Creighton Bluejays men's soccer

Creighton Bluejays men's soccer
Founded 1979[1]
University Creighton University
Head coach Elmar Bolowich[2] (5th season)
Conference Big East
Location Omaha, NE
Stadium Morrison Stadium
(Capacity: 6,000)
Nickname Bluejays
Colors Blue and White[3]
         
Home
Away
NCAA Tournament runner-up
2000
NCAA Tournament College Cup
1996, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2012
NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals
1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
NCAA Tournament appearances
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Conference Tournament championships
Missouri Valley Conference
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012
Conference Regular Season championships

Big East Conference
2014

Missouri Valley Conference
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
2015 Big East Conference men's soccer standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#2 Georgetown ‡ 9 – 0 – 0     16 – 2 – 3
#9 Creighton + 7 – 2 – 0     19 – 4 – 0
Butler 6 – 3 – 0     10 – 4 – 4
Xavier 5 – 3 – 1     11 – 6 – 1
Providence 4 – 4 – 1     8 – 7 – 2
DePaul 4 – 4 – 1     5 – 12 – 1
Villanova 4 – 5 – 0     9 – 8 – 0
Saint John's 2 – 5 – 2     4 – 11 – 3
Marquette 1 – 7 – 1     5 – 10 – 2
Seton Hall 0 – 9 – 0     0 – 15 – 1
As of December 5, 2015; Rankings from NSCAA

The Creighton Bluejays men's soccer team represents Creighton University in NCAA men's Division I soccer competitions. They compete in the Big East Conference and have risen to prominence in collegiate men's soccer in the last few decades having gone to the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament in 22 of the previous 23 seasons, going back to 1992, with five appearances in the College Cup semifinals and one appearance in the National Championship Match. In conference play, the Bluejays have won 13 conference regular season championships and 13 conference tournament championships; the most recent being the 2014 Big East Conference Regular Season Championship. Creighton is the only soccer program in the nation to have at least one athlete taken in every Major League Soccer (MLS) draft from 1996 – 2014.[4] They are currently coached by Elmar Bolowich.

History

The Creighton men's soccer team has made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 23 years going back to 1992. The Bluejays were runners-up in the NCAA tournament in 2000 losing in the National Championship Match to Connecticut. They have also reached the College Cup semifinal round in 1996, 2002, 2011, and 2012, and the Quarterfinal Round in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2014.[5]

Independent play and inactive period (1979–1990)

Creighton first fielded a men's soccer team in 1979. In 1980, the team began playing home games at Rosenblatt Stadium. After experiencing varied degrees of success, Creighton did not field a men's soccer team from 1986–1989. In 1990, the Bluejays resumed play and began playing their home games at Tranquility Park in western Omaha.[4]

Missouri Valley Conference era (1991–2012)

In 1991, the men's soccer team began play in the Missouri Valley Conference where they experienced success early and often—winning four Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championships and four Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championships in the team's first five years in the conference. The Creighton Soccer program entered a new era in 2003 with the opening of an on-campus soccer facility, the Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium.[4] The men's soccer team continued its success through the 2012 season—winning the team's 12th Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship,13th Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship, and advancing to the College Cup semifinal round for the fifth time. During their time in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bluejays boasted 12 Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Year, 11 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Players of the Year, 13 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Valuable Players, and 6 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year Awards.[4]

Big East Conference era (2013–present)

On March 20, 2013, the Creighton administration announced that the school would join the Big East Conference in July 2013.[6] In their first season in the conference, the Bluejays finished fifth in regular season play and lost in the first round of the 2013 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament, but did make their 21st appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament.

