Kuba Polat helped get things ready for Haakenson’s goal (Williams / WBR)
Pressure, pace, and patience paid off with just under 10 minutes left to play on Wednesday night as senior forward Luke Haakenson scored his fifth goal of the season to help Creighton halt a three-match losing streak with a 1-0 win over DePaul.
The Bluejays (7-5-1, 3-3-0 Big East) came out with a renewed focus on playing with greater tempo from the beginning of the match after a series of sluggish starts contributed heavily to losses against Seton Hall, Xavier, and St. John’s over the last 19 days. Although DePaul’s defense was tough to break down in the final third, the Bluejays were persistent in moving the ball with tempo and purpose as the looked for lanes to combine and thread balls forward, something first-year head coach Johnny Torres has been harping on over the past month.
“I wish we wouldn’t have had to wait that long, but I think the guys were focused tonight,” Torres said. “I thought they did a good job of keeping possession of the ball, being patient, and I thought our passing was better in the final third tonight than it’s been in the last three games.
“I told you guys last week that I think it’s a mentality with the way you approach the game. This has been something that we were working on throughout the week and the guys came out to execute the game plan, which was to speed our tempo up, have a little more urgency going forward, and be a little bit busier going to their goal.”
Despite controlling possession and keeping the Blue Demons (5-6-3, 1-2-3 Big East) on their heels for the majority of the opening 45 minutes, Creighton went to the locker room deadlocked at 0-0 and trailing 6-4 in total shots. The second half told a different story, however, as the Bluejays had built up a 5-3 edge in shots before senior right back Younes Boudadi flicked a ball ahead to junior co-captain Kuba Polat. As the defensive midfielder approached the end line, he threaded a right-footed cross through the “18” where Haakenson was there for the opportunistic finish in the 81st minute.
His teammates chased him down to the flag to celebrate with him, but the senior striker wasn’t taking credit for the play after the match.
“That’s not even my goal,” Haakenson said. “That’s on Younes and Kuba. I was the one trailing the entire time up the field and those guys were busting their asses down the right side … all I had to do was just place it in.”
The goal not only gave the Bluejays their first win in the month of October, but it was the first time they’ve put one between the posts since the 10th minute of their 1-0 win over Villanova on September 28, snapping a scoreless streak of 431:18. After coming out on the other end of a slump that long, the senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota called it an understatement to say that the Jays finally “broke the ice” on Wednesday night.
“When you go that long without scoring a goal and conceding the way that we did the last three games, it’s just a lot of weight lifted off our shoulders,” Haakenson said. “Not just for me personally, but for the whole team. To feel the ball hit the back of the net and hear our fans celebrate like that, it gives you goosebumps.”
As has been the case for nearly every win this season, it was a bittersweet result for the Bluejays. Along with igniting the sequence that led to the game-winner, Younes Boudadi also picked up his fifth yellow card of the season early in the second half. That carries with it a mandatory one-game suspension, meaning he will miss Creighton’s match at Providence on Saturday.
It’s a big blow to the Bluejays as the senior from Ypres, Belgium has played all but 35 minutes on the pitch this season, helping to solidify the back line in front of All-Big East goalkeeper Paul Kruse.
“Anytime you lose one of your regular starters it complicates things a little bit,” Torres said. “But I have faith in the next guy that’s stepping up, and you know what it’s no different than the theme it’s been for us this season, so yet again we’ll have somebody have to step in, fill some big shoes, and get it done.”
