The #4 Creighton men’s soccer team took to the road last week for two matches. After defeating Indiana on Sunday, the Jays started Valley play in Springfield against Missouri State. The Bears capitalized on a misplay by the CU defense, scored a goal, and then packed in against the Bluejays attack and came away with a 1-0 upset of the Jays.
WBR spoke to head coach Elmar Bolowich between the loss at MSU and this weekend’s home game at Morrison Stadium against #7 UC Irvine.
WBR: Since we last spoke your had two games on the road. Let’s start with the Indiana game last weekend. From the looks of it, you guys were really able to control the game from the start.
EB: I felt like we came out very strong in that game and were able to control the tempo. We wanted to play our game and not allow Indiana to get the momentum and we really wanted to keep their crowd out of it. We didn’t really allow them to create many chances or quality shots. They had a long throw that was a bit troublesome, but I think we were able to control the game for the most part. We played smart in that game.
WBR: Dion Acoff was able to knock in what turned out to be the winning goal in that contest. He has really shown some improvement over the past few weeks, what about his game has changed?
EB: He is integrating himself in the game. He is making more proactive runs in the middle and calling for the ball. For a while there, he was on the wings waiting for the ball. He is really making an effort to get involved in the game and make things happen.
WBR: Could you talk a little bit about what happened in the Missouri State game?
EB: That was a perfect set up to fail. It was our fourth game in four different states in 12 days. We were tired and it was hard to get up for the game. There were a few guys under the weather and we were just not able to get the energy we needed. With that said, you have to give credit to Missouri State, as they played with us quite a bit. It seemed like it was difficult for either team to get the momentum they needed.
WBR: We have discuss the impact of the RPI in college soccer and how the games against top teams are as important as winning against other teams. How much did this loss hurt your hopes for a #1 seed in the NCAA’s?
EB: This one hurts for sure. The only way this would not hurt us is if Missouri State went on a run and won the rest of their games. If they don’t make the NCAA Tournament, we are in big trouble. No offense to Missouri State, but a loss to them is much worse that a loss to a Maryland because Maryland is one of the top teams right now. We need to make sure we don’t have any more of the slip ups this season, or we could be in a position where we don’t make the tournament.
WBR: What can we expect when we watch the game on Saturday against UC Irvine?
EB: They will probably be one of the more exciting teams we play this year. They have a very strong front four that will pressure us and they will not hesitate to attack. They will definitely come out looking for a win and will challenge us.
WBR: Injury update?
EB: Choco [Jose Gomez] is still not old Choco, but he is getting there. He told me yesterday that he is feeling much better.