Thursday, November 5
Washington, D.C.
1:00 PM
Creighton University
at
Georgetown
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
BIG EAST Top Seed Up For Grabs As No. 3 Men's Soccer Visits No. 6 Georgetown
11/4/2015 3:51:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Game 18 • Thurs., Nov. 5 • #3 Creighton at #6 Georgetown • Washington, D.C. • 1:00 p.m. CST
Up Next
    Third-ranked Creighton Men's Soccer (16-1-0, 7-1-0 BIG EAST) will look to solidify its seeding for the upcoming BIG EAST tournament as the Bluejays visit No. 6 and league-leading Georgetown (12-2-2, 8-0-0 BIG EAST) on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Washington, D.C., for their regular-season finale. Creighton and Georgetown are currently in second and first place in the BIG EAST standings, respectively.
   With a win, Creighton would earn a share of the regular-season title and clinch the top seed for the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, ensuring the Bluejays host rights throughout the tournament.
   The match will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CST and will take place at Shaw Field in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C.
Follow The Match
    Thursday's match will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network. To access the feed free-of-charge via FOX Sports GO, visit FOXSportsGO.com. The BIG EAST is the first and only collegiate conference to be hosted on FOX's mobile platform, FOX Sports GO.
   FOX Sports Go is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and phones, select Windows devices, and on desktops. Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, and Windows Store.
   Live stats for the match can be accessed via Georgetown's men's soccer schedule page at GUHoyas.com.
   Scoring updates, infographics, and periodic video highlights will be provided via Twitter at @CreightonMSOC.
Scouting Creighton
    The No. 3 Bluejays are 16-1-0 on the season after wins versus Michigan (1-0), Milwaukee (4-0), CSUN (2-1), No. 13 UC Irvine (4-0), Michigan State (1-0), Tulsa (1-0), Northern Illinois (2-0), Seton Hall (4-2), Missouri State (4-0), DePaul (1-0), Drake (2-1), St. John's (2-1),  Butler (1-0), Marquette (3-1), Villanova (5-1), Providence (3-1), and a loss to Xavier (2-1).
   The Bluejays return eight starters and 13 lettermen from last year's team that won the BIG EAST Conference regular-season title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, and ranked No. 7 in the year-end NSCAA poll.
   Creighton returns 30 of its 32 goals from last year, including each of its top six scorers. The Bluejays also return 24-of-30 assists from a year ago, and all but five minutes of the nearly 2,044 minutes in goal from last season.
   Junior forward Fabian Herbers (13g, 12a this year) has emerged as a frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors, as he's contributed at least one point in 16 of Creighton's 17 games, including a point in the Bluejays' first 10 matches. With 38 total points, Herbers is the leading point scorer in NCAA Division I. He currently ranks first or tied for first in all nine offensive categories tracked by the BIG EAST Conference after earning First Team All-America accolades and BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors during a magnificent 2014 season.Last season, he led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8). Herbers was also a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American last year. He ranks fifth among active NCAA D-I players for points per game (1.36).
   Senior Timo Pitter (7g, 3a this year) paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a 2014 campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits. Pitter was also named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2014. He currently ranks tied for fourth among NCAA D-I active players for career points (80).
   Senior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow (0.59 GAA this year) returns in net after ranking second nationally in goals against average (0.49) and 10th in save percentage (.841) a year ago. Sparrow's career 0.51 goals against average as a Bluejay is the best in Creighton history among goalies with at least 2,000 minutes in net.
   Five players have scored at least nine points for the Bluejays this season: Fabian Herbers (38), Timo Pitter (17), Myles Englis (9), Ricardo Perez (9), and Fernando Castellanos (9).
Scouting Georgetown
    Winners of ten consecutive matches, the Hoyas will enter Thursday's match-up in the midst of a program-best 13-match unbeaten streak dating back to Sept. 7.
   From Sept. 26 through Oct. 24, Georgetown earned a program-best six consecutive shutouts, breaking the previous record set in 1998.
   Georgetown is paced on the pitch by Joshua Yaro and Brandon Allen. Last season, Yaro and Allen earned NSCAA/Continental Tire Men's All-America First Team and Third Team honors, respectively.
   Yaro was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26 after helping the Hoyas clinch their fifth- and sixth-consecutive clean sheets.
