The tests will come early and often for a Creighton women’s soccer team that made big strides a year ago.
And the Bluejays are eager to find out where they stand this season.
“I’m really excited. I’m a really competitive person and I think that runs true throughout our team,” said junior defender Savanna Solomon, a Papio South grad who started 14 games last season. “I think we’re going to rise to the challenge. We’re not going to shy away from it.”
Creighton will face four power conference opponents in the season’s first three weeks, including Duke, ranked fourth in the coaches preseason poll, and No. 6 Arkansas.
The Bluejays open their season Thursday at Oklahoma, which went 10-7-1 a year ago.
“I know they’re going to be very physical,” second-year coach Jimmy Walker said of the Sooners. “We know they’re going to be very organized, very aggressive.”
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Walker expects his team to play physical and with intensity. After all, this is a team that returns eight players who started at least four matches and went 8-7-2.
It was one of Creighton’s most successful seasons in recent memory. The Jays finished fourth in the Big East as they hosted a postseason match for the first time since joining the conference in 2013.
“I feel like we’re further ahead than last season for sure,” Walker said. “We got some good depth, good experience returning and we’ve added some really good players as well to the squad.”
In addition to Solomon on the back line, CU’s defense returns Ella Offer and goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac, who both started all 17 matches. Creighton allowed 1.24 goals per game a year ago.
The Jays also return Ariana Mondiri, who led the team in goals with five last season, and have added transfers Tori Gillis from LSU and Brynn Gardner, who previously played for Walker at Bowling Green.
Solomon and Offer are team captains as is senior midfielder Abigail Santana. Santana’s return will provide a boost for the Bluejays.
“Not only is she a really good player, but she’s an unbelievable leader and an unbelievable person,” Walker said of Santana, who missed last season with a torn ACL.
That injury occurred on the second day of practices. Surgery on the knee took place one year ago Thursday.
Santana is a graduate student, but she said it was an easy decision to come back for the 2025 season.
“I feel like Jimmy just kind of lit a spark in me and with soccer and this team that he’s just built a strong culture,” Santana said. “I felt like I just didn’t want to end that way.”
Santana feels the team has shown a grittiness during its two exhibition games, which were wins over North Dakota State and Drake. Now the Jays want to carry that over to the regular season.
“I think our team is looking really good. We’ve been working on a lot of things off the field that I think are translating onto the field,” Solomon said. “It’s just nice to kind of see all the pieces fit together.”
Creighton picked fifth in Big East
Coming off its best season in the Big East, Creighton women's soccer was picked to finish fifth in the conference’s preseason coaches poll on Tuesday.
Georgetown received 10 of the 11 first-place votes as the Hoyas are the overwhelming favorite, while second-place Xavier received the other first-place vote. UConn and Butler also are in front of the Bluejays in the poll.
Creighton finished fourth in the Big East season and hosted a postseason conference match for the first time since joining the league in 2013.
Creighton didn’t have anyone on the preseason all-conference team, but the Bluejays do return eight players who started at least four matches from a team that went 8-7-2.
Creighton opens its season Thursday at Oklahoma.
Big East poll: 1, Georgetown (10 first-place votes) 100 points. 2, Xavier (1) 87. 3, UConn 86. 4, Butler 72. 5, Creighton 64. 6, Providence 53. 7, DePaul 39. 8, Villanova 33. 9, Marquette 28. 10, St. John’s 25. 11, Seton Hall 18.
