Bluejays Blast UNCG 4-0 in Men's Soccer

OMAHA, Neb. - Ethan Finlay scored a pair of first-half goals to help lead the Creighton men's soccer team to a 4-0 win over UNC Greensboro in the Bluejays' home opener Saturday night at Morrison Stadium. The Jays led 3-0 at halftime and added an insurance tally just over two minutes into the second half to secure the victory and improve to 11-0-4 in their last 15 home openers.

Finlay scored his first goal on a penalty kick just 8:30 into the match, after he was dragged down inside the 18-yard box. His PK conversion proved to be the game-winning score in the match, his 10th career game-winner.

The Bluejays (2-0-0) scored their second goal in the 16th minute, when Josh Moran snuck behind the Spartan defense to knock in a header. Kyle Deremer's long crossing pass from near midfield skimmed off of one UNCG defender and found its way to Moran's head. The senior from Omaha knocked his header in from about 12 yards out for his second goal in two years as a Bluejay.

Deremer again had a part in CU's third first-half goal as his long lead pass from the defensive end found it's way to Jose Gomez. Gomez flipped a back heal pass to a streaking Finlay who found himself alone against the UNCG keeper. Finlay bent his shot past Peyton Ford in net for the Spartans for his second tally and second career multiple-goal match.

The Bluejays dominated play and possesion in the first half, out-shooting the Spartans 8-3 and out-scoring the visitors 3-0 in the first 45 minutes.

Creighton concluded its scoring early in the second half, when Kris Clark scored his second goal in as many games just 2:03 after halftime. Clark knocked in a header off of a header pass from Greg Jordan across the goal mouth. Jordan received the ball from a free kick taken by Gomez nearly 40 yards out.

"We're trying to have a collective effort scoring this year, not putting pressure on any one guy," said head coach Jamie Clark after his home debut as Creighton's head coach. "That way we can fight for goals, grind out goals. The more we do that, the more of those we score, the more we'll believe."

With an important game at eighth-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, the Bluejays were able to rest some of their starters in the blowout victory, playing 10 guys off the bench. Included in those substitutions was redshirt junior goalkeeper Bryan Hoie, who made his collegiate debut in his fourth season with the Bluejays. Hoie played the final nine minutes in net and did not face a shot in combining with Brian Holt on the shutout.

Holt stopped five shots in the match and has now played 171 scoreless minutes in goal for the Bluejays this season.

Creighton has now scored six goals in two games this season, after needing seven matches to get to six goals scored in 2009. The Bluejays, who scored four goals tonight, did not score four total goals at home until their fifth home match last year.

The Bluejays will fly to California on Sunday in preparation for their match at preseason No. 8 UC Santa Barbara Tuesday night. The Jays and Gauchos will meet for the first time at 9 p.m. (CST) Tuesday at the site of this year's NCAA College Cup, UCSB's Harder Stadium.

NOTES: Creighton scored seven total goals in its first two games in 2008, en route to a 16-2-2 season and trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals ... The Bluejays are now 11-0-4 in their last 15 home openers ... 2,524 fans were in attendance, making the average home-opening attendance at Morrison Stadium 3,140 ... CU is now 5-0-3 in home openers at Morrison Stadium.

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Players Mentioned

Kris Clark

Kyle Deremer

Ethan Finlay

Jose Gomez

Bryan Hoie

Brian Holt

Greg Jordan

Josh Moran