   Allen is the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and College Soccer News National Player of the Week. His three goals last week were a league-best, and included two game-winning goals and one game-tying goal. His successful 83rd-minute penalty kick versus Seton Hall on Thursday sent the match to overtime where he then scored the 96th-minute golden goal game-winner. At Villanova on Saturday, Allen netted the game-winning goal in the 74th minute. His 24 points (9G, 6A) are tied for second-most in the BIG EAST behind Creighton's Fabian Herbers.
Series History
    Creighton leads the all-time series with Georgetown, 2-1-1; however, the Bluejays have not earned a victory versus the Hoyas since 2006.
   In Washington D.C., Creighton is 1-0-1 against Georgetown.
   Both teams were nationally-ranked in each of the previous two meetings. In 2013, No. 3 Creighton and No. 12 Georgetown battled to a scoreless draw in the nation's capital. Last season, No. 17 Georgetown upset No. 2 Creighton in Omaha, 1-0, with Arun Basuljevic (5G, 4A this season) scoring the game-winner in the 73rd minute.
Balanced Bluejays
    In 17 games this season, Creighton has allowed just 10 goals. Only six teams nationally have allowed fewer goals. The Bluejays nine shutouts are tied for eighth-most in the nation.
   Complementing its stellar defense, Creighton's offensive attack has been one of the nation's best this season. The Bluejays' 41 total goals are fourth-best in the nation.
   Not surprisingly, No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 2 Clemson, and No. 3 Creighton are the only programs to be ranked in the nation's top 10 for both scoring offense and team goals against average.
BIG EAST Tourney Picture Gets Clearer
    Creighton has clinched a top-two seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, and will host its semifinal match on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m.
   With a win versus Georgetown on Nov. 5, Creighton would earn a share of the regular-season title and clinch the top seed for the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, ensuring the Bluejays host rights throughout the tournament.
Starting Strong
    Creighton's 15-0-0 start to the season marked the program's best start to a season since 1993 when the Bluejays began 19-0-0.
Creighton's 8-0-0 Starts or Better
Year   Start   First Non-Win   Postseason
2015   15-0-0*   Xavier   ???
2011   8-0-0   at #3 Maryland   College Cup
1993   19-0-0   Air Force   NCAA 1st Rd.
1990   9-0-0   Drake   None
*active
    Creighton was the nation's last remaining unbeaten and untied team in Division I (men's or women's) remaining in 2015 prior to the Bluejays' narrow, 2-1 loss to Xavier on Oct. 28.
   The Bluejays' 15-0-0 start to a season marked the best start in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer since 2009 when Akron began its campaign with 23-consecutive wins en route to a College Cup appearance.
Pitter Continues To Shine
    With his game-winning goal at Butler on Oct. 14, Timo Pitter moved into seventh-place on Creighton's all-time list for career goals (30) and ninth-place for career points (80), moving past former All-American and current Creighton women's soccer head coach, Ross Paule, on both lists.
Top 10 Crowds
   The Bluejays' total home attendance of 41,983 this season is the top mark nationally, and is a program-best, surpassing 2011's total of 40,720. Creighton is currently averaging 3,499 fans through 12 home dates, which ranks fourth nationally through games as of Oct. 29.
   Creighton's average home attendance of 3,499 is more than triple that of any other BIG EAST institution. Butler and Georgetown rank second and third with averages of 1,077 and 926, respectively.
   The 4,838 fans for Michigan on Aug. 28 ranked as the largest crowd in school history to witness a season-opener, while the crowd of 4,907 vs. CSUN on Sept. 4 was the program's largest crowd since 2012. CU's crowd of 6,453 on Sept. 19 vs. Tulsa was the second-largest home crowd in program history.
   Creighton finished last season 10th nationally in average home attendance and fifth overall in total home attendance.
   It was the 11th-straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top-10 nationally in average home attendance.
Herbers, Keller Earn Academic Accolades
    As announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Oct. 29, Creighton's Fabian Herbers and Vincent Keller have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First Team.
   CoSIDA's Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
   Last season, Herbers was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First Team and CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team. Meanwhile, Keller earned BIG EAST All-Academic honors and was the recipient of Creighton's Carl M. Reinert, S.J., Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
Versus Top 10 Teams
    Since arriving at Creighton, Head Coach Elmar Bolowich is 4-1-2 against teams ranked in the top 10.
   Creighton is 14-3-4 versus Top 10 teams since 2004.
