Men's soccer shocks Tulsa, advances to Elite Eight on late penalty

The men’s soccer teamdefeated 14th ranked Tulsa in the Sweet 16, coming from behind to solidify their 2-1 win over the Golden Hurricane and advance to the NCAA quarterfinals.  

On Nov 26, despite heavy rain in Tulsa, the Bluejays defeated the Golden Hurricane, scoring both goals in the second half to advance to their firstquarterfinals since 2015. 

From the whistle, Tulsa controlled possession, getting a series of early shot attempts on goal. In the 3rd minute, fifth-year senior goalkeeper Paul Kruse made a jumping save on a Tulsa corner kick, and Tulsa’s second shot deflected off the crossbar before Creighton was able to clear the ball.  

In the 23rd minute, Tulsa scored a goalon a pass into the middle of the box, putting Creighton in a 0-1 deficit early in the first half. 

“At the time they scored, we had a lot of game left,” said junior defender Jake Ashford.“ We had seventy-five minutes left so [we thought], just keep going at them over and over again and eventually we’re going to get one. We haven’t been shut out all year, so you keep going, and you keep plugging away.” 

As the end of the first half neared, Creighton’s offensive attack began to come together, as a header in the 33rd minute by senior midfielder Dominic Briggs barely missed to the right of the goal. 

The Creighton defense held strong against a constantly attacking Tulsa offense, and a successful sliding challenge from sophomore defender Mark O’Neill in the 37th minute saved a potentially dangerous shot attempt by Tulsa. 

At the end of the half, Tulsa had outshot Creighton 7-4, and the Bluejays retired to the locker room trailing 0-1. 

“[Tulsa’s] a good team,” fourth-year head coach Johnny Torres said. “They do a good job at finding the open player and I thought although they did come out and maybe out possess us a little bit in that first half, by the end of that first part of that first half, we figured it out, we took control of the midfield a little bit, and we came out with some good momentum in the second half.” 

And as the second half began, the energy and possession increased as Creighton’s offensive attack looked strong and poised.  

In the 54th minute, Creighton capitalized on an opportunity in the box. A set piece corner kick from sophomore midfielder Giorgio Probo gave O’Neill a clear header into the back of the net, tying the match 1-1. 

“I’m really proud of [O’Neill] because he was out of the line up for a couple of games and he’s been diligent,’ Torres stated. “He’s been a team player, he’s done what we’ve asked, and he’s helped solidify our defense. And it’s an added bonus when he can come out and scored on a set piece.” 

As the second half continued, the momentum and energy from the Bluejays following the goal was palpable,their offensive attack strong. On the defensive end, Kruse and the Creighton back line continued to fend off Tulsa’s attack. In the 79th minute, a joint save from Kruse and junior defender Luke Waters to deflect the ball out of the goal kept the match tied at 1-1. 

In the 88th minute, junior forward Duncan McGuire gave the Bluejays an opportunity to solidify the win. After a breakaway charge into the right side of the eighteen-yard box, Tulsa’s goalkeeper tripped McGuire, drawing a yellow card and giving Creighton the chance to take the lead on a penalty kick. 

Probo took the penalty kick, sending the ball past the goalkeeper and putting the Bluejays up 2-1 with two minutes left in the match.  

Creighton held strong and when the whistle blew, the Bluejays defeated the Golden Hurricane 2-1, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. 

“This is the third game in a row where we’ve really showed heart,” Ashford commented about defeating a talented Tulsa team. “We’ve come from behind three games in a row and it's amazing.” 

Torres also commented on Creighton’s belief and momentum going into the next round. 

“We just continue to take momentum. I think this group is a group that is believing in themselves right now, which is a good thing, so we want to continue to take that with us along with the momentum that we’ve had.” 

The Bluejays advance to play 4th ranked Duke in the quarterfinals on Dec 3 in Durham, North Carolina.