Tigers Travel to Omaha for Weekend Matchups

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's soccer team hits the road once more to wrap up a five match road slate. The Tigers travel to Omaha, Neb., to play the Creighton Bluejays and the Utah Valley Wolverines. Memphis will kick off against Creighton at 7:30 p.m. on Friday before taking on Utah Valley at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Match Information
Matchup: Memphis (2-1-1) vs. Creighton (2-1-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 7
Location: Omaha, Neb. – 7:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Morrison Stadium
Live Stats | Watch*

Matchup: Memphis (2-1-1) vs. Utah Valley (3-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 9
Location: Omaha, Neb. – 11 a.m. CT
Venue: Morrison Stadium
Live Stats

A Look at the Tigers
Memphis travels to Creighton after playing in UAB's Soccer for a Cure Classic. While in Birmingham, the Tigers split their two games, claiming a victory against Fairleigh Dickinson. Memphis now holds a 2-1-1 record heading into the weekend. Against FDU, Peyton McKnatt scored his team-leading third goal of the season, and goalkeeper Tyler Hofmann picked up his first shutout in the Blue and Gray, and was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.

The Tigers and the Bluejays have squared off five times, but have not faced each other in a decade. Memphis currently holds a 0-4-1 record against Creighton. Utah Valley will be a new opponent for Memphis, as the Wolverines and the Tigers have never seen action against one another.

A Legend Returns
Memphis head coach Richard Mulrooney, though born and raised in Memphis, played collegiate soccer at Creighton from 1995-98. The standout midfielder still holds the school record for assists with 51 helpers, 15 more assists than second place. Mulrooney led the Bluejays to four NCAA Tournament appearances while posting a 63-17-6 record in his four-year career.

Mulrooney earned several accolades while at Creighton, including being named NSCAA All-America First-Team in 1998. In back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998, Mulrooney was selected to the NSCAA All-Midwest Region team. He was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1998 and was All-MVC First-Team three times. In 2008, Mulrooney was inducted to the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Bluejays
Creighton enters the weekend with a 2-1-1 record, having defeated South Florida in its last match. Two first-half goals from Kuba Polat and Akeem Ward, who leads the team in points, were enough to stave off the Bulls. Goalkeeper Paul Kruse allowed just his second goal of the year, already having two shutouts to his name.

Elmar Bolowich, the head coach at Creighton, is in his eighth season at the helm. In 2017, Bolowich captured his 100^th win at Creighton after defeating Villanova. Bolowich's squad finished last season with a 9-7-2 record.

The Wolverines
Utah Valley will play the Omaha Mavericks on Friday before playing Memphis on Sunday. The Wolverines currently hold a 3-1 record after suffering their first loss of the season to Cal State - Northridge.

The Wolverines are led by Greg Maas, who is in his fifth season as head coach. Zach Maas and Austin Buxton currently lead Utah Valley in points with six points each. Utah Valley has started two keepers, Joseph Wheelwright and Elliott Rubio, who have a combined eight saves and two shutouts.

Follow the Tigers
For more information on the Memphis men's soccer team, follow the Tigers on Facebook at /MemphisSoccer and on Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisMSoccer.

*The match against Creighton will be broadcast on FOX Sports Go, which is available at FOXSportsGo.com and on the FOX Sports Go app.

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Hofmann

Peyton McKnatt

University of Memphis Athletics