The Creighton women’s soccer team began its 2025 journey on Aug. 14 with a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, and the season has since been an entertaining mix of thrilling wins and agonizing defeats.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, everything was on the line as the Bluejays faced the St. John’s Red Storm at Morrison Stadium in a must-win situation. Creighton entered the match with a 6-7-4 record and a 3-3-2 mark in conference play.
The Big East tournament is an exclusive club, welcoming only the top four teams in the conference. Thus, on Nov. 1, the Bluejays were in favorable position to control their own destiny, poised to clinch the fourth spot with a win.
The Red Storm came into the match in a very different situation. St. John’s had already been eliminated from Big East tournament contention, holding a 1-5-3 conference record and a 3-8-5 overall mark. At this point in the season, the team was hoping to pull off an upset to end its season on a high note.
As the intense match began, graduate student forward Ariana Mondiri tried to give Creighton the lead early, taking the first shot of the match in the eighth minute, but it went over the top. Mondiri continued to battle, firing another attempt in the 10th minute, which was saved by Red Storm goalkeeper Kayla Bower, keeping the score tied at 0-0.
It was the Bluejays who struck first in the 31st minute when sophomore forward Anna Bragg capitalized on a corner kick from freshman defender Olivia Sides, delivering an impressive header into the net to make the score 1-0.
Following the goal, Creighton continued to attack, extending its lead in the 37th minute after junior forward Mallory Connealy recovered a loose ball, passed it to sophomore forward Kendal Radke, and eventually found freshman forward Jalen Chaney to score, giving the Bluejays a 2-0 advantage.
St. John’s tried to respond quickly, with sophomore forward Madison Mariani taking a shot in the 38th minute that went wide. Creighton also looked to extend its lead, but Radke’s follow-up attempt did not find the goal.
Despite trailing two goals, the Red Storm maintained pressure on the Bluejays, taking the final two shots of the half. Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac stopped both attempts, and Creighton went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
In the first half, the Bluejays totaled six shots and two corner kicks, while St. John’s managed four shots and no corners.
The second half opened quietly for both teams, but Creighton came alive in the 58th minute. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Duray delivered a ball into the box, where Connealy controlled it before passing to senior forward Brynn Gardner, who finished the sequence for a 3-0 advantage.
St. John’s tried to respond again when redshirt freshman midfielder Samantha Goldberg took a shot later in the 58th minute, but Zalac made the save to keep the Red Storm scoreless.
Neither team scored again, and the match ended in a 3-0 victory for the Bluejays. Creighton finished with 12 shots and three corner kicks, compared with St. John’s seven shots and one corner.
The win improved Creighton’s record to 7-7-4 overall and 4-3-2 in Big East play, securing the fourth seed in the conference tournament. This marks the second consecutive year the Bluejays have qualified for the Big East tournament.
“We scored three good goals, and we grinded it out. We were somewhat organized defensively and didn’t concede,” head coach Jimmy Walker said. “But I still think we’ve got a better performance in us than what we had today, and we’re going to have to be better for the next game.”