Recap time: Creighton’s men’s soccer team wins eight games straight without allowing a goal. Jose Gomez, Creighton’s #10 and the point guard-cum-maestro of the whole team, goes down with a hamstring injury. Without him, the Jays fly east and lose 1-0 at Maryland, the best team in America. Then the Jays take on two solid Big Ten opponents and beat them on the road. Halfway through this brutal stretch, Creighton stands at 10-0-1, which is far better than most fans (including this one) could have foreseen at the season’s start. A couple Bluejays are getting looks from professional teams, recruiting is going well, and flights to Birmingham for the College Cup are holding steady around $400. This is the year!
But now the letdown: it’s time for Missouri Valley soccer. Expect to see teams loading up their defenses and packing into the box against Creighton, playing for a tie or a sneaky win. If you’re looking for entertaining games, well, ESPN shows English Premier League soccer on Saturday mornings.
Thus, the Bluejays begin the MVC season on the road at Missouri State, usually a contender for the Valley title. The Bears come into this match with a 3-5-2 record. They’re a well-balanced team with not much offensive production (besides a 6-1 win vs. Oral Roberts). Four players lead the team in scoring, tied at two goals apiece. Of these, the Jays will do well to watch out for freshman and Mexican national player Pedro Gutierrez, who’s scored two goals in only 56 minutes played this season. Midfielders Gerard Barbero and Heath Melugin, both named to the 2011 preseason All-Valley team, will be aiming to notch a win over Creighton in their senior seasons, and the Bluejay backs will have their hands full with that duo.
The Bears play a unique style that incorporates a condensed defense, overly physical play (it’s not the players’ fault, they’re just upset they didn’t make the football team), and fans like these. A Creighton win will require solid finishing, since MSU isn’t likely to give the Jays many clear looks at the goal. The Jays struggled to find the back of the net against Wisconsin and Indiana, so that will likely be an area of emphasis in Coach Elmar Bolowich’s pre-game speech. If Creighton can create and close out scoring opportunities, the Jays will return home perched atop the Valley with another win in hand and well-positioned for the rest of the MVC slate.
Follow this game via GameTracker provided by the Missouri State Athletic Department.