From an undefeated team to an always-tough UCLA, and now to the No. 5 team in the nation, the Matadors are having a ‘fun’ last couple of weeks. Their travel to Omaha, Neb. to face Creighton is, in Head Coach Terry Davila’s words: ‘a tremendous test.’
After handing Sacramento State its first defeat of the season and drawing on the road against the Bruins, Northridge faces the fifth-ranked Creighton Bluejays at 5 p.m. today. The game will be broadcast live by CBS College Sports and can also be seen online at http://www.netnebraska.org/television/sports/index.html.
The Matadors played to a 2-2 tie against UCLA on Sunday in a game Davila felt they should have won. CSUN led most of the way before the Bruins tied it at one in the 70th minute. Northridge reacted right away and regained the advantage only three minutes later. However, UCLA was able to knot it up for a final time thanks to a penalty kick six minutes from the end.
‘We should have put the game away,’ Davila said. ‘We had a couple of opportunities to put it away and we didn’t.’
Creighton’s play has been nearly spotless this season. They have scored 14 goals and allowed only two. They distribute the ball well, partly a reason for their 17 assists this season. Three of their players, Jeff Thayer, Andrei Gotsmanov and Ethan Finlay, have tallied three goals each.
Their only loss came at the hands of UMKC on a game that was called a ‘learning process’ by Bob Warming, Creighton’s head coach. The Bluejays were surprised in the first half and, despite out-shooting its opponent 16-1 in the second, couldn’t come up with the tying goal.
Davila feels his team can give Creighton a new lesson.
‘We like playing the best competition in the nation,’ Davila said. ‘You want to put yourself in a place where you can have a great win and you want to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation.’
Playing a nationwide top 5 team on their home field will be as uncomfortable as it gets this season for CSUN. No fear, right?
‘We want the challenge,’ said Davila. ‘We have no fear of anybody. We respect Creighton, but have no fear.’
Got it.
