After an impressive sweep of North Dakota and Northern Colorado last weekend that saw the Bluejays score a combined 10 goals, CU head coach Bruce Erickson’s team has waited seven days to see if they can keep the momentum going. The opponent when Creighton women’s soccer returns to the pitch on Sunday will be the Idaho Vandals (0-4-0).
Creighton’s Emily Roll with the corner (WBR/Mike Spomer) CLICK PHOTO TO BUY
The Vandals have been outscored 13-2 on the season, including a scoreless streak of 302:05 minutes to begin the year. It’s been a tough transition from 2012, as they lost six of ten starters from a team that finished 6-13-1 last season. Two of those losses were goalkeeper Liz Boyden and leading scorer Chelsea Small. The 2012 team scored just 22 goals in 20 matches, and 15 of those goals came from players who are no longer on the team.
Idaho’s keeper situation since the departure of four-year starter Liz Boyden has been shaky. They have deployed two keepers, freshman Torell Stewart and sophomore Mariana Seigl. Each has spent exactly 180 minutes in goal this season, with Seigl having the upperhand with her 2.50 GAA compared to Stewart’s 4.00. Neither keeper has separated from the other as they each played a half in the 3-2 loss to North Dakota State on Friday. Seigl has started three of the Vandals four matches so far this season, so expect her to do so against Creighton as well, but don’t be surprised to see Stewart get some time.
Unlike Idaho, the Bluejays (2-2-0) find themselves much more comfortable with their lineup than they did after the first week of the season. Freshman Paige Jarsombeck as taken over as the central forward, leading the team with four goals on the season. As of last Monday she was tied for 2nd in the Big East Conference in goals scored, and tied for fourth in shot percentage at .571 (4/7). She leads a suddenly resurgent offense that has seen seven different players combine to score the team’s 11 goals in the first four games. In 2012, 10 different players chipped in to score the team’s 18 goals in 19 games.
Despite the offensive parity, Erickson still sees room for improvement.
“The single biggest takeaway from our last two games is that we scored 10 goals and probably could’ve scored 20,” he said. “I was excited to not only score 10 goals, but to see us create a lot. I think we’re coming along with some different combinations. We’re starting to get some people comfortable.”
Defensively, freshman Emily Roll has moved to right center back alongside reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Week, Kelsey O’Donnell. With Angela Benson and Jill Richgels on the outside the back four is starting to click in front of goalkeeper Danielle Rice. A freshman out of Westlake, Tex., Rice leads the conference in saves with 18. Together this group continues to build the chemistry you hope to see out of talented young players.
Richgels, the only returning starter from last year’s back line, has been battling an injury and is starting to feel comfortable on the field for the first time this season.
“I feel a lot better day by day. Hopefully I’ll be really ready to go 100% by Sunday.”
Richgels has played three of the team’s four games, and finally was able to go all 90 minutes in last Sunday’s win 4-1 win over Northern Colorado.
One area of concern for the team during the week off has been keeping the team in a rhythm while they juggle the challenges of being student-athletes, but Erickson is hopeful that his team can keep the momentum going in their favor as the season rolls along.
“The practices haven’t been bad. Now the challenge becomes, you know they’re in their third week of school, things are starting to accumulate,” he said. “We have a young team, especially with nine freshman. They’re getting used to being a little bit bogged down. We’ve taken the approach of get what we need to get down and get out. Keeping practice moving at a pace where they don’t have to think about anything else.”
The match vs Idaho is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Morrison Stadium, where they Jays are undefeated so far this season.