In their 2022 season, the men’s soccer team took the college soccer world by storm with their incredible semi-final College Cup run, finishing with an impressive record of 13-5-6. Heads turned for the offensive threat that junior forward Duncan McGuire proved to be, and jaws dropped at the momentum the team built towards the end of the regular season. The only people who weren’t shocked: Creighton players, alumni, and fans. But what was the secret to their success?
The Bluejay season consisted of dominating wins — two six-goal wins in their first two matches of the year — and hard losses and draws along the way — a devastating draw against Xavior with 11 seconds remaining in the match. But led by Creighton Alumni and former Bluejay soccer player Johnny Torres, the Bluejays never stopped trusting the process and making big moments count.
Going from making the Big East Tournament as the 6th seed— thanks to a win by Marquette that gave the Bluejays the final spot in the tournament— to becoming Big East Champions and defeating #1 Georgetown in early Nov., the secret to their success was always there: belief. The players believed in the process, trusted in their teammates, the coaching staff, and their talent. While the rest of the college world may have counted them out after a few patchy spots in the middle of the season, the Bluejays never stopped growing and gaining momentum in crucial moments.
The College Cup was no exception. Despite being unranked in the NCAA Championship, the Bluejays defeated the likes of #1 Washington and #4 Duke to reach the College Cup Semi-finals, soon becoming nicknamed the ‘giant killers,’ a title Coach Johnny Torres respectfully disagreed with. Creighton was never a ‘giant killer’; the program had shown its dominance in the past and expected success from the players. The belief the Bluejays had in their program and the talent that allowed them to be so dominant on the pitch made them just as much of a ‘giant’ as any other program in the tournament.
They won match after match because of that belief in junior Duncan McGuire, sophomore Owen O’Malley, and sophomore Jackson Castro— among others— to capitalize when it counted. They were so successful because of a strong back line, with goalkeeper Paul Kruse and defender Mark O’Neil leading the team. Even after an incredible run in the College Cup that led to a devastating loss to Syracuse in the Semi-finals 3-2 on Dec. 9, the Bluejays showed the world who they truly are.
Creighton’s journey to the Semi-Finals of the College Cup was no accident. There was no divine intervention, no Cinderella story. The Creighton Bluejays were exactly the team who deserved to make it so far— and maybe even further— in the tournament.
I think I can speak for Creighton alumni, fans, and the Omaha community when I say how proud we are of the Bluejays for their incredible season, for the ups and the downs, and for the show of strength that got them to a College Cup stage.
And while next season will look different— with Duncan McGuire and Owen O’Malley getting drafted in the MLS Superdraft in early December and seniors graduating — there is no doubt that the Bluejays will continue to dominate and bring win after win back to Omaha next season.