The heart-breaking theme of the 2012 season continued for the Creighton women’s soccer team on a chilly Thursday night at Morrison Stadium. The Bluejays (3-9-2, 0-3-0) dropped a 3-2 decision to the Drake Bulldogs (12-3-1, 3-0-1) in a game featuring two teams going in completely different directions.
Creighton entered the game having lost three straight matches by a combined total of four goals. They came out and played like a team desperate to avoid a fourth straight loss. Senior Brittney Neumann got the Jays on the board in the 28th minute when she took a pass from freshman Kaelyn Korte, outran two Drake defenders, and fired a shot past junior goalkeeper Kalena Litch for her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Drake responded in the 32nd minute when Creighton senior Gabriela Guillen misplayed a clearout, which allowed junior forward Generve Charles to control the ball, get by Guillen, and beat goalkeeper Katie Jo Swanson from 25 yards out to tie the score.
“I take the fall for that. It was an easy ball to clear — I just took one more touch and she took advantage of it,” said Guillen.
Bruce Erickson’s Bluejays are winless in MVC play (Adam Streur/WBR)
The game remained tied for the remainder of the first half. In the second, Drake went on the attack immediately, and it paid off in the 48th minute when senior forward Laura Moklestad lined up for Drake’s first and only corner kick of the match. Her entry was headed in by junior defender Megan Fisher to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Fisher appeared to have knocked down Creighton defender Katie Murphy as they both raced to the net on the play, but no foul was called. Regardless of the potential infraction, the end result was another “soft” goal given up by the Jays.
“That goal was probably my most disappointing moment of the game. We weren’t marked up, we weren’t organized at all. They get a free chance and go up 2-1. I just read the body language of our players, and it didn’t look like we were organized, marks got in easy, and suddenly we’re down 2-1,” said head coach Bruce Erickson.
The Jays, now in desperation mode, tied the game up in the 73rd minute when standout freshman Jill Richgels sent a corner kick into the net just out of Litch’s reach. The crowd in front of the goal prevented the Drake keeper from making a solid play on the ball. Unfortunately for the Jays, that goal appeared to re-light the fire under the first place Bulldogs. They promptly ended Creighton’s celebration by starting one of their own just 54 seconds later when sophomore forward Ashlie Stokes put Drake ahead for good, 3-2, scoring easily as the Creighton backfield’s poor communication and slow recovery on a breakaway left Swanson helpless against the attack.
With the win, Drake stayed unbeaten in league play, and clinched a spot in the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Jays’ fourth consecutive loss is their longest losing streak since 1999. More importantly, it dropped them to 0-3-0 in conference play. They remain three points behind Indiana State and Illinois State for the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament. The Jays have already lost to both teams this season. According to players and coaches it’s getting close to desperation time.
“We have no margin for error. We’re getting to the point of desperation, and we need to play like it,” said Coach Erickson after the game.
Seniors Brittney Neumann and Gabriela Guillen agreed, with Neumann saying, “we need to have that urgency, and that little extra ‘want’ to win in order to succeed. Knowing that conference tournament is still in reach is good. Being now zero and three sucks, but I think we can still get it done.”
Guillen added, “we just have to work hard these next couple days and get ready for Missouri State. They’re a tough team and it’s on the road, but we still have hope, and we’re still alive. We can still make it to the tournament.”
The Jays will play two of their remaining three regular season games away from Morrison Stadium, starting with Missouri State on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. They return home for Senior Day on October 20 at 4:30 p.m. against Evansville before heading to Cedar Rapids to face Northern Iowa in the regular season finale.
Game Notes: Senior Brittney Neumann’s goal in the first half was the 30th of her career. That puts her in a tie with former-Jay, Kalan Malone for 3rd place on Creighton’s all-time goals scored list… Creighton outshot Drake 22-10, including a 13-5 edge in shots on goal. They also held a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks… Three of the Jays losses during their current four-game losing streak have come at Morrison Stadium. They are now 1-5-2 at home this season… The final attendance was 347.