After solid showings during two August exhibition matches and wins against Loyola (2-0) and North Carolina Greensboro (4-0), the Creighton men’s soccer team cracked College Soccer News’ Top 30 National Poll. The Bluejays test their progress tonight on the West Coast, where Jamie Clark’s team takes on #16 UC Santa Barbara. Clark took a few minutes out of his trip to California to help WBR break down the matchup.
White & Blue Review: You have been able to get off to a good start this season, and you sit at 2-0. How have things gone so far?
Jamie Clark: Things have been good so far. We were able to play some good ball the past few games and were really able to capitalize on some opportunities.
WBR: During the off season and preseason, offense seemed to be a big factor with you, and it seems to be paying off. What have you focused on with the team to create more offense?
JC: We are looking to create attacking possibilities. We want our guys to be playing higher up in the field. As I have mentioned before, we want our wings to play a more active role in the offense. When you are making more aggressive runs and playing higher up in the field, you are creating more chances and you have the ability to capitalize on them.
WBR: You are coming off a big 4-0 win over UNC Greensboro. What did you and the team take from that win leading into tonight’s game?
JC: I think the biggest thing was everyone got a chance to play, and we got healthier during the game. Today is the first time this season that I can say everyone is 100% healthy and ready to play. We were able to figure out a few things against Greensboro and we were also able to take advantage of some opportunities. The opportunities, I feel, were created by our aggressiveness and style of play.
WBR: Your team faces a big test tonight against UC Santa Barbara, a preseason top 10 team. Besides a win, what will you be looking to take away from the game?
JC: Tonight we are not 100% result driven. We will be playing, in my opinion, one of the top three teams in the nation, talent-wise. This will be a great measure of where we are as a team. We need to focus on what we can do to make us the best and compete against the best.
WBR: When looking at a team like Gauchos, what sort of adjustments do you look to make as a coach, if any?
JC: Right now, we are focused on what we need to do on the field to make us better. Once we get to that point, we can look at adjustments. We are fortunate in having tonight’s game against a top opponent and another against a top talented team in October against Akron. We will use this game to see where we are as a team, look to grow during the next month or so, and be able to measure ourselves against Akron. You can’t make adjustments if you don’t have a finished product. Also, a win would be great tonight.