ALLY SEEVERS/THE CREIGHTONIAN
A goal worth celebrating. sophomore Ayden Kokoszka’s game-winning strike for No. 4 Creighton late in the match against Omaha landed at No. 6 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 this week.
Just hours after earning a spot in the nation’s top five, the unbeaten Bluejays were suddenly staring down an upset against their crosstown rival.
The yellow cards were piling up, the intensity was rising and neither side was willing to give in. With just over 10 minutes remaining at Caniglia Field Tuesday night, No. 4 Creighton men’s soccer and Omaha were locked at 2-2 in the Dodge Street Derby.
Creighton controlled the opening stretch, weathering an early surge from the Mavericks that included a pair of critical saves from Bluejay goalkeeper Amari Thompson before responding with two goals of its own in the opening 28 minutes.
Junior Angel Lopez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, taking a pass from freshman Jordan Igwenma along the right side before beating a defender and firing his seventh goal of the season past Omaha goalkeeper Karny Ndione.
Six minutes later, senior Matthew Reed doubled the advantage with his ninth goal of the season, tying him for second in the nation in scoring. After receiving a pass from sophomore Ayden Kokoszka, Reed sliced a shot past Ndione to give Creighton a 2-0 lead.
For a moment, it looked like the nation’s leading offense would cruise to another convincing victory, but Omaha quickly proved otherwise.
The Mavericks began to chip away at the deficit late in the first half, cutting Creighton’s lead in the 39th minute before leveling the match less than a minute before halftime. Freshman Maguire Perkins, a Gretna native, slid the ball into the net after Thompson made a diving attempt to stop a shot from Italo Jenkins. Just 71 seconds before the break, Perkins’ older brother, senior Brett Perkins, headed in the equalizer off a corner kick.
A two-goal lead had disappeared, and the match had been reset.
Omaha carried much of the possession into the second half, forcing the Bluejays to defend for extended stretches as the match grew increasingly physical. The Mavericks finished with a 16-9 advantage in shots, while Creighton committed a season-high 21 fouls and collected seven yellow cards, compared to six fouls and four yellows for Omaha. Yet despite the pressure, neither side could find the breakthrough it needed.
Then, with just over 10 minutes remaining, Kokoszka answered the pressure with a moment of brilliance that would decide the night.
The sophomore collected the ball just inside the box on the left side, created space with a quick turn and fired toward the upper-right corner at 79:29. The shot bounced off the far post and into the net, sending the Bluejays back in front.
“That was a world-class strike,” head coach Johnny Torres said. “I think that’s one of the best goals I’ve seen this season.”
“[Kokoszka’s] always had an uncanny ability to be able to shift defenders and run with the ball. He just glides,” Torres added. “I’m a lucky coach to have a guy like that on our team.”
The Bluejays weren’t done. Just six minutes later, Omaha native Igwenma gathered his own rebound and buried the insurance goal in the 86th minute, putting the finishing touch on Creighton’s 4-2 victory over its crosstown rival.
“It’s always a big win against Omaha. Always feels good. This one feels better,” Kokoszka said.
For Omaha soccer, the night was bigger than the final score. The Dodge Street Derby brought together two of the city’s Division I programs at Caniglia Field, continuing a rivalry Creighton has not lost since 2021.
“We’re very fortunate to be in a situation where we have a local derby. To be able to treat our fans and our entire community to that is a plus,” Torres said. “We’ll keep this thing going for as long as we can. We enjoy the competition, and it’s a great way to come out and show out in front of our community.”
The victory came on the same night the Bluejays reached No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, their highest ranking since earning the No. 3 spot in November 2015. Creighton climbed three spots from No. 7 after wins at Denver and Marquette last week.
The Bluejays also finished non-conference play without a loss, moving to 10-0-2 through 12 matches. Continuing to lead the nation in total goals (39) and total assists (43), Creighton has established itself as one of the country’s most dangerous attacking teams.
“It’s a special group,” Torres said. “We set out every season to try and have the best season possible. If I told you that we were going to be unbeaten in non-conference, I’d be a liar.”
Despite the success, Torres knows the team still has room to improve.
“These guys surprise me every day. As long as we keep our feet on the ground, and we stay hungry and humble and continue to work, I think the sky’s the limit.”
The Bluejays now turn their attention back to Big East play, returning home to Morrison Stadium tonight to face St. John’s. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.