The University of Memphis men’s soccer team left Omaha, Nebraska, with a 2-0 loss against the Creighton Bluejays and a 1-0 win against Utah Valley University though it was more of a homecoming for head coach Richard Mulrooney, as he played for Creighton from 1995 to 1998.
Mulrooney said he was glad to be back at Creighton and will always have fond memories of his alma mater.
“Knowing that’s where I came from and contributed as a player, it was a proud feeling, and obviously I’m very happy,” Mulrooney said. “I was excited to be back on campus to see how things have developed over the past 20-25 years.”
Mulrooney also noted how he earned more than just a degree at Creighton and was thankful for the help he got from the soccer program.
“They helped me get to be a professional soccer player, and I met my wife there,” Mulrooney said. “It means a lot to me.”
Nostalgia aside, the Tigers outshot the No. 20 Bluejays 11-10, but only three of their shots were on target. The defense on both sides was strong to stop opposing offenses and make shots, and counter-attacks frequently happened throughout the match.
“I thought we kept them on their heels quite a bit,” Mulrooney said. “We had some opportunities, but we didn’t finish them off. I thought we limited them in the first half.”
Creighton broke through in the 62nd minute to take the lead, and a late dagger in the 82nd minute sealed the 2-0 win for the home team. Although the Tigers didn’t get the win they wanted, Mulrooney knew his team performed well ,and the experience will help against future opponents such as Central Florida and Tulsa later in the season.
“I thought that was the most complete performance against the best team we played this year,” Mulrooney said. “When you go down like that, you have nothing to hold your head down for.”
The men rebounded Sunday to take a 1-0 win against Utah Valley University in a game where each team made their fair share of shots. Memphis had 13 shots, and Utah Valley had 14 shots. While Utah Valley was more dangerous in the first 20-plus minutes, Memphis was able to strike first in the 24th minute. Chris Mikus, redshirt sophomore midfielder, capitalized after Alexandros Ierides, another sophomore midfielder, had his shot blocked by the defense and earned his second goal of the season.
“It was good for us to hold the lead and to see how Utah Vally responded, and they’re a solid team,” Mulrooney said.
Utah Valley did respond late near the end of the game, taking desperate but solid shots in the last minute. A Memphis defender saved the first, and the second was saved by the junior goalkeeper Tyler Hofmann, who earned his second shoutout of the season.
“It was a sense of relief,” Mulrooney said. “We worked hard, and it would have been devastating ... knowing that arguably, we were the better team of the day.”
Memphis returns home to Mike Rose Soccer Complex against Belmont University on Saturday at 7 p.m. It’s the first home game for the Tigers since Aug. 24. The team is glad to be back, but they are going to be careful with the Belmont team, whom they tied 0-0 with last year.
“[Being at home] doesn’t guarantee a win for us,” Mulrooney said. “We’ve got to be prepared for it.”
Chris Mikus drives with the ball against a defender.
