Sports writer Aiman Fariz Zaqwan Bin Akmal Hizam discusses Tulsa men’s soccer.
Tulsa’s Golden Hurricanes welcomed the Creighton Bluejays to our home field on Saturday, Sept. 9. Both teams came with winning momentum, after TU won 2-0 against Florida Atlantic University for their American Athletic Conference conference opener earlier that week, while Creighton cinched a 2-1 win against Marquette for their Big East conference opener.
Head coach Tom McIntosh only made one change from their last match, with Sergio Baena reclaiming his attacking midfielder spot in place of Mikey Morales. Meanwhile, Coach Johnny Torres maintained the same starting eleven that won against Marquette, but he changed the initial formation from a flat 4-4-2 to a more offensive 3-4-3 formation.
The stage was set for a thrilling battle with supporters counting down to the start of this high-stakes contest. The referee checked the clock and blew his whistle to kick off the first half. Creighton got the ball rolling, and both sides traded attacks right away.
TU maintained their possession-based style of play, emphasizing build-up from the back and utilizing short passes from the goalkeeper. Their offensive strategy focused on exploiting Creighton’s flanks, attempting through passes to their wingers, giving them the option to take shots or connect with their top scorer, Malik Henry-Scott.
With 27 minutes left to close the first 45, Henry-Scott suffered an injury that ultimately forced him to leave the field. He was substituted by forward Takayoshi Wyatt. Both teams persisted in their attacking efforts, but neither managed to find the back of the net. As the first half neared its conclusion, the score remained deadlocked at 0-0.
The second half kicked off with TU getting the ball rolling. The Golden Hurricanes wasted no time launching their attacks, eager to find a breakthrough. However, CU was equally determined, launching their own offensive efforts as they sought to put their name on the scoreboard.
A long ball attempt from goalie Alex Lopez in the 87th minute was headed forward by Camilo Vargas on the left flank. Mike Eijgendaal arrived at the ball first and raced into Creighton’s final third before playing a cutback into the center. Forward Ty Sanchez got to the ball and flicked a shot towards Creighton’s goal, but goalkeeper Blake Gillingham doveforward, closing the space and keeping the ball out of harm’s way.
As the clock ticked down, TU continued their relentless efforts to launch attacks, hopeful fora goal that could win them the game. In the 90th minute, they came from the left again. A pass from John Dalby found an open Will Applegate, who swiftly turned and launched a shot from outside of the box. But Gillingham’s diving save extended to reach the ball, keeping the score at 0-0. Despite their best attempts, neither team managed to alter the score. The final whistle blew, and the game ended without any goals between the Golden Hurricanes and the Bluejays.
The draw pushed Creighton’s record to 2-3-3, while Tulsa moved to 3-2-2. Both teams will now shift their attention towards their next matches. TU welcomed UNLV to the Hurricane Soccer Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23, for The Golden Hurricanes’ last non-conference match of the season. Meanwhile, Creighton will travel to Chicago to play DePaul for their Big East clash.
