This is the last installment of White & Blue Review’s preview of the 2010 Creighton men’s soccer team. Join us in the days leading up to the Bluejays’ season opener Wednesday as we look at the different parts of Jamie Clark’s first Creighton team.
The Defense
In 2009, Creighton’s stout defense ranked 18th in goals against average (0.76), as the Bluejays allowed just 13 goals in 16 matches. The Jays defense shutout opponents 8 times in those 16 games. And while three of Creighton’s four starting backs are gone from the 2008 and 2009 teams, senior Kyle Deremer leads a group of talented, if not experienced, defenders. Deremer ranked second in total minutes played (1,494) in 2009, and played well enough to earn second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors.
After Deremer, coach Jamie Clark is hoping for someone to step up and take charge in the defensive backfield. Could that be Andrew Duran? The 2006 National High School Player of the Year had his freshman season shortened because of mononucleosis. Then, as a sophomore, he torn his ACL before the month of September was finished. He came back last year as a junior and started 7 matches, but Clark and the Jays need Duran to be a consistent presence this season. He scored a goal against Denver in exhibition play and started both of the Bluejays’ friendly matches this fall.
Sophomore Brent Kallman answered the bell last season, filling in for Greg Jordan and starting 7 matches as a freshman. He played well enough to earn All-Freshman Team honors in the Valley, and he looks to improve on his rookie campaign.
Fighting for playing time this fall will be transfer Jace Peters and freshmen Tyler Polak and Joe Branstetter. Peters comes to Creighton from Doane College, and he started the team’s final exhibition match against Hastings College. Polak started both of Creighton’s exhibition matches, not surprising considering he is one of the program’s most highly touted recruits in history. Polak has made 35 caps for the United States’ U-17 team, and he is a member of the U-20 team pool. Branstetter comes to the Hilltop from nearby Creighton Prep.
All the new faces will likely define how Clark’s defense sets up.
“The defense will play a bit more conservative this year, as 3 of the 4 defenders are new faces to the program,” Clark said. “We won’t want to take to may chances back there this season, but I this we do have a real solid group on defense.”
Goalkeepers
Creighton’s goalkeeping situation is in the quick and capable hands of Brian Holt, a junior All-American-level player. Holt won the Valley’s Freshman of the Year award in 2008, and then garnered second-team All-MVC honors last season. He holds the school record for consecutive shutout minutes (722:12, from September 13 to October 11, 2008). He earned 16 victories in 2008, the fourth-best single-season total in school history. His 0.51 goals against average in 2008 is tops all-time for a single season, and his 0.77 average from last season is fifth-best. He currently is third all-time in career shutouts (20), and needs just 7 more to pass Matt Allen for tops all-time.
“Brian Holt is one of the hardest working guys I have ever had on a team,” Clark said. “He is the type of guy that will always give you his best effort, and in return, he expects the best effort out of you. He really helps solidify the back line.”
Junior Bryan Hoie backs Holt up in net. Hoie didn’t see time in a regular season match during his freshman and sophomore seasons. But according to the media guide, he did win the D.J.’s Hero Scholarship Award for completing the most community service hours of any male student-athlete at Creighton in 2009.