Creighton’s men’s soccer team entered last weekend as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team. A tough win on Friday preceded an overtime loss Sunday, leaving the Jays out of the top spot when polls were released this week. Saturday, Elmar Bolowich’s team hits the pitch looking to start a new winning streak. The Bluejays host St. John’s for Homecoming, an event made even more important because it is the school’s first Big East Conference match. WBR caught up with Bolowich to recap last weekend and look ahead to the Red Storm.
WBR: Well, let’s start with the results from last weekend. I know that there were some delays and issues with the flight out. Would you say that fatigue played a factor in either game?
EB: I would say fatigue did play a factor in the second game, but I would not blame it on the delay in Denver. We played a very close match against ODU on Friday night and used a lot of energy in that game. They gave us all they had. I watched the William and Mary game on that Friday as well, and their game had a lot less energy. I think that William and Mary just had more in the tank than we did on Sunday. With that said, I would expect a quality club to bring home a win when you are leading with 8 minutes left it the game. We didn’t bring it home.
WBR: What was the team’s response or reaction after the first loss of the season?
EB: Everyone was really down and really disappointed. We need to make sure we are smarter and finish the games we have in hand.
WBR: We will see the beginning of Big East play for Creighton University on Saturday night when you host No. 7 St. John’s. What as fans can we expect out of this game?
EB: Well, St. John’s is a good team and they are coming in very confident. As you mentioned, this will be our first conference game and all conference games will be very important. With only the top two teams in the league getting a bye, and only 6 out of the 10 teams qualifying, it is very important to take care of business. I think you will see some great soccer on Saturday night, and it will be a very entertaining game for our fans.
WBR: With it being Alumni weekend, do you try and meet up with any of the former players that may return to catch the game?
EB: We will try and get together after the game in the Champions Room at Morison. I would really like to meet the former players and their families, as they are the ones who have built this great program.
WBR: Win #400 on the line this weekend. That’s a pretty nice milestone.
EB: It is a good statistic. I guarantee we will hit 400 wins, just not sure if it will be tomorrow.
