9:38 p.m.: That's all, folks.

Creighton put an end to a looney-tune of a soccer season with Monday's announcement that it hadn't received an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. The Bluejays held out hope to the end but their fate was written all over their faces when several teams they knew couldn't get in for them to have a chance flashed onto the TV screen.

"We're not in,'' senior Seth Sinovic said to no one in particular.

The Bluejays really didn't desevere to be after losing and tying more matches (nine) than they won (seven) this season. Creighton got off to a rocky start and never really recovered. The Bluejays had several chances to get back on track but never could. They might have gotten enough of a bump had they won their semifinal game against Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. They lost 3-1.

Creighton's streak of 17 straight NCAA appearances is now history. It will be up to the players returning next season to try to turn a negative into a positive.

"We certainly had opportunities,'' Creighton coach Bob Warming said. "We need to do our darndest to try to get back. Two years ago, St. John's had its streak ended and the next year it wound up in the College Cup. That has to be our goal next year.

"We have to turn this into where we're more prepared and more determined next year. Everybody needs a wake-up call at different times in his life. This is a tough one, especially for our seniors. This isn't the legacy I hope they'll be remembered by.''

The seniors were part of teams that lost just one regular-season game in each of the 2007 and 2008 seasons. They made it to the elite eight last season, missing a chance of advancing by one goal. They've won big games, including one this season when they knocked off a UCLA team that came into Morrison Stadium with the No. 2 RPI in the country.

But it was on their watch that the streak came to an end. And like it or not, that will be a part of their legacy.

--Steven Pivovar

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