After finishing the 2024 season with a 9-6-3 record, the Creighton men’s soccer team returns to the pitch eager to build on last year’s successes, address their weaknesses, develop offseason additions and bring more wins back to Omaha under Head Coach and Creighton alum Johnny Torres.
As the season got underway on August 21, the Bluejays quickly faced a tough opening three games that would challenge the squad’s offseason work–the first real test of their chemistry and readiness for the fast-paced season ahead.
Creighton finished its three-game road trip with a 0-2-1 record. The Bluejays opened with a 3-0 loss to FAU, followed by a 1-1 draw with FIU, before a strong Michigan squad handed them a 3-1 defeat on Friday.
Ahead of their 2025 home opener, here are three key takeaways from Creighton’s 0-2-1 start and what it means moving forward.
#1- Time—that’s what the Bluejays require to continue blending as a unit and building chemistry, both on and off the pitch. When they achieve this, the results will follow.
The college soccer season is short and early results matter, yes, but a slow start for Creighton this season shouldn’t raise major concerns. It takes time for a team to come together and both look and feel like they have been playing with one another for years–especially when key veterans are missing from the lineup. With Blake Gillingham gone from goal, Mark O’Neill off the backline, Lucio Berron out of midfield and Jackson Castro no longer leading the attack, the lineup looks different this season—but the style of play and way Torres runs the team remain the same. The full picture of new and seasoned players gelling to bring his vision to life may not have shown itself from the start, but the pieces are already in place.
Across the first three matches, glimpses of Creighton’s fast-paced, high-press style in its entirety emerged—tight, accurate passing in the offensive third, energetic defensive bursts to regain possession, and moments of the cohesion veterans have long displayed and newcomers are starting to pick up. With veteran offensive leaders like Luka Nedic, Omar Ramadan and Miguel Arilla—who’s already scored both of Creighton’s goals—and defensive anchors Matthew Reed and Andrija Savic, the newcomers have strong models for the Bluejays’ style. Building on that foundation, flashes of skill, hustle and field vision from Ayden Kokoszka, Etienne Ravelli, Todd Vromant and others over the past three contests have offered glimpses of this team’s potential when everything clicks, but time will tell how quickly it all comes together.
With three games in the books and 14 to go, the next few matches will be key in showing how the Bluejays are coming together and building the chemistry needed to fully execute Torres’ vision. A slow start isn’t cause for alarm, but turning those glimpses into results sooner rather than later will be critical in keeping the season on track.
#2- Mental sharpness in the opening minutes—that’s what Creighton needs to prevent early goals and maintain control over the game.
Whether due to miscommunication, a slow start or another factor, the Bluejays have been burned by an early goal in each of their first three matches, giving up a goal within the first 15 minutes. At FAU, a deflected bounce sailed over Creighton keeper Matthew Hudson’s head and into the net in the 9th minute. In their next contest at FIU, a Creighton shot deflection into the middle of the box gave an FIU player the perfect opportunity to capitalize for a go-ahead goal in the 11th minute of play. Finally, a tripping call whistled against the Bluejays, and the resulting penalty kick, put the Wolverines up 1-0 in the 5th minute of the contest.
By conceding early goals, Creighton not only handed opponents control, but spent so much energy chasing the equalizer that going on to find a winner became an uphill battle, as seen in the draw with FIU. After conceding a goal in the 11th minute to the Panthers, Creighton spent the next 34 minutes of the first half and 18 in the second searching for the equalizer. Even after veteran midfielder Arilla delivered the tying goal, by then, the energy it took to draw level made it difficult to find a winner.
For the Bluejays, the answer isn’t necessarily generating more chances up front; it’s coming out strong defensively and sustaining the focus and mentality needed to win. If Creighton can cut out those early lapses and start matches sharper, they’ll take away the momentum swings that have played a role in tilting each of their first three games.
#3- Comfort zone—after a grueling road start, a stretch of matches at Morrison Stadium gives Creighton a chance to regain confidence and build momentum.
It’s been 40 years since the Bluejays began their season with three consecutive games on the road, the last time being in 1985. While it is not unusual to have stretches of road games during the year, opening the season with three consecutive contests away from home tested the Bluejays with unfamiliar fields, travel fatigue and opponents’ home-field advantage. They had no time to settle in before hostile crowds and the typical early-season hurdles made the road stretch even tougher. Thus, returning to Morrison Stadium now gives Creighton the chance to settle in and feed off its crowd at exactly the right moment. Over the next five matches, the Bluejays will face their opponents from the comfort of their home pitch, energized by fans and free from road weariness—a perfect opportunity to rack up wins and set their season on a positive trajectory.
Overall, the record might not show it, but Creighton’s opening three matches delivered as many promising signs as it did areas of improvement as they navigate the challenges of blending a roster of newcomers and veterans, clean up lapses in the early minutes and look to turn the tides with matches at home. Monday at 6 p.m., the Bluejays get their first shot to turn that potential into a win at home against Tulsa.