Conway, Ark. –

The Central Arkansas men’s soccer team faced the toughest test of their season Saturday afternoon in Conway, facing off with the 24^th-ranked Creighton Bluejays in a Missouri Valley Conference match-up.

The ‘Jays (9-3-2, 2-0-1 MVC) got out to an early lead, when Timo Pitter fielded a cross from Bruno Castro in the fourth minute, and slammed it passed Central Arkansas keeper Cody Gibson for his fourth goal this season. Just six minutes later, Creighton struck again, when Jose Gomez laced a shot into the Central Arkansas net from 15 yards out for his third goal this season, and a 2-0 lead. The Bears (6-6-0, 0-2-0 MVC) would pick up the pace after Creighton’s second goal, playing at a much better pace and becoming noticeably more competitive. This wouldn’t keep the ‘Jays off the board though, as Pitter would find the net again in the 56^th minute to push the Creighton lead to 3-0 and close out the scoring for the day.

“We really shot ourselves in the foot, coming out flat against a team like Creighton,” lamented Central Arkansas coach Ross Duncan following the match. “I thought that for 80 minutes we played some really good soccer, but against a team of Creighton’s quality you have to play a full 90 minutes.”

A bright spot for the Bears on the day was Connor Bowen, who came off the bench to play 65 minutes and lead the Central Arkansas offense by placing three of his four shots on goal. “Connor was fantastic today,” enthused Duncan, “He’s been working very hard all year, but unfortunately for him, we’ve got some really good players at his position. So he played out of position today and played really well, so I think moving forward, he’s definitely going to be in the picture.”

The Bears attempted 11 shots on the day, placing six on goal. The ‘Jays took 18 shots, placing seven on target. They were led by Pitter, who placed both of his shots on frame. In goal for the Bears, Cody Gibson made four saves and allowed three goals. For Creighton, Jeff Gal collected six saves in earning his second shutout of the season.

Central Arkansas returns to the pitch on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00, squaring off with Missouri Valley foe Missouri State. Of the match, Duncan commented, “We aren’t going to put our heads down; we’ve got a really good group of guys, and we’re going to come out and play with passion on Wednesday.” The match is part of Central Arkansas Athletics’ “Bears for a Cure” program, targeting Breast Cancer. “We work closely with a spring tournament called ‘Kicks for a Cure,’ so it’s a cause that’s close to our hearts. We’ve got some people that will be on our minds during the match and we encourage everyone to come out and support the cause.”