After starting the season with a roller coaster of emotion, including a thrilling 2-1 road win over the Kansas City Roos and a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at the hands of Iowa State, the Creighton women’s soccer team went on a very difficult road trip. First, the Bluejays faced the Western Michigan Broncos in Kalamazoo, Mich. before traveling to face the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in Durham, N.C.
Against the Broncos, the Bluejays took four shots in the first half, including a near score from LSU transfer midfielder Torri Gillis that was saved by Western Michigan goalkeeper Reagan Sulaver. Gillis had another chance in the 25th minute, connecting on a header off a free kick from Ella Offer that drifted just wide. Creighton controlled possession for stretches of the opening half and looked the more dangerous team, but the match was still tied 0-0 at the break as both defenses held firm.
In the second half, the Bluejays struggled to keep up. Creighton gave up the first goal of the match when Western Michigan’s Abby Werthman scored at the 63:06 mark with assistance from Mikayla Coore-Pascal and Justina L’Esperance. Werthman’s shot came from just outside the box and slipped past keeper Alyssa Zalac’s reach.
The Bluejays tried to respond with pressure of their own, but couldn’t convert their limited chances. Later, the Broncos extended their lead to 2-0 at the 79:59 mark when Drew Martin found the back of the net off a pass from Avery Peters and Werthman. Creighton couldn’t find a goal in the closing minutes, and the match ended as a 2-0 loss for the Bluejays.
“Where we’ve been having difficulty is with our consistency in the second half of games,” Head Coach Jimmy Walker said.
Three days later, the Bluejays took on No. 3 Duke in Durham. The Blue Devils entered the match unbeaten at 3-0, coming off wins over No. 11 Penn State and No. 8 Arkansas, and were fresh off a College Cup appearance in 2024 where they dropped only one game all season.
Duke controlled possession for most of the first half, recording nine shots and forcing the Creighton backline to defend constantly. Zalac and the Bluejays’ defense held their ground, keeping the match scoreless through the first 45 minutes. Zalac came up with multiple saves to keep Creighton in it, including a diving stop midway through the half.
The pressure finally broke early in the second half when Avery Oder scored in the 51st minute off an assist from Kat Rader after a failed clearance in the box, giving Duke the 1-0 lead. Creighton had a few late pushes to equalize, with shots from Ariana Mondiri and Tejia Murray-Powell, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Duke closed out the match with a 21-2 edge in shots and a 14-2 advantage in corner kicks, while Zalac tallied six saves to keep the scoreline close.
“That was probably the best we’ve ever played since I’ve been the head coach,” Walker said. “… I know we’ve got nothing to show for it, but that’s a team that’s lost one game in two years. We almost pulled off probably the biggest upset in college soccer.”
Walker also credited Zalac’s performance as a key reason the Jays were able to hang with one of the nation’s top teams.
“We know every game she plays she’s going to produce one or two big saves. She’s just that good,” Walker said.
The Bluejays are currently sitting with a 1-4 record, with their lone victory coming on the road against the Kansas City Roos. Next up, they take on No. 8 Arkansas on Friday at Morrison Stadium in the 13th Annual Socctoberfest.
“We’ve got arguably one of the toughest schedules in the country this year, and we’ve put that together to test these girls,” Walker said.
Creighton’s upcoming match against Arkansas will be their first home match since August 21 and the first of four straight matches at Morrison.
“It’s going to be huge to be back. The girls love playing at home,” Walker said. “Man, it is going to be an exciting one for us on Friday if we come to play.”
Kickoff against the Razorbacks is set for 5 p.m. Friday at Morrison Stadium.