In 2014, the Creighton men's soccer team clinched the 2014 Big East Conference Regular Season Championship after posting a 7–1–1 conference record and defeating Providence by a score of 3 – 0 in the final regular season game of the year.[7] However, Providence exacted its revenge a week later; beating the Bluejays 1 – 0 and ousting them from the 2014 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament in the Second Round.[8] Despite the loss, Creighton was chosen as the 12th seed in the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship with an at-large invitation, giving the team a bye into the Second Round of the Tournament. In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Bluejays advanced to the Elite 8, or Quarterfinals Round, by defeating Oregon State 1 – 0 in the Second Round, and knocking out conference rival Xavier by a score of 2 – 1 in the Third Round of the Tournament. In the 2014 Elite 8, the men's soccer team played UMBC to a double-overtime scoreless draw before conceding 4 – 5 in a penalty shootout.[9] Creighton ended the 2014 season with a final overall record of 16–3–3.[10]

Stadium

Since 2003, Creighton has played their home matches on campus at Morrison Stadium, a 6,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, which is named after former university President Fr. Michael Morrison, S.J. The men's soccer team played their first match at the new stadium on August 29, 2003 fighting to a thrilling double-overtime scoreless draw against Butler. The team would have to wait only two days to notch their first victory at their new home grounds, defeating Furman 3–1 on August 31, 2003.[4]

The Creighton men's soccer team has enjoyed significant success at home since its return in to play in 1990. As of 2014, the Bluejays’ home record is 203–35–20 for an impressive winning percentage of .826 since 1990. As of 2014, the men's soccer team, who annually rank among NCAA leaders in attendance for home games, are 101–19–15 (.804) overall and 36–6–3 (.834) in conference play all-time at Morrison Stadium. As of 2014, Creighton is an impressive 71–9–4 (.869) at home all-time in regular-season conference play.[4][10]

Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium

Coaching

Creighton's current men's soccer coach is Elmar Bolowich. Bolowich was named head coach of the Creighton Bluejays on February 9, 2011 following 22 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina.

Prior to Bolowich, Jamie Clark led the Bluejays for one season, 2010, in which they compiled a 13–5–2 and returned to the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid after being left out during the 2009 season, breaking a streak of 17 consecutive NCAA appearances.

Prior to Clark's only season at the helm, Creighton has had only two other head coaches since the reinstatement of the program in 1990. They are current Stanford University head coach Bret Simon, who was head coach of Creighton from 1995–2000 and current Penn State head coach Bob Warming, who was head coach of Creighton from 1990–1994 and 2001–2009.

Prior to the team's inactive period, from 1986–1989, the Bluejays were coached by Mark Schmechel from 1979–1980, Wayne Rasmussen from 1981–1982, and Don Klosterman from 1983–1985.[4]

Record by year

References:[11][12][13]

Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Creighton (Division I Independent) (1979–1985)
1979 Mark Schmechel 12–5–1
1980 Mark Schmechel 13–7–1
1981 Wayne Rasmussen 9–6–3
1982 Wayne Rasmussen 7–8–2
1983 Don Klosterman 8–9–1
1984 Don Klosterman 4–9–1
1985 Don Klosterman 5–12–0
Creighton (Inactive) (1986–1989)
1986–89 No Team
Creighton (Division I Independent) (1990–only)
1990 Bob Warming 12–5–3
Creighton (Missouri Valley Conference) (1991–2012)
1991 Bob Warming 12–5–2 3–1–0 2nd
1992 Bob Warming 14–3–1 4–0–1 1st Lost 1st round
1993 Bob Warming 19–1–0 5–0–0 1st Lost 1st round
1994 Bob Warming 15–5–1 5–1–0 1st Lost 2nd round
1995 Bret Simon 14–3–1 4–0–1 1st Lost 1st round
1996 Bret Simon 17–5–2 5–0–0 1st 3rd Place
1997 Bret Simon 16–5–1 6–1–0 2nd Lost 2nd round
1998 Bret Simon 16–4–2 4–1–2 2nd Lost Elite 8
1999 Bret Simon 11–5–2 5–1–1 2nd Lost 1st Round
2000 Bret Simon 22–4–0 9–2–0 2nd NCAA Runner-up
2001 Bob Warming 11–9–1 6–3–0 3rd (tie) Lost 1st round
2002 Bob Warming 18–4–2 7–1–1 2nd 3rd Place
2003 Bob Warming 12–6–4 7–1–1 1st Lost Elite 8
2004 Bob Warming 14–4–2 6–3–0 2nd Lost Sweet 16
2005 Bob Warming 15–5–3 5–2–0 2nd Lost Elite 8
2006 Bob Warming 13–5–3 4–1–1 1st (tie) Lost 1st round
2007 Bob Warming 12–3–5 4–0–2 1st (tie) Lost Sweet 16
2008 Bob Warming 16–2–2 4–0–1 1st Lost Elite 8
2009 Bob Warming 7–4–5 4–2–4 4th
2010 Jamie Clark 13–5–2 5–1–1 1st Lost 2nd round
2011 Elmar Bolowich 21–2–1 5–1–0 1st (tie) 3rd Place
2012 Elmar Bolowich 18–4–2 5–0–1 1st 3rd Place
Creighton (Big East Conference) (2013–present)
2013 Elmar Bolowich 9–9–2 4–4–1 5th Lost 1st round
2014 Elmar Bolowich 16–3–3 7–1–1 1st Lost Elite 8
2015 Elmar Bolowich 19–4–0 8–3–0 2nd Lost Elite 8
Total: 440–170–62

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Team honors

Big East Conference Regular Season Champions (1): 2014

Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Champions (12): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions (13): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012

NCAA Tournament Appearances (22): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

NCAA College Cup Appearances (5): 1996, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2012

NCAA College Cup Runner-Up (1): 2000

Player honors

Through the years, many Bluejays have gone on to play professionally, and twenty have been named All-Americans for their play at Creighton:[14][15]

All-Americans

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

  • Matt Wieland – 2005
  • Tom Zawislan – 1999

There have been two former Bluejays who have earned at least one cap for the U.S. National Team, Brian Mullan and Richard Mulrooney.

Current Creighton assistant coach Johnny Torres is the only Creighton player to win the Hermann Trophy, doing so in 1997. The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the nation's best men's college soccer player.

Former Bluejays in the MLS

Numerous former Creighton men's soccer players have gone on to play in various professional soccer leagues outside of the MLS—both in the United States, including the United Soccer Leagues and North American Soccer League, and internationally.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Bluejay Records" (PDF). Gocreighton.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  2. ↑ "Elmar Bolowich Bio". GoCreighton.com.
  3. ↑ Creighton University Athletics Bluejay Logo Usage Guidelines (PDF). September 16, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Creighton Men's Soccer : 2013 Media Guide" (PDF). Admon.xosn.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  5. ↑ "Men's Soccer : Division 1 History" (PDF). Fs.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  6. ↑ "Creighton Announces Conference Change, Jays to Join Big East". GoCreighton.com.
  7. ↑ "BIG EAST CHAMPS! No. 6 Men's Soccer Blanks No. 19 Providence 3–0". GoCreighton.com.
  8. ↑ "FRIARS.COM – Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site – Men's Soccer". friars.com.
  9. ↑ "(M) Soccer – Schedule – Creighton Bluejays". gocreighton.com.
  10. 1 2 "Men's Soccer Falls to UMBC in Shootout". GoCreighton.com.
  11. ↑ "2012 Opponents" (PDF). Gocreighton.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  12. ↑ "Men's Soccer Records : Year-By-Year Standings" (PDF). Mvc.org. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  13. ↑ Streamline Technologies – Nashville, TN. "Men's Soccer – Official Site of the Missouri Valley Conference". Missouri Valley Conference.
  14. ↑ "2012 Creighton Men's Soccer" (PDF). Gocreighton.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  15. ↑ "Creighton Soccer : 2014 Men's Soccer Media Guide" (PDF). Admon.xosn.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
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