Creighton women’s soccer nearly came away with a result in their home opener on Thursday night, but Iowa State capitalized on a late counterattack to hand the Bluejays a 1-0 loss at Morrison Stadium.
“Disappointing in the end,” Head Coach Jimmy Walker said. “Couldn’t ask for more from the girls. Their effort was excellent. They played well. They dominated every statistic, dominated possession, dominated the shots. [At the] end of the day, you’ve got to score goals.”
The match, played in front of more than 2,000 fans, was a physical and evenly fought battle from start to finish. Despite the Cyclones holding much of the possession in the first half, Creighton generated the better chances early, including a free kick in the 21st minute from Ariana Mondiri that rattled off the post.
Both sides exchanged looks after halftime, but the breakthrough didn’t come until the final minute of regulation. Iowa State’s Isabella Agrusso broke free in transition and lifted a shot over goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac to seal the match for the visitors.
“Tt was compounding errors,” Walker said. “Not a great delivery. Lost the first ball. Lost the second ball. Next thing you know, we’re one nil down with a minute left. So really, really heartbreaking to lose that way,”
Creighton outshot Iowa State 15-9 overall, with seven of those efforts on frame. Mondiri, Olivia Duray, and graduate transfer Brynn Gardner each tallied three attempts to lead the Jays’ attack. Gardner, who previously played for head coach Jimmy Walker at Bowling Green, made an immediate impact in her first home game in Omaha, recording two shots on target and creating consistent pressure in the attacking third.
She’s amazing,” Walker said on Gardner. “She’s an amazing kid. She gives the energy. She’s dangerous. She’s exciting. She beats a man one v[ersus] one. She put some great crosses in there today and caused some problems.”
The loss moves Creighton to 1-2-0 on the season. The Bluejays now head into two difficult road matchups, beginning today at Western Michigan, the defending MAC champions, before traveling to No. 3 Duke on Sunday.
