This is the fourth installment of White & Blue Review’s preview for the 2009 Creighton men’s soccer team. Join us as we take a look at a different part of Bob Warming’s club, leading up to his team’s first regular season game against Loyola University Chicago on Tuesday, September 1.
Creighton's Chris Schuler
The Defense
Creighton’s 2008 defensive effort was amazing. Bob Warming has mentioned time and time again that the defense was the strongest part of their program, as evidenced by a school record 13 shutouts, leading the nation in shutout percentage, and finishing second nationally with a minuscule 0.48 goals per game.
The truly scary part about the 2008 defense is that its key performers are back to take the pitch for Creighton in 2009.
It all starts with All-American Chris Schuler, who played all but 12 minutes of the 2008 season. The fifth-year senior (transferred from Indiana after a redshirt freshman season) finished last season as the MVC Defensive Player of the Year and begins his final year as a preseason All-Valley pick (he finished both his junior and sophomore seasons on the All-MVC teams). And Schuler is one of three Jays to be added to the preseason Herman Trophy Watch List. He has spent his Creighton career raking up honors and shutting down offenses across the nation.
Helping Schuler in the backfield this season will be fellow senior Akin Akinrinade, a defensive transfer out of Central Florida, who will be participating in his second season as a Bluejay. Akinrinade started 16 matches in 2008, and will enter his second season at CU with a solid understanding of Warming’s system.
The lone junior in this season’s defense will be local product Kyle Deremer. After starting his post-prep career at St. Mary’s College, Deremer transferred to Creighton in 2008 and started 17 matches. He played an entire match 15 times, and his stamina will be needed if the Bluejays are to post numbers similar to last season’s defensive efforts.
Sophomores TJ Burns and Alex Zanotto have actually been at Creighton for three seasons, as both redshirted in 2007. Their experience in the program has not translated to many minutes for either player, but their efforts to push the older players no doubt carry positive affects for the team.
The freshmen in 2009 have quite a legacy to carry on for the Creighton defense, as evidenced by the great freshman seasons posted by Schuler and the other upperclassmen in the backfield. Stew Brown got a taste of that legacy last season as a redshirt on the 2008 squad, while newcomers Brent Kallman, Michael Burke, and Andrew Ribeiro will all be pushing the veterans for playing time and improving the overall skill of the team through competition in practice.
Coach Warming says the defense is still the strength of this year’s squad. They’ll be put to the test tomorrow as the Bluejays start their regular season against Loyola at 7 p.m. at Morrison Stadium. Before tomorrow’s match we’ll conclude our season preview with a look at the Jays’ last line of defense – the goalkeepers. Stay tuned!