By Tyler Gullahorn, Staff Writer  

No. 21 Xavier and No. 5 Creighton played to a 1-1 draw Thursday night at Corcoran Field. The result left the Big East’s last two undefeated men’s soccer teams still without a loss. 

Xavier (8-0-4) struck first in the 35th minute. Sophomore midfielder Osi Onwudiwe finished a sequence started by sophomore forward Harun Bakaran and junior defender Ajmal Tesilimi for his third goal of the season.  

Creighton (10-0-5) equalized in the 56th minute, when senior defender Matthew Reed scored his 11th goal of the year from a deflection. Freshman forward Grady Gilchrist and junior defender Angel Lopez assisted. 

The Musketeers now have four players tied for leading goalscorer with Onwudiwe, freshman midfielder Gerrard Lorente, junior defender Nolan Brice and senior defender Ekene Okeke. This Musketeer attack has shown a lot of diversity in its scorers, which is crucial for a team that has been reliant on their strong defense. 

The matchup pitted one of the nation’s most productive offenses against one of its toughest defenses. Xavier had not conceded in 451 minutes and 35 seconds entering the match, and the Musketeers had allowed only one goal at home all season.  

Reed’s finish ended a five-match shutout streak that stretched 507 minutes and 10 seconds. It was Xavier’s first goal allowed since the 89th minute at DePaul on Sept. 18. 

“I really enjoyed walking into the stadium and seeing all the fan’s support. You could feel the energy from everyone. It was an awesome experience to host a big game like that,” sophomore sports management major Andre Bradley said. 

Despite the equalizer, Xavier controlled most of the game. They outshot the Bluejays 19-5 and had a corner kick ratio of 7-3. Those five shots for Creighton was a season low which is a testament to the level of the Xavier defense. Creighton goalkeeper Matthew Hudson made six saves which was the winning factor for the Bluejays.  

Being able to hold an attack of Creighton’s caliber is a success for Xavier. If they are able to hold one of the most productive attacks to five shots, they now know that they can hold anyone if they want to.  

The match grew chippier late. Creighton was issued four cards to Xavier’s two, and the Bluejays played the final 13 minutes a man down after senior midfielder Diego Ferruzzi was shown a red card. Xavier pushed for a winner but could not break through. 

With Big East play coming to an end soon, this was a big test for the Musketeers to see how they held up against one of the highest ranked in the conference. Xavier dominated on attacking proficiency, shot total and possession.  

Xavier’s defense continues to stand out nationally. The Musketeers have allowed five goals this season, the second fewest in Division I, and have outscored opponents 25-5. Mennell’s season line shows seven shutouts and 38 saves, and he extended his program-record total to 26 career shutouts. His 24 career wins rank third in school history. 

“It was a great game and Xavier looked great. The level of play was very high and Xavier’s defense completely shut down Creighton’s offense. MSJ’s team was in the stands watching it too which shows how big the game was between two undefeated teams,” sophomore nursing major Brokk Olberg said. 

Xavier closes non-conference play Tuesday, Oct. 20, against Northern Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. at Corcoran Field.