Soccer: Thayer energizing Jays

Creighton soccer player Jeff Thayer’s approach to life is strictly blue collar.

“I was brought up with the idea that if you don’t work hard, you won’t get want you want,’’ Thayer said. “It’s always good to hear when strangers come up to my mom and tell her, ‘Your kid works hard.’’’

Thayer’s work ethic is legendary among his teammates.

“We had to keep him out of the weight room last spring because he was lifting too much,’’ fellow senior Seth Sinovic said. “Jeff is a tough guy, and he works hard at everything he does. And we love it when he brings that onto the field.’’

The Bluejays have been counting on Thayer to pump some life into their struggling offense. Creighton, which faces Drake tonight in a key Missouri Valley Conference game at Morrison Stadium, has scored 11 goals in nine games.

Five came in Sunday’s rout of Eastern Illinois. Thayer ignited the scoring explosion by scoring three minutes into the match. His other goal came Oct. 3 against Evansville, and it fueled a second-half rally that produced a 2-1 victory over the Purple Aces.

Heading into tonight’s 7 o’clock match, Thayer is tied for third on the team in scoring with five points. His numbers might be better if he hadn’t had to battle a groin injury earlier in the season, Creighton coach Bob Warming said.

“I probably didn’t play him as much early as he would have liked to have played,’’ Warming said.

For Thayer’s own good.

“Jeff goes 100 percent every single time he plays,’’ Warming said. “If Jeff says he has a little bit of a groin strain, it’s like some guys saying they need surgery and six months off. He’s that kind of kid, and we had to be careful with him.

“The good thing is he’s 100 percent now.’’

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Thayer has been a solid performer throughout his Bluejay career. He scored 12 points and earned a spot on the Valley’s all-freshman team in 2006. As a sophomore, he started every match and produced three goals, all game-winners. Last season he tied for the team lead with six assists, finished second in scoring with 16 points and earned All-Valley honors.

There should be no shortage of energy on the field tonight. Drake comes into the match ranked 19th in the coaches poll and first in the Midwest Region. The Bulldogs are 7-3-1 and, at 2-0-0, are the Valley’s only unbeaten team.

Creighton leads the Valley in points with 10 but has played three more matches than the Bulldogs. At 5-2-2- and 3-1-1, the Bluejays need a win to keep them in the championship picture.

If both teams were winless, it wouldn’t change the atmosphere for tonight’s game.

“We both have a lot of Midwest kids on our teams,’’ Thayer said. “A lot of us have been playing against each other for a while. That just adds to the intensity that’s out there.’’

Ÿ Notes: The Bluejays are 3-1-3 in their past seven meetings with Drake and own a 20-1-6 all-time record against the Bulldogs. They’ve never lost to Drake in Omaha. ... The attendance of 851 for the Eastern Illinois game snapped a string of 43 straight games in which Creighton had drawn 1,000 or more at home dating back to 2005. ... Creighton is 13-1-1 against ranked teams at Morrison Stadium.

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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