Josh Moran is proof that it’s worth a detour or two to get a chance to live a dream.

Moran grew up in Omaha and played for Millard North. His goal was to play in college at Creighton, but he ran into a hurdle when he was twice turned down for admittance.

Instead of backing off, Moran bore down. He enrolled at Hastings College, where he worked on his academics, as well as his game. He reapplied to Creighton and was admitted, then approached coach Bob Warming about joining the team.

“I think that says a lot about Josh’s character,” Warming said. “A lot of times in life you’re going to get a door or two slammed in your face, but he knew what he wanted to do. He knew he was capable of doing the work, and he applied himself so that he could get this chance.”

Moran has made the most of the opportunity. Although slowed early in the season by a hamstring injury, the 5-foot-5, 135-pound junior has played in 13 of Creighton’s 14 games, with 11 starts at the left midfielder position. He hasn’t scored a goal but has notched three assists.

“Playing here is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “My parents have always told me that if there is something I want to do, I can do it. They said that if I worked hard, one day luck will change for me.”

Moran earned All-Nebraska honors at Millard North, finishing his high school career by playing on the Mustangs’ 2007 undefeated state championship team. Warming said he expressed some interest in recruiting Moran out of high school, but that ended when Moran couldn’t get admitted to school.

“That was tough,” Moran said. “I knew I had to crack down on my grades as well as continue playing soccer. I hit the books hard and spent a lot of hours studying just so I could get a chance to play soccer and go to school here.”

At Hastings, Moran scored one goal and had four assists as a freshman on a team that reached the NAIA national quarterfinals. He came back last season to score 13 goals, including seven game-winners, in earning the Great Plains Athletic Conference’s offensive player of the year award, as well as NAIA All-America honorable mention.

The two seasons he spent as a Bronco allowed him to refine his game as well as build some confidence.

“I was able to get a lot of playing time,” he said, “and it showed me that I could play in college against guys that were a lot bigger and stronger than me.”

The experience also left Moran with a strong bond with his teammates and coaches, which made for a difficult decision when he learned he had been admitted to Creighton.

“I met a lot of good people there,” he said. “I became close with the soccer players, and I had a lot of kids that I grew up with here go to Hastings. It was hard leaving them, but they told me that they would always be my friends and that we’d always be close.

“They told me I should go play at Creighton because it was my dream.”

Moran has proved to be a valuable addition for CU. Senior defender Chris Schuler said Moran is a strong technical player who adds flair to the offense.

“He’s got good vision, he’s dynamic and he’s intelligent,” Schuler said.

Warming said Moran brings “great savvy for the game.” He reminds the coach of Tim Walters, who played the past three seasons for Creighton and is now an assistant coach.

“They’re both coach’s sons,” Warming said. “They understand the game.”

Though Creighton’s season hasn’t lived up to expectations to this point, Moran said that can change.

“We are kicking it into gear,” he said. “There’s a lot of soccer left to play on our part.’’

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com