MINNEAPOLIS – Kicking off the season with the first event of the 2024-25 Gopher sports year, the University of Minnesota soccer team hosts Creighton on Thursday night at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. 2024 marks the fourth year Minnesota has been under the direction of Head Coach Erin Chastain and her staff.
Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs Creighton (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big East)
Date: Aug. 15, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Live Stats: z.umn.edu/9pqu
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton heads to ELR with a new squad, and a new coach. Last November, the Bluejays hired Jimmy Walker after a successful run at Bowling Green State. Walker led the Falcons to a pair of Mid-American conference titles in four years, accumulating a 36-19-11 record.
Creighton was selected to finish seventh in the 2024 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. One Bluejay made the preseason All-BIG EAST Team, Azumi Manriki. A midfielder from Hiroshima, Japan, she was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last fall after pacing the Bluejays’ offense and ranking sixth in the BIG EAST with 46 total shots. She contributed two goals and dished out an assist while logging 1,570 minutes of action over 18 contests
Last Time Out
Last September, Minnesota traveled to Omaha for a road show against Creighton. Despite the 0-0 draw, the Gophers outshot the Bluejays 14-10. Sophia Boman led the offense with three shots on frame. Kate Childers and Sophia Romine both registered two on goal.
Previewing the 2024 Season
The regular season begins this Thursday against Creighton at home, followed by three road matches at St. Thomas (Aug. 25), Milwaukee (Aug. 29), and Marquette (Sept. 1).
Minnesota will return to host Army (Sept. 5) and RV Brown (Sept. 8) before starting conference play.
The Gophers will begin its Big Ten slate on the road at Illinois (Sept. 12), and will be back at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium to host NDSU the following Sunday in its final non-conference game (Sept. 15).
Other Big Ten road contests include No. 19 Wisconsin (Sept. 22), No. 23 USC (Sept. 26), No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 29), Ohio State (Oct. 10), and No. 4 Penn State (Oct. 13).
Home conference games at ELR include Michigan (Sept. 19), Northwestern (Oct. 4), Maryland (Oct. 17), Indiana (Oct. 20), and No. 25 Iowa (Oct. 27).
Opportunity Awaits
Minnesota’s schedule has been recognized as one of the most difficult. With the addition of USC and UCLA with the conference realignment, 10 of the Gophers’ 20 opponents made the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Seven Big Ten schools received rankings in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. Five are on Minnesota’s 2024 slate, with only one of the contests (Iowa) being played at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
