It’s November, which traditionally is a great time of year for Creighton’s men’s soccer program. A few days after clinching their third straight regular season Missouri Valley Conference championship (and 12th in school history), the Bluejays head to Peoria for the Valley tournament (track it here).
Creighton, the tournament’s top seed, squares off against fifth-seeded Drake today at 3:00 p.m. The winner between the Bluejays and Bulldogs will face the winner between SIUE and Central Arkansas in Sunday’s Valley title game.
We caught up with Creighton head coach Elmar Bolowich to discuss the team’s regular season championship and this weekend’s tournament.
WBR: You were able to capture the outright league title with your 2-1 win on the road at Evansville. What did you take away from that game moving into tournament season?
EB: It was a tough game and Evansville really left everything out on the field that day. They came out and played us and that is always good. We were fortunate to get the win and we will hopefully continue on as we head into the MVC tournament games.
WBR: Your players were able to walk away with a number of awards last night, including Choco [Jose Gomez] being honored as MVC Player of the Year. How does that make you feel as a coach?
EB: It is great to have these guys get some recognition. As a coach, I am honored that the opposing coaches thought so much of our players and our program. Last night was nice, but we try not to focus on the past of individual accomplishments. We still have business to take care of and we can look back when all is said and done.
WBR: Drake seems to bring a bit more in terms of attitude when CU sees them on the pitch. What can we expect out of the game this afternoon?
EB: I feel like they viewed the 0-0 draw as a turning point in their season. They were able to get a few good results following that match and it helped build some confidence. They also know that this is it for them. It is win or go home. They know that they have to win the tournament to get a bid into the NCAA’s. With that said, I don’t see them coming out and playing us. They will pack it in.
WBR: Is that frustrating to you when teams play the defensive and look for counters?
EB: Yes, but it is the nature of the game. They will play to not let us behind them and look to counter.
WBR: Do you see your guys using the 0-0 draw as a motivator? Is there a feeling that you should have done more in that game?
EB: I hope so. We had 30 shots and no goals. We need to be more pressing and more aggressive. We need to finish.
WBR: Finally, how is the health of the team? Is Alex [Bolowich] now available?
EB: Everyone is healthy. As far as Alex goes, he is available but may be a bit soon for him to start but, if something should happen, he would be ready to go in.