“These past five matches, we’ve been building step by step, putting all the right pieces together. Tonight was the most collective [and] the best performance we’ve had,” co-captain and junior midfielder Matthew Reed said after a thrilling 10-minute stretch to end the match left the Bluejays with their first win of the season.
That step by step sentiment has echoed across the Creighton men’s soccer locker room in recent weeks. It surfaced after the Bluejays battled Tulsa to a scoreless draw — a clean sheet they called a step forward — and it rang louder on Sept. 5, when 3,673 fans packed Morrison Stadium for the annual Socctoberfest celebration. There, a late 2–0 push past Denver became their clearest example yet.
While the Bluejays ultimately grabbed a decisive win over a Denver squad fresh off a College Cup semifinal appearance, the match began in a gridlock. Both teams executed a relentless defensive organization; the Bluejays employed a strong high press and the Pioneers’ backline moved as one, nearly impossible to break down.
Offensively, Creighton outshot Denver 4-2 in the first half, though the Pioneers’ few opportunities in the attacking third forced redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Matthew Hudson to make two critical saves. The match remained scoreless heading into halftime, and Bluejay Head Coach Johnny Torres saw it as two organized sides feeling each other out.
“In the first half, I thought it was a little bit of a stalemate,” he said. “[It] was more like a chess match in the first half, [with] two pretty organized teams, two pretty good teams, going at each other with a bit of caution I think.”
If caution played a role in both teams’ performance in the opening 45 minutes, any of those first half feelings were thrown to the wind in the second half. Feeding off renewed energy and looking for the go-ahead goal, the Bluejays executed what Torres called an “aggressive attitude” in the 18-yard box.
Each new sequence in the attacking third felt like the one that would break the scoring standstill for the Bluejays. Every player on the field fed off of this “aggressive attitude” and it showed, Torres said, whether manifesting itself in the fundamentals — like getting low or bending their knees — or the proactive movement that made it difficult for the visiting Pioneers to defend against.
In the 54th minute, Creighton mounted its closest attempt yet to break the stalemate. Sprinting down the right side of the field, redshirt freshman midfielder Brady Bragg sent a crossing pass directly in front of the goal.
There, Denver nearly gave up an own goal as Bragg’s cross forced a sliding defender to redirect the ball where, instead of clearing it, the defender pushed the ball closer to the net. Creighton converged, but a crucial save from the Pioneers’ goalkeeper kept the scoreless tie intact.
Less than a minute later, Creighton’s backline was tested in much the same way, as Denver made a fervent attempt to beat the Bluejays to the go-ahead goal after nearly giving it up themselves.
The attack began on the left side, with midfielder Lucas Cavalcante poised to take on Denver forward Tyler Schommer. But as Schommer looked to take a step toward the goal, he quickly passed to an awaiting Ian Welch, one of Denver’s sophomore forwards. Sensing a gap that looked to be closing fast, Welch sent the shot toward the top right corner of the net.
Hudson reacted quickly, launching in the air and stretching out to his left to deflect the ball just wide. The deflection put Denver back on the offensive with a corner kick, but the Bluejay defensive unit remained strong, helping Hudson clear the ball.
The Bluejays had avoided yet another one of Denver’s five shots throughout the second half, and with the knowledge that the team had dislodged another well-organized offensive sequence, redshirt freshman defender Brian Edelman let out a victorious yell.
“I feel like celebrating those big plays is important for us because, obviously, we may not be scoring, but I feel like saving a goal should be celebrated the same way,” Edelman said.
Yet, the save meant more than just keeping the Bluejays and Pioneers tied at 0-0; the defensive stand sparked a renewed sense of energy for the offense, whose trust in their defense allowed them to focus on finishing.
“It takes so much stress off my shoulders,” Reed said of the confidence a dependable backline provides. “It just lets me play completely free and win the game on the other side of the field.”
That trust, combined with the perfect opening in Denver’s defense, gave Reed the chance to take control of the match and finally put the Bluejays on the scoreboard. In position to take a long throw-in delivered by senior defender Ryusei Shimonishi, Reed lined up in the middle of the 18-yard box.
As the throw from Shimonishi arced through the air, freshman midfielder Ayden Kokoszka’s head made contact with the ball first, pushing it the direction of the goal. Then, with no hesitation, Reed located the ball in the air and executed a header that slipped past the hands of the Denver goalkeeper.
The goal, which opened the game’s scoring account, put the Bluejays up 1-0 with 10 minutes left to play. The score was also that much sweeter because it was the first goal of Reed’s college career.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” the co-captain said of the goal. “The score, the goal to put us ahead, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
With a 1-0 lead and victory a mere 10 minutes away, the last thing the Bluejays wanted to do was become complacent, especially against a strong Denver squad. Not only was Creighton going to remain energetic, Torres said, but they weren’t going to change anything about the way they played the other 70 minutes of the game. That meant continuing to incorporate the high press and find more offensive opportunities.
This refusal to back down from Creighton-style soccer in crunch time paid off in the 89th minute, as Reed created another opportunity in the 18-yard box. Surrounded by three Denver defenders, Reed pushed toward the goal before threading a pass to an unmarked Miguel Arilla in the box. Arilla connected and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, giving the Bluejays a 2-0 lead.
Arilla’s insurance goal, and his third score of 2025, put Creighton in the win column for the first time all season. For Torres, the win also demonstrated Creighton’s capacity for discipline against tough opponents.
“That’s probably our biggest takeaway outside of the three points is that’s a darn good team,” Torres said of Denver. “They’re going to get a lot of wins this year, and we showed some discipline today…being able to hold them to zero goals.”
With one win under their belt, the Bluejays look to extend their win streak as they meet crosstown rival University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) for the annual Kicks for a Cure event at Morrison Stadium. The women’s and men’s doubleheader on Wednesday, Sept. 10 will bring awareness to cancer research. After the women battle with the Mavericks, the men will take to the pitch at 7:45 p.m.
“To be able to come together with UNO… in sport to bring awareness to cancer research, it’s just, to me, it’s a beautiful thing. I think it’s more than a game, right? Yes, the competitive spirit will be there, but I think it will be there in full fledge for a great cause.”
