The Creighton Men’s Soccer team opens the BIG EAST Championship on Saturday, November 5 as the sixth-seeded Bluejays face No. 19 Xavier at 6:00 p.m. (CT).
Series History: Creighton leads Xavier, 8-4-1
Creighton and Xavier first met in 2013 as BIG EAST foes. Since that time the two teams have faced off 13 times, with the Bluejays claiming eight matchups. Creighton has won six of the last eight contests. In Cincinnati, Xavier holds a 3-2-1 mark against the Bluejays including a 3-1 win earlier this season.
Date Opponent Score
Oct. 5, 2013 * vs. Xavier W, 2-0
Oct. 18, 2014 * at Xavier T, 1-1 (2ot)
Nov. 30, 2014 % vs. Xavier W, 2-1
Oct. 28, 2015 * vs. Xavier L, 1-2
Oct. 26, 2016 * at Xavier L, 1-2 (2ot)
Nov. 6, 2016 ^ vs. Xavier W, 3-1
Oct. 14, 2017 * vs. Xavier W, 4-1
Oct. 12, 2018 * at Xavier W, 3-1
Oct. 11, 2019 * at Xavier L, 0-1
March 6, 2021 * vs. Xavier W, 2-1
March 24, 2021 * at Xavier W, 3-0
Oct. 20, 2021 * vs. Xavier W, 2-0
Oct. 12, 2022 * at #13 Xavier L, 1-3
* = BIG EAST ^ = BIG EAST Tournament
% = NCAA Tournament
Scouting Creighton (6-4-6, 3-3-4 BIG EAST)
Following the regular season the Bluejays remain one of the few teams to find the net in each contest. In six contests Creighton has scored once, going 0-2-4 in those matches. When the Bluejays have scored two or more goals Creighton is 6-2-2. Raise the output to three goals or more and Creighton is 6-0-0.
Junior Duncan McGuire leads the team and the BIG EAST with 28 points on 13 goals and two assists. Sophomore Jackson Castro is second for the Bluejays and in the BIG EAST with 22 points on eight goals and six assists, while sophomore Owen O’Malley has seven goals and five assists to give him 19 points..
Goalkeeper Paul Kruse has been solid throughout the season, posting his second shutout of the season against DePaul (Oct. 29).
Scouting #19 Xavier (9-1-7, 3-1-6 BIG EAST)
Led by first year head coach John Higgins, the Musketeers are one of the best stories of the 2022 season. Xavier was picked to finish in the cellar of the BIG EAST in the preseason coaches poll.
More than simply outshining the prediction, Xavier claimed the three seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and has been ranked as high as No. 13 this season.
The Musketeers has spread the offense around as five players share the team lead with three goals this season. Xavier’s two leading scorers are Jerome Jolly and Alejandro Steinwascher at eight points (three goals and two assists). As a team the Musketeers have scored 25 goals in 17 contests.
Xavier’s defense, however, is its strength. The Musketeers have posted eight shutouts this season. Goalkeeper Cole Jensen has played every minute this season (1,530), posting a 0.82 GAA and nabbing 58 saves.
BIG EAST Championship History
Since Creighton joined the BIG EAST in 2013, the Bluejays are the only team to reach the BIG EAST Championship in each season. Creighton has reached the conference postseason 10 times. Georgetown and Providence have nine
appearances, while Butler and Xavier each have seven appearances. Creighton has a 3-8-1 (.292) mark in the BIG EAST Championship, while Xavier has a 3-5-2 (.400). Both Creighton and Xavier have reached the Championship Final on two occasions. Creighton fell to Georgetown (2015) and Butler (2016), while Xavier fell to Providence (2014) and Georgetown (2017).
BIG EAST Championship Tournament Appearances Since 2013
Creighton 10
Georgetown 9
Providence 9
Butler 7
Xavier 7
Marquette 5
St. John’s 4
Villanova 3
DePaul 2
Seton Hall 2
Bluejays Looking to End BIG EAST Championship Struggles
Although Creighton has reached every BIG EAST Championship since joiningthe conference in 2013, the Bluejays’ last victory came during 2016. Since reaching the final that season, Creighton has gone 0-5-1. The Bluejays did not advance during the draw with Marquette in 2018.
Scoring First is Good, But the Lead at the Half is Gold
Under head coach Johnny Torres the Bluejays 25-4-4 (.818) when scoring first, but the Bluejays at 15-1-1 (.912) when the squad takes the lead into the locker room a the half.
