The Creighton men’s soccer team is entrenched in the gauntlet that is Big East play, working to rediscover its momentum after a week and a half of tough opponents and even tougher results.

But strong play and a return to scoring renewed the Bluejays’ winning ways in their final non-conference matchup against Omaha and 1-0 shutout at Xavier.

Following the recent back-to-back victories, here’s a breakdown of three key differences in the Bluejays’ play that fueled their turnaround compared to their near-month lack of results.

#1- a renewed ability to stand strong on defense to close the match

It’s no secret that the final minutes of the match are simultaneously the most important and the most difficult. The pressure is intensified, as the trailing team’s desperation increases, and the shot attempts climb. It takes every single person on the pitch being perfectly in sync to defend a frantic team doing everything in their power to find the equalizer.

In the last four matches, the Bluejays were no stranger to the phenomenon that is the final minutes of the match. Unfortunately, the final minutes have beaten Creighton on two different occasions in particular. 

First, the Bluejays conceded a last second goal to settle for a 2-2 draw against then No. 18 Providence before, just a few days later, they lost to Missouri State 1-0 following a goal with under a minute remaining.

However, contrary to the way that the Bluejays’ final minutes have played out in the past, Creighton flipped the script at Omaha, coming together instead of falling apart in the final minutes of the match. Despite hurried attempts and chances from an Omaha team desperate to find the back of the goal, this match saw the Bluejays practice patience, tranquility and togetherness as they fought off the Mavericks.

The same strength and togetherness showed its face once again in Xavier, as Creighton defended its 1-0 lead throughout the entirety of the second half, refraining from falling back to their old ways. 

This revitalized strength in the final minutes is crucial if Creighton wants the chance to make a serious berth in the Big East tournament and beyond, but now more than ever, the Bluejays know that they have the capability. The question remains whether they can maintain it.

#2- a breakthrough from the mental block and hesitation that plagued amid tough losses

Arguably the most significant shift for the Bluejay offense has been a mental one. Amid tough losses stacked one on top of another, it’s easy for teams and players to begin to spiral, especially when results are lacking but shot attempts are as high as they have been all season.

Creighton is an offensively aggressive team whose high press manifests itself as chances in the offensive third, but with a plethora of chances yielding zero results, the players’ ability, understandably so, to have what Head Coach Johnny Torres refers to as ‘a short-term memory’ seemed to struggle as more losses and draws piled up.

Yet, the Omaha matchup proved not only the first time the Bluejays scored in two matches, but the first time where the Bluejays fully freed themselves from the shackles of previous results.

 It was Jackson Castro who opened the scoring account for the Bluejays in the Omaha match, and it was Castro who said that he, too, felt the mental shift. 

Gone was the hesitation and internal worries about getting the exact touch that would result in a successful chance, Castro said. What manifested itself at their rival Omaha’s pitch was a confidence and free spirit that yielded results, just like Creighton knew it would.

The Xavier match was yet another example of the Bluejays letting go of the previous results and trusting in their preparation and abilities as a team and as individuals. The result? Their first shutout in 22 days and first Big East victory of the season.

Soccer is chalk-full of mentally trying moments, and as the regular season winds down it will not be offensive perfection, but a momentum spurring from overcoming their mental block that is going to yield results.

#3- a return to the strong ball movement and extra pass mentality that made them successful early in the season

Early in the season, the Bluejays exhibited strong and fast ball movement paired with each player utilizing their vision in the box to find the highest percentage shot, even if it didn’t come at their own foot. 

In almost all of Creighton’s early victories, at least one of the goals came with a two-man assist. In the Bluejays’ 5-3 win over Drake, a goal from Ali Ramadan came with help from both Ismael Reyes and Miguel Ventura and the lone goal in Creighton’s victory at Grand Canyon was a result of two passes from Castro and Miguel Arilla that set Ryusei Shimonishi up for the score. Similarly, Creighton’s final win before the four-game drought also saw multi-man assists, as Edward Morales found the back of the goal thanks to a setup from Shimonishi and Castro. 

What the two-man assists showed was a recognition of the positioning of their teammates and an ability, using high-quality ball movement, to thread the needle and give the Bluejays the best chance of scoring.

After the high scoring match-ups that defined much of the early season, the Bluejays’ ball movement and ability to find the extra pass slackened over the next four matches, a factor that has influenced Creighton’s low-scoring offense of two goals four matches.

It was against Omaha that the Bluejays once again became in sync, recording yet another two-man assist in the form of Castro’s first goal, which came thanks to passes from Shimonishi and Gavrilo Civrić. In the Xavier match, too, Creighton’s sole goal of the match came first from the feet of Arilla and Castro before it was finished by Ramadan. 

One common thread separating the wins from the losses is Creighton’s ability to use efficient ball movement to find the open man, especially when it means making the extra pass. The return to the selfless, high quality ball movement has set up the Bluejays for high percentage shots that have proven fruitful.

Heading into the final regular season matches, the Bluejays don’t necessarily need to record a two-man assist in every contest, but being able to channel the high-quality ball movement and extra-pass mentality that has set up Creighton for strong shot attempts will be crucial as they face strong backlines and tough opponents.

The Bluejays’ next test will come as they take on Villanova at home on Oct. 19. At Morrison Stadium for their second-to-last home match, it will become clear whether Creighton can sustain the momentum it built on the favorable results and practices demonstrated over the past two matches.