Three weeks on the road tested the Creighton men’s soccer team, but the Bluejays return home to Morrison Stadium tomorrow after the three match stretch resulted in two wins and one loss.

Hosted by DePaul and UConn before facing Missouri State at a neutral site, the Bluejays allowed three goals and scored three of their own — winning 2-0 against DePaul, falling 3-0 to UConn and rebounding with a 1-0 victory over Missouri State.

Most recently, the Bluejays battled UConn and Missouri State just five days apart. In that five-day span, the Bluejays had to learn from the match with the Huskies and apply those lessons to bounce back and win against the Bears.

With another Big East matchup on the horizon on Bluejay home turf, the time for Creighton — who leads the Midwest division with a 2-1-1 conference record — and Xavier — who sits in second place with a 1-1-1 conference record — to hash it out on the pitch could not be more perfect. 

Ahead of the top-team tussle, though, let’s take a look back at the Bluejays’ last two road matchups and determine what went wrong, what went right and how Creighton responded.

1. Oct. 3: Creighton vs. UConn — where the Huskies ran on full throttle, and the Bluejays ran out of luck in the box.

A highly anticipated matchup between UConn and Creighton, the first 45 minutes lived up to those expectations, with both teams displaying high-tempo, disciplined soccer.

The Huskies opened with an early edge, generating a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal. But the Bluejays soon settled in, creating several promising chances late in the half. Two shots from sophomore forward  Bautista Rossi — in the 8th and 40th minutes — were denied, and a one-on-one look from junior midfielder Ali Ramadan couldn’t quite find the back of the net.

At the break, head coach Johnny Torres pointed to a lack of double movements in the box as the missing piece; in other words, the Bluejays’ initial attacks were too direct, allowing UConn’s back line to read and react.

Of note, however, part of what kept the Bluejays from getting the go-ahead goal was the quick reaction and reach from Huskies goalkeeper Kyle Durham, who turned near-certain goals into highlight saves, making it difficult for the Bluejays to catch UConn off guard.

The second half told a different story. UConn struck quickly with goals in the 53rd, 56th and 87th minutes, capitalizing on momentum shifts that Creighton couldn’t quite counter. It was an unusual trend for the Bluejays, who have scored 10 of their 14 total goals in the second half this season and typically found another gear after the break.

Whatever the reason, the team that held a strong UConn team scoreless did not have the same momentum in the second half, even though, when all was said and done, the shot attempt count was a slight edge 22-20 in favor of UConn. But when it counted, the Bluejays could not keep UConn off the front foot and it proved to be the nail in the coffin of delivering the Bluejays their first loss after a five match win streak. 

The loss to UConn, Creighton’s first setback since Aug. 29, highlighted two clear takeaways: it is crucial to sustain energy for all 90 minutes and to be more deliberate in the 18-yard box. Sharp execution, layered movement in the offensive third and high energy for an entire match not only create better scoring chances but also disrupt the opponent’s momentum — lessons the Bluejays carried into their next win over Missouri State.

2. Oct. 8: Creighton vs. Missouri State — a tale of two teams battling it out in the midfield, unwilling to relent, and a patient Creighton offense that struck in the final minutes. 

Against the Huskies, especially in the second half, Creighton spent much of the match defending waves of UConn pressure. Against Missouri State, however, the battle moved to the middle third — a tug-of-war in the midfield where defenses ruled and scoring chances were few but proved to be high quality, near-goals when they appeared.

Freshman midfielder Todd Vromant gave the Bluejays a near-goal in the 9th minute, before the 15th and 17th minutes were nearly enough for the Bears to get on the board. But stops from redshirt freshman goalkeeper Matthew Hudson and a relentless Bluejay backline kept the score at zeros at the half. 

In the second frame, Missouri State’s shot attempts came more frequently, as the Bears accumulated nine shots in the latter 45 minutes. But unlike against UConn, where the Bluejays allowed the Huskies’ momentum to surge enough to open their scoring account, Creighton remained strong, fending off four shots on goal that half.

The Bluejays’ energy on offense didn’t waver either, a clear learning sign from playing UConn, as Creighton picked up five corner kick opportunities. However, it was Creighton’s layered movements in the 18-yard box in the 89th minute that proved the game-saver. 

Breaking the mold of one move in the box, graduate forward Martin Herrera delivered his second goal of the season on a strike in the 89th minute of the match thanks to a double assist from junior defender Matthew Reed and Rossi. With time running out, Reed sparked a three-player attack, feeding the ball to Rossi in the box. Rossi quickly found Herrera, who redirected the pass into the left side of the goal for the game-winner.

With a 1-0 victory that set Creighton back to its winning ways, the Bluejays demonstrated more than just the fact that they could get a winning percentage on a three game road trip. They demonstrated the adaptability to take a loss against a tough conference opponent and turn it into a win less than a week later, drawing lessons from the missteps and making the necessary changes.

3. What remained consistent in all three matches with DePaul, UConn and Missouri State? Hudson’s ability to make clutch saves.

Creighton’s record over the three week road stretch may have shown two wins and a loss, but one thing remained steady — Matthew Hudson’s growth and reliability in goal.

In the 2-0 win over DePaul, Hudson recorded four second half saves to preserve a one goal lead, including a diving stop in the 77th minute to deny a sharp strike from the right side of the box.

Even in the 3-0 loss to UConn, Hudson’s efforts kept the Huskies in check far longer than the scoreline suggests. He turned away early attempts in the 4th and 14th minutes and made a crucial deflection in the 51st to keep Creighton within reach.

Against Missouri State, Hudson again came up big, making consecutive saves in the 15th and 17th minutes and four more after halftime. His diving stop in the 84th minute kept the match level long enough for Herrera’s 89th-minute game-winner.

Across all three matches, Hudson’s composure under pressure and improving command of the box gave Creighton a steady anchor, serving as proof that even when results fluctuate, consistency in goal can keep a team’s confidence intact.

Now, to beat the 5-3-2 Xavier Musketeers, Creighton will need to carry the lessons from their road trip back to Morrison — maintaining energy for all 90 minutes, executing with patience and combined actions in the box and relying on Hudson’s steady presence in goal — as they look to earn their fifth home win, third victory in Big East play, and remain undefeated in front of the Bluejay faithful.