Up Next
    Third-ranked Creighton Men's Soccer (16-1-0, 7-1-0 BIG EAST) will look to solidify its seeding for the upcoming BIG EAST tournament as the Bluejays visit No. 6 and league-leading Georgetown (12-2-2, 8-0-0 BIG EAST) on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Washington, D.C., for their regular-season finale. Creighton and Georgetown are currently in second and first place in the BIG EAST standings, respectively.
   With a win, Creighton would earn a share of the regular-season title and clinch the top seed for the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, ensuring the Bluejays host rights throughout the tournament.
   The match will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CST and will take place at Shaw Field in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C.
Follow The Match
    Thursday's match will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network. To access the feed free-of-charge via FOX Sports GO, visit FOXSportsGO.com. The BIG EAST is the first and only collegiate conference to be hosted on FOX's mobile platform, FOX Sports GO.
   FOX Sports Go is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and phones, select Windows devices, and on desktops. Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, and Windows Store.
   Live stats for the match can be accessed via Georgetown's men's soccer schedule page at GUHoyas.com.
   Scoring updates, infographics, and periodic video highlights will be provided via Twitter at @CreightonMSOC.
Scouting Creighton
    The No. 3 Bluejays are 16-1-0 on the season after wins versus Michigan (1-0), Milwaukee (4-0), CSUN (2-1), No. 13 UC Irvine (4-0), Michigan State (1-0), Tulsa (1-0), Northern Illinois (2-0), Seton Hall (4-2), Missouri State (4-0), DePaul (1-0), Drake (2-1), St. John's (2-1),  Butler (1-0), Marquette (3-1), Villanova (5-1), Providence (3-1), and a loss to Xavier (2-1).
   The Bluejays return eight starters and 13 lettermen from last year's team that won the BIG EAST Conference regular-season title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, and ranked No. 7 in the year-end NSCAA poll.
   Creighton returns 30 of its 32 goals from last year, including each of its top six scorers. The Bluejays also return 24-of-30 assists from a year ago, and all but five minutes of the nearly 2,044 minutes in goal from last season.
   Junior forward Fabian Herbers (13g, 12a this year) has emerged as a frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors, as he's contributed at least one point in 16 of Creighton's 17 games, including a point in the Bluejays' first 10 matches. With 38 total points, Herbers is the leading point scorer in NCAA Division I. He currently ranks first or tied for first in all nine offensive categories tracked by the BIG EAST Conference after earning First Team All-America accolades and BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors during a magnificent 2014 season.Last season, he led the conference with 28 points, was second in the league with four game-winning goals, and third in both goals (10) and assists (8). Herbers was also a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American last year. He ranks fifth among active NCAA D-I players for points per game (1.36).
   Senior Timo Pitter (7g, 3a this year) paced the league in assists (9), shots (75) and shots on goal (36) during a 2014 campaign that saw him add Second Team All-America plaudits. Pitter was also named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2014. He currently ranks tied for fourth among NCAA D-I active players for career points (80).
   Senior goalkeeper Connor Sparrow (0.59 GAA this year) returns in net after ranking second nationally in goals against average (0.49) and 10th in save percentage (.841) a year ago. Sparrow's career 0.51 goals against average as a Bluejay is the best in Creighton history among goalies with at least 2,000 minutes in net.
   Five players have scored at least nine points for the Bluejays this season: Fabian Herbers (38), Timo Pitter (17), Myles Englis (9), Ricardo Perez (9), and Fernando Castellanos (9).
Scouting Georgetown
    Winners of ten consecutive matches, the Hoyas will enter Thursday's match-up in the midst of a program-best 13-match unbeaten streak dating back to Sept. 7.
   From Sept. 26 through Oct. 24, Georgetown earned a program-best six consecutive shutouts, breaking the previous record set in 1998.
   Georgetown is paced on the pitch by Joshua Yaro and Brandon Allen. Last season, Yaro and Allen earned NSCAA/Continental Tire Men's All-America First Team and Third Team honors, respectively.
   Yaro was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26 after helping the Hoyas clinch their fifth- and sixth-consecutive clean sheets.
   Allen is the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and College Soccer News National Player of the Week. His three goals last week were a league-best, and included two game-winning goals and one game-tying goal. His successful 83rd-minute penalty kick versus Seton Hall on Thursday sent the match to overtime where he then scored the 96th-minute golden goal game-winner. At Villanova on Saturday, Allen netted the game-winning goal in the 74th minute. His 24 points (9G, 6A) are tied for second-most in the BIG EAST behind Creighton's Fabian Herbers.
