The Creighton men’s and women’s soccer teams come back to Morrison Stadium this weekend for matches in front of the home fans. The men’s team squares off against the Friars of Providence Saturday, while the women begin a three-game home stand against Northern Colorado (Friday) and Boise State (Sunday). We caught up with the head coaches of both teams to chat about their programs.
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The #3 Creighton Bluejays men’s soccer team looks to continue their impressive start when they take on Providence this weekend and Kentucky on Wednesday. The Jays have yet to allow a goal in their first 5 games and continue to climb the national rankings up to their highest spot since 2008. We caught up with head coach Elmar Bolowich to discuss his team’s success, the week ahead, and the health of the squad.
White & Blue Review: Last weekend, Fordham seemed to give you guys a bit more of a game than I think fans expected. Did they surprise you with there game plan?
Elmar Bolowich: I will give Fordham credit, they came out and played against us. They were not intimidated by the fans, by our stadium, or playing that far from home. They came out and tried to play their game. We came out a bit sluggish, but I think we controlled the game for the most part. I will be honest, I was thinking a bit about the fact that we will be playing a team in DePaul in two days that had a full week to rest for us. I was using more subs than I would have normally, as I didn’t want to wear the guys out.
WBR: It seems like Dion Acoff’s playing time has diminished a bit. Is his injury from the beginning of the season still an issue?
EB: Actually, his playing time has increased as we have gone on, it is just maybe down from last season. He played a good amount when we were at DePaul and he will be starting on Saturday against Providence. His injury was a bit of an issue, but he is getting much better and improving.
WBR: Providence comes in on Saturday with a 5-1 record. What can we expect out of them tomorrow night?
EB: We can expect to see a very well organized team. They are known for that. They are not concerned if they have 80% or 20% of possession, they are a very result-oriented team. They may play a style similar to Drexel and it may be a tight half of the field, so we will need to be sharper.
WBR: With the game against Kentucky Wednesday, what can fans expect out of the Wildcats?
EB: From what I know about them, they are a very direct team. They will be almost opposite from what will likely see out of Providence. They will try and rush it into your half and capitalize on catching you off guard. Again, we will need to be sharp and keep possession so they cannot expose us.
WBR: Final question, how is the team’s health?
EB: Everyone is healthy and practicing withe the exception of Jose Rivas, who twisted his ankle. He has played some good minutes for us this year, but Dion’s return will fill that quite well.
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Bruce Erickson’s Bluejays women’s soccer squad is 3-3-0 heading into the weekend. A recent road trip to California saw the Jays drop two matches against UC Davis and Sacramento State.
WBR: You are currently sitting at .500 on the year. How has the season gone so far compared to your expectations heading into the season?
Bruce Erickson: Our expectations were very high and still are. We expected a couple more results at this point.
WBR: The losses that you have so far have been some tight matches. As a coach, what do you take out of close games like that? What do you build on?
BE: That we are not far off. We haven’t played close to a great game yet. We have had moments and I would have to say we played our best soccer against Oklahoma State and Sacramento State, which were both losses. Our attack is that close to clicking and hopefully the goals will come.
WBR: You start a three game home stand tonight when you take on Northern Colorado. What can Creighton fans expect to see out of your team this weekend?
BE: Hopefully a renewed energy playing at home. We have had a very good week of training and hopefully that translates to good soccer and a couple of wins this weekend.
WBR: Northern Colorado seems to give us a good match every year, what can we expect out of this game?
BE: They always play us tough, and they beat us in Colorado our last meeting. I think it will be a back and forth game and I think you will see some goals.
WBR: Has there been any newcomer that has really surprised you this year?
BE: Of the three, Madelyn Buckner has been the best, playing every minute in the back for us. She is extremely talented. Stephanie Anasi got her first start in the last game and is coming on as of late. We could really use Kelsey O’Donnell right now (she has to redshirt this fall), as she has fit in very well and is a different kind of attacker than we have right now. She will be a player for us next season.
WBR: With the final game of the three-game home stand being your Valley opener against Northern Iowa, how do you see the Valley playing out this season?
BE: It is wide open. I think Illinois State is the best team and has been the most consistent so far. They didn’t score many goals last year but they are this year. Every team is capable of beating anyone and it is important for us to start off with getting 3 points against UNI.