The stage was set for a thrilling night at Morrison Stadium, as the 10th annual Women’s Socctoberfest event brought live music, drinks, and an electric atmosphere to Creighton soccer’s highly anticipated doubleheader. For the Creighton Women’s Soccer team, the game also brought an opportunity to bounce back from a tough defeat.
Just days prior, the Bluejays suffered a 5-2 loss to in-state rival Nebraska, a team fresh off a College Cup quarterfinal appearance. With the sting of that defeat still fresh in their minds, Creighton stepped onto the pitch determined to prove themselves against No. 19 Saint Louis University.
Their resilience paid off. For the first time since 1994, the Bluejays secured a result against a top-25 non-conference opponent, battling the Billikens to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in front of a record-breaking crowd of 3,670 fans.
“Last monday reminded us, ‘you never get complacent, you never get complacent,’” head coach Jimmy Walker said. “That was a real learning moment for us… We talked about no better game to respond than to a top 25 team.”
From the opening whistle, Saint Louis came out strong, applying heavy pressure on Creighton’s defense. Despite the Billikens’ early dominance, the Bluejays held their ground.
Saint Louis had their fair share of opportunities, but junior goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac was unshakable, coming up with key saves to keep the Bluejays in the match. The Billikens threatened in the 18th minute with a low-driven shot that Zalac expertly turned away, followed by another close call near the end of the half that grazed just wide. At the break, the score remained locked at 0-0.
“I wait for those opportunities; that is my time to shine,… so I was locked in and ready to go,” Zalac said when asked about her performance.
The first five minutes of the second half saw Saint Louis regain momentum, launching a series of attacks, but Creighton refused to break under the pressure. Despite further challenges, including a shot by Gaebe in the 57th minute and another by Larson shortly after, Zalac’s performance remained stellar.
“We weathered the storm the first five of the second half,” Walker said. “In the last twenty minutes, it looked like we were the ones that were getting stronger and we looked a little bit fresher.”
In the latter part of the second half, Creighton found their rhythm and pushed forward with confidence. Senior Azumi Manriki came inches away from breaking the deadlock in the 82nd minute with a blistering shot that hit the crossbar. Despite a flurry of late chances, including a final push with a free kick, Creighton couldn’t find the back of the net.
Zalac finished the game with five crucial saves, securing her second clean sheet of the season. Her performance between the posts was key in earning Creighton the 0-0 draw.
“We defended well as a team. The back line defended and battled and did a really, really nice job,” Walker said. “And when it did break down, our goalkeeper was ready as well so that was huge. You get a shutout against one of the best teams in the country; that St. Louis team is no joke. That’s a team that is tipped to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament,… so that is a huge result for us tonight.”
With this hard-fought result, Creighton wraps up their challenging non-conference slate and will close it out this Sunday against Kansas City for Senior Day.