EVANSVILLE, Ind.
? The Creighton Bluejays netted a goal in each half of Friday's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Championship semifinal, notching a 2-0 victory to end Bradley's soccer season at the Goebel Soccer Complex in Evansville, Ind.
After heavy rainfall caused wet and unplayable field conditions at Black Beauty Field, the Braves and Bluejays moved to the Goebel Soccer Complex's artificial surface in Evansville and started more than an hour later than the scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The move didn't affect the Bluejays, as Creighton took the match's first seven shots and finally found the back of the net on the seventh try for a 1-0 lead on a goal from Tim Walters in the 19th minute. The strike was the third of the season for Walters, who took a crossing pass from Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Andrei Gotsmanov and put a shot inside the box past Bradley sophomore goalkeeper Drew Van Kampen (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley H.S.).
The Bluejays maintained pressure on the Bradley defense throughout the first half, holding a 9-0 advantage in shots. Van Kampen turned aside Creighton's only other shot on goal of the first half on Ethan Finley's attempt in the 40th minute.
Bradley junior Justin Bigelow (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb H.S.) tested Creighton keeper Brian Holt for the first time with his shot on target in the 50th minute, but Holt made his first of two saves on the night, preserving Creighton's 1-0 lead early in the second half.
Finlay gave the Bluejays breathing room in the 80th minute when his header in the middle of the box found its way past Van Kampen for a 2-0 lead. The Creighton tally again came off a crossing pass, this time from Jeff Thayer. Greg Jordan was also credited with an assist on the play.
The Braves recovered on the offensive end to take five shots in the second half, but Creighton finished the match with a 14-5 advantage. Holt earned his 12th shutout of the season, making two stops for the match. One night removed from making a career-best 10 saves, Van Kampen made two saves in the loss.
The defeat ends Bradley's season with a 6-12-2 mark. Creighton will advance to play third-seeded Missouri State Sunday at 1:05 p.m. after the Bears tied Drake and advanced after a penalty kick shootout in the first semifinal on Friday. The Bluejays and Bears played to a scoreless draw earlier this season.
