The Creighton men’s soccer program made a statement this year, but can it be sustained?  

After a period of turmoil in which the storied program failed to make the NCAA tournament in four straight years, Head Coach Johnny Torres has led the team to a conference championship, back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and their sixth College Cup. 

The program produced a pair of top 10 draft picks, the first being Omaha native Duncan McGuire, who led the nation in goals and won the MAC Hermann Award — given to the best player in college soccer each year. The other Bluejay who was drafted was Owen O’Malley, a midfielder from Cary, North Carolina. 

Team success, high draft picks and stable coaching are all indicators of top programs in college athletics, with only one question mark remaining for the Jays: Consistency. 

For two years in a row, Creighton had to rely on a late-season push to make the NCAA tournament. This year, the team was a single UConn goal from missing the conference tournament before going on their magical postseason run. If the Jays hope to return to the powerhouse they were in the late ‘90s through early ‘10s, they need to figure out how to be the team that tore through the country in Nov. on a night-to-night basis. 

Creighton needs to be able to find consistency in its defense. Despite being the nation’s leading scoring offense, the Jays came in at 119th in goals allowed per game. The next worst team among College Cup contenders was Indiana at 64th. The Jays weren’t shut out once all year, but proved time and again unable to put teams away in the regular season.  

Torres’ work rebuilding the program has been impressive, but the Jays need to improve to reestablish themselves as a top program in the nation. They can’t rely on a result they have no control over on the last weekend of the season just to make the conference tournament. They can’t follow up a 6-1 blowout of Rutgers with a disappointing showing against St. Louis. They can’t give up four goals in a regular season finale against a Providence team which scored three goals only once in conference play. 

The Creighton men’s soccer program just showed its potential, all that’s left now is to reach it.