Series History
    Creighton leads the all-time series with Georgetown, 2-1-1; however, the Bluejays have not earned a victory versus the Hoyas since 2006.
   In Washington D.C., Creighton is 1-0-1 against Georgetown.
   Both teams were nationally-ranked in each of the previous two meetings. In 2013, No. 3 Creighton and No. 12 Georgetown battled to a scoreless draw in the nation's capital. Last season, No. 17 Georgetown upset No. 2 Creighton in Omaha, 1-0, with Arun Basuljevic (5G, 4A this season) scoring the game-winner in the 73rd minute.
Balanced Bluejays
    In 17 games this season, Creighton has allowed just 10 goals. Only six teams nationally have allowed fewer goals. The Bluejays nine shutouts are tied for eighth-most in the nation.
   Complementing its stellar defense, Creighton's offensive attack has been one of the nation's best this season. The Bluejays' 41 total goals are fourth-best in the nation.
   Not surprisingly, No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 2 Clemson, and No. 3 Creighton are the only programs to be ranked in the nation's top 10 for both scoring offense and team goals against average.
BIG EAST Tourney Picture Gets Clearer
    Creighton has clinched a top-two seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, and will host its semifinal match on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m.
   With a win versus Georgetown on Nov. 5, Creighton would earn a share of the regular-season title and clinch the top seed for the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship, ensuring the Bluejays host rights throughout the tournament.
Starting Strong
    Creighton's 15-0-0 start to the season marked the program's best start to a season since 1993 when the Bluejays began 19-0-0.
Creighton's 8-0-0 Starts or Better
Year   Start   First Non-Win   Postseason
2015   15-0-0*   Xavier   ???
2011   8-0-0   at #3 Maryland   College Cup
1993   19-0-0   Air Force   NCAA 1st Rd.
1990   9-0-0   Drake   None
*active
    Creighton was the nation's last remaining unbeaten and untied team in Division I (men's or women's) remaining in 2015 prior to the Bluejays' narrow, 2-1 loss to Xavier on Oct. 28.
   The Bluejays' 15-0-0 start to a season marked the best start in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer since 2009 when Akron began its campaign with 23-consecutive wins en route to a College Cup appearance.
Pitter Continues To Shine
    With his game-winning goal at Butler on Oct. 14, Timo Pitter moved into seventh-place on Creighton's all-time list for career goals (30) and ninth-place for career points (80), moving past former All-American and current Creighton women's soccer head coach, Ross Paule, on both lists.
Top 10 Crowds
   The Bluejays' total home attendance of 41,983 this season is the top mark nationally, and is a program-best, surpassing 2011's total of 40,720. Creighton is currently averaging 3,499 fans through 12 home dates, which ranks fourth nationally through games as of Oct. 29.
   Creighton's average home attendance of 3,499 is more than triple that of any other BIG EAST institution. Butler and Georgetown rank second and third with averages of 1,077 and 926, respectively.
   The 4,838 fans for Michigan on Aug. 28 ranked as the largest crowd in school history to witness a season-opener, while the crowd of 4,907 vs. CSUN on Sept. 4 was the program's largest crowd since 2012. CU's crowd of 6,453 on Sept. 19 vs. Tulsa was the second-largest home crowd in program history.
   Creighton finished last season 10th nationally in average home attendance and fifth overall in total home attendance.
   It was the 11th-straight season the Bluejays have finished in the top-10 nationally in average home attendance.
Herbers, Keller Earn Academic Accolades
    As announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Oct. 29, Creighton's Fabian Herbers and Vincent Keller have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First Team.
   CoSIDA's Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
   Last season, Herbers was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII First Team and CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team. Meanwhile, Keller earned BIG EAST All-Academic honors and was the recipient of Creighton's Carl M. Reinert, S.J., Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
Versus Top 10 Teams
    Since arriving at Creighton, Head Coach Elmar Bolowich is 4-1-2 against teams ranked in the top 10.
   Creighton is 14-3-4 versus Top 10 teams since 2004.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's SoccerCreighton Media Availability Men's Soccer - 11/5/25
Wednesday, November 05
Creighton MSOC Highlights & Postgame vs Seton Hall 11 1 25
Sunday, November 02
Creighton Men's Soccer Media Availability - 10/29/25
Wednesday, October 29
Creighton Men's Soccer Highlights at Butler -10-25-25
Saturday, October 25
