PEORIA, Ill. - A goal by Vincent Keller at the 106:31 mark in double
overtime lifted No. 12 Creighton (14-3-2) to a 3-2 victory past Drake (6-11-4)
in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Friday
(Nov. 9) at Shea Stadium.
The game-winning tally ended a brilliant effort by the
upset-minded Bulldogs, who were in search of only their third title-game
appearance in school history and first since capturing the championship in
2009.
Redshirt sophomore Jarred Arde (Gulfport, Miss./Gulfport) nearly
gave Drake the triumph 40 seconds into the second overtime, but Jeff Gal made
the stop on his effort for the Bluejays.
Jake Brown delivered a strike for Creighton in the 104th
minute (103:37) that was pulled in by redshirt junior goalkeeper Rich Gallagher (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest
Academy).
The Bluejays then secured their berth in the MVC title game
on Keller's heroics. Earning
assists on the tally were Eric Miller and Brent Kallman.
By virtue of going to overtime, Drake equaled a school
record set in both 1992 and 1988 with its eighth overtime game of the season.
Creighton won the battle of the shots in the affair, 25-15,
including 14-6 on goal.
Playing in his final collegiate soccer game, senior Michael Thaden (West Des
Moines, Iowa/Valley) directed Drake's offensive efforts with a game-high five
shots. Adding four and three
shots, respectively, were junior Brian Grand (North Branch, Minn./North Branch)
and Arde. Leading Creighton with five shots was Jose Gomez.
The outcome dampened the memory of the final collegiate
soccer games for Thaden and redshirt junior Jackson Teeling (Waukee, Iowa/Dowling Catholic),
who donned the Blue and White for the final time on Friday (Nov. 9).
Gallagher corralled a game-high nine saves in the affair,
while Gal recorded four stops for the Bluejays.
The showdown between two venerable MVC combatants started as
a spirited affair with Creighton nearly cracking the scoring column first in
the tilt as a shot by Sean Kim in the 28th minute (27:27) got through
the hands of Gallagher and nearly crossed the goal line before a lunging team
save by redshirt freshman Alec Bartlett (Overland Park, Kan./St. James Academy) cleared the
ball out and ended the threat.
Grand nearly fed sophomore Thomas Schermoly (Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas)
for a Drake goal at the 30:52 mark, but Gal made the save to thwart the scoring
opportunity.
Grand took matters into his own hands in the 33rd minute
(32:35) mark registering his second goal of the season to give the Bulldogs a
1-0 lead. The tally off an assist from junior Nick Marshall (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville), was the first
for Drake versus Creighton since Thaden netted a goal in a 2-1 loss to the Bluejays in 2010.
Creighton outshot the Bulldogs in the initial stanza,
12-7. Gallagher pulled in four
saves in the first half to send the Bulldogs into the intermission with a 1-0
lead.
The advantage held until Gomez tied the game at one in the
56th minute (55:34) with a blast from the middle of the 18-yard box. Timo
Pitter earned the assist on the tally.
Momentum swung into Creighton's favor after the goal as 34
seconds later Eric Miller connected on a header in front of the right post at
the 56:08 mark off a pass from Jose Ribas to put the Bluejays ahead 2-1.
Responding, Thaden squared the contest at two unleashing a
rocket past Gal for his team-leading seventh goal of the season in the 60th
minute (59:28), following a corner from junior Addison Eck (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart
Griffin).
A shot by Bruno Castro at the 86:39 mark nearly gave
Creighton the late lead but a team save by Teeling cleared the ball out. The Bluejays' follow-up shot did go in
the goal, but it was waved off after a handball on Creighton.
