Holt Sets Record in 1-0 Win Over Saint Mary's
OMAHA, Neb. - Brian Holt set the Creighton record for consecutive scoreless minutes in goal and All-American Ethan Finlay scored his 17th career-game winning goal as the third-ranked men's soccer team continued its perfect start to the season with a 1-0 victory over Saint Mary's Saturday night.
A crowd of 3,215 was on hand for the homecoming match at Morrison Stadium, as Creighton (8-0-0) remained the nation's only team to not allow a goal in 2011. The Bluejays are also one of two teams (along with No. 2 Connecticut) that is unbeaten and untied this fall.
Finlay scored the game's lone goal in the 37th minute, converting a penalty kick after he was taken down in the box. The play was set up by a crafty play by Liam Kelly on the left touchline, as he beat his defender with some creative footwork and fed the ball to a wide open Andrew Ribeiro. Ribeiro slid a pass to Finlay who was taken down by a pair of Saint Mary's defenders as he attempted to get a shot off.
The penalty kick score was Finlay's fourth goal in the last three games, and the two-time MAC Hermann Trophy candidate's sixth on the season to tie him for the Missouri Valley Conference lead. Of his 35 career goals, 17 have accounted for game-winners.
Holt stopped two shots in the first half and worked hard for his seventh solo shutout of the season. The fifth-year senior goalkeeper made four saves in the second half, turning away a pair of dangerous shots, including a blast from Jose Cabeza in the 73rd minute which appeared headed for the upper left 90 and a close-range shot by Julian Godinez in the 89th minute.
Holt has now played 719:32 of scoreless soccer this season, and with the final 20:15 of the 2010 season, he surpassed his own school record for scoreless minutes. His current streak of 739:47 scoreless minutes moved past the stretch of 722:12 he logged as a freshman in 2008. He pushed his school and MVC record to 34 career shutouts and with his 44th career win, he now ranks alone in second place in school history.
Creighton outshot the gutsy Saint Mary's team 17-9 in the contest, including an 8-6 edge in shots on goal. SMC (1-3-3) earned four corner kicks, to Creighton's three.
Creighton will take its unblemished record on the road for its next four games, beginning Friday night at No. 1 Maryland. Also slated on the trip are matches at Wisconsin, No. 7 Indiana and the MVC opener at Missouri State.
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