the Giant: Junior Andrei Gotsmanov paid immediate dividends in his first weekend at Creighton, scoring CU's first game-winning goal of the year and notching a multiple goal match in the Jays' 3-0 win over Green Bay. The multiple goal match was the fourth of Gotsmanov's career, after recording two hat tricks and a two-goal match at St. John's as a freshman in 2004 (his only other year of collegiate competition).
Rookie Watch: Freshmen Andrew Duran and Tucker Sindlinger have been named among the Top 100 Freshmen to Watch by CollegeSoccerNews.com. Duran, a two-time prep All-American, was named the NSCAA National Player of the Year last season as a midfielder at Lincoln-Way (Ill.) East High. Sindlinger, a forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has extensive international playing experience as part of the Region II Olympic Development Program.
National Player of the Year Candidates: Senior goalkeeper Matt Allen and junior forward Byron Dacy have been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, annually given to the top soccer player in Division I. Allen enters this season on pace to set CU career records for shutouts and minutes played. Dacy has led the team in scoring in each of his first two seasons, but will miss the remainder of this year due to a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. Allen joins Dacy on the long list of National Player of the Year candidates from Creighton, including the 1997 winner and current manager, Johnny Torres.
CU National Player of the Year Candidates
Year Player
2007 Byron Dacy & Matt Allen
2006 Byron Dacy
2004 Julian Nash
2003 David Wagenfuhr
2002 Mike Tranchilla
2001 Mike Tranchilla
1997 Johnny Torres (Won)
1996 Ross Paule
1993 Keith DeFini & Brian Kamler
Creighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Omaha 9-10-25
Thursday, September 11
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability September 9
Tuesday, September 09
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights & Postgame vs Denver 9-5-25
Saturday, September 06
Creighton Media Availability 9.3.25 - Men's Soccer
Wednesday, September 03
