Soccer: Jays ready to open season against Loyola

Bob Warming qualifies the promise he sees in the defensive ability of his Creighton soccer team.

“We can be exceptional,'' Warming said, “but that's a little like me saying I could get in really great shape. I'd have to do what it takes to get in that shape just as our guys have to do it.

“There's a certain mentality that they have to take to the field every day. It's not just going to happen because we were there last season.''

Creighton rode its defense deep into the NCAA tournament last season as the Bluejays made it to the elite eight before Maryland ended their 16-2-2 season. Creighton finished second nationally in goals-against average (0.48) while posting a nation-best .650 shutout percentage (13 in 20 matches).

The Bluejays posted those numbers with freshman Brian Holt seeing most of the action at goalkeeper. Now a sophomore, Holt anchors a defense that returns back-row starters in Akin Akinrinade, Chris Schuler, Seth Sinovic and Kyle Deremer.

Like Warming, Holt is not taking it for granted that a year's experience will automatically make the Creighton defenders better.

“We know we're going to get everyone's best game,'' Holt said. “We need to come out mentally focused and ready to work hard for a full 90 minutes.

“I think we have a chance to be stronger defensively as a team because everyone is working so much harder. But it's just not going to happen. We have to keep working hard.''

Holt stepped in last season to replace Matt Allen, a four-year starter and two-time Missouri Valley Conference defensive player of the year. All Holt did in his first season was set school records for shutouts (12) and consecutive shutout minutes (722:12) while tying the school mark for goals-against average (0.51). The Valley named him its freshman of the year, and he also received freshman All-America honors.

“It really helps our guys' confidence to have Brian back there,'' Warming said. “At the beginning of last year, a lot of our exceptional play on defense was due to our nervousness. We were without Matt Allen, and everyone knew they were going to have to step it up.

“Then Brian started to have some success and proved to the guys he could do the job. He's as competitive as any guy we've ever had in our program, and his leadership skills are continuing to improve. Heading into this year, I'm not concerned about him. It's the rest of the team I'm concerned about.''

Creighton opens its 2009 season tonight with a 7 p.m. game at Morrison Stadium against Loyola. The Bluejays played three exhibitions in preparation for the opener, scoring lopsided wins over the Red Fury Latin All-Stars and the Nebraska club team while dropping a 4-2 decision to the Kansas City Wizards.

What Warming found troubling about the exhibition performances were lapses in play from a team that returns nine starters.

“We were playing at a very high level when we were in Peru,'' said Warming, referring to the exhibition trip his team took last spring. “I maybe overestimated where guys would be when they came back at the start of preseason.

“We've had varying levels of sloppiness in our play in the exhibitions. I had hoped we would come back playing even better than we had in Peru, but we lost a lot of that over the summer.”

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com