The Creighton women’s soccer team delivered a thrilling comeback win over cross-town rival Omaha in the first annual Kicks for a Cure match, a game that went down to the wire.
The Bluejays opened with strong possession, controlling much of the first half on UNO’s side of the field. But it was the Mavericks who struck first.
After a foul on Creighton, Omaha earned a free kick just outside the box, and Charley Kort bent the ball past the keeper in stunning fashion to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. Kort wasn’t done—she scored again just before the 30th minute, leaving Creighton in a 2-0 hole despite generating nearly double-digit shots on goal.
“It’s just hard because we know that we’re capable of beating these teams, especially a rivalry game like UNO. We should be coming out firing. So, it’s defeating when we have a crowd out there and we don’t show up in the first half,” junior forward Mallory Connealy said.
Trailing at halftime, the Jays regrouped and came out with a new look.
“Credit to the team in the second half. We sorted a few things out at halftime, changed a few things up, we got players further up the field and second-half performance, just like Arkansas, was elite,” Head Coach Jimmy Walker said.
That reference to Arkansas wasn’t an accident. Just five days earlier, Creighton found itself in nearly the same position against No. 13 Arkansas. Down 2-0 at halftime, the Jays stormed back with three unanswered goals to briefly take the lead before the Razorbacks equalized late to end in a 3-3 draw.
“I’m griping about the fact that we won 3-2 tonight,” Walker said. “I shouldn’t really be griping about it but the standards got to be so high where we’ve now got to start putting full games together,” Walker said.
On Sunday, it was a similar second-half surge that flipped the script again—this time sparked by sophomore Kendal Radke, who came off the bench and scored her first career goal to pull Creighton within one.
“I’m smiling so big for her…You get on the field, you make something happen, your season can change and that’s what she’s done today. She’s gone on the field, she’s played really, really well and she scored a good goal for us to get back in the game,” Walker said.
Radke’s moment was especially meaningful as she had been sidelined for more than two years due to injuries. The emotion was felt throughout the crowd and on the field.
“That for her is probably the biggest moment of her college career, and I’m so proud of her for what she did and I think she’ll be smiling all night tonight,” Walker added.
The intensity only grew from there. In the 87th minute, a handball in the box was reviewed and ruled a penalty, giving Creighton the chance to equalize. Graduate student Ariana Mondiri calmly buried the kick into the corner to tie the game at 2-2.
Momentum stayed with the Jays. Just two minutes later, senior Jess Torres played a perfect ball into the box, where Connealy headed it home in the 89th minute—completing the comeback and leaving UNO no time to respond.
“Just putting everything we have up top and not giving up. I mean, we play until the last second of the game so that’s really important I think to get the win tonight,” Connealy said.
The win carried extra meaning beyond the scoreboard, as Kicks for a Cure raises awareness and funds for childhood cancer.
“We’re playing for something bigger than just ourselves and our team,” Connealy said. “Looking out into the crowd and seeing all those young girls and all those people who have fought for their lives…if they can do that, we can put a game together.”
Sunday’s game also marked another historic milestone for the program. After setting a new home attendance record of 3,673 during the Arkansas match, the Bluejays broke it again against Omaha with 3,895 fans filling Morrison Stadium.
With the emotional comeback win behind them, Creighton now turns to senior day against South Dakota. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.
