Consistency is the key when it comes to sports, and there might not be any program more consistent than the 20-year-old Creighton women’s soccer program.
The Jays recorded their 200th win in program history on Sept. 19 in a 2-0 win over Stephen F. Austin at Morrison Stadium, followed by a 3-1 win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 21. Head coach Bruce Erickson, in his 10th year at the helm of the Bluejays, has been the man in charge for 99 of the 201 wins.
“Obviously, it’s a healthy number of wins,” Erickson said. “We feel good about being able to average 10 wins per year. It really encompasses everyone that’s been a part of the program: players, staff and coaches. Now let’s hope that we can get to 300 pretty quick.”
Senior forward Marcy Gans, who scored all three goals in the victory over Northern Illinois, has played a big part in 39 wins so far. It was her second career hat trick and with the goals scored she broke her own single-season record for points and goals scored at Morrison Stadium with four home games to go.
“It’s a great accomplishment for the team and the university,” Gans said. “There were a lot of people that were a part of those 200 wins and just to be included in that group is a
great experience.
“I just try to focus on the next game. I’ve had some great opportunities, but most of those opportunities have been set up by my teammates. There are a lot of people around me that help me, both in games and in practice.”
What separates Gans, whose 76 career points ranks second all-time at Creighton, from some of the players she continues to pass in the Bluejay record books?
“She scores in so many different ways, and that’s a sign of a great goal scorer,” Erickson said. “For me it’s really easy to count the great goals she’s scored. Marcy has scored some huge goals for us, and she also helps create for the team. She’s a very talented player.”
With the two wins, Creighton improved to 7-3, its best record in the first 10 games of the season since 2001, but the team isn’t basking in its early accomplishments.
“Conference play starts on Sunday and it’s a whole different season,” Gans said. “Our record doesn’t matter if we lose every conference game. It won’t get us to the NCAA tournament, which is one of our goals.”
Creighton opens conference play on Sunday against Drake at Morrison Stadium. The kickoff is set for noon.
“The teams we play are going to be very physical,” goalkeeper Kristen Casey said. “We need to keep playing hard and finish our
opportunities.”
Erickson said that his youthful team has some areas in which it needs to improve.
“We want to get better in limiting quality chances for the opposition,” Erickson said. “In the attack, we want to finish more of our chances, something we have done better lately. We’re an awfully young team and we’ve played like it at times. I hope that we haven’t played our best game yet.”
Exactly half of the Jays’ 26-person roster is made up of freshmen.
“It’s taken time to adjust, just because of the new faces,” Erickson said. “They’ve done well and they keep battling and keep working hard on their game.”
He continues to pound home the fact that nothing will matter if they can’t win the conference and get back to the NCAA tournament.
“We could be 10-0, but it wouldn’t matter headed into the conference season,” Erickson said. “Everyone is 0-0 in the league and it’s a new season.”