Griffin Goal Lifts PC Men’s Soccer Over Creighton, Friars Advance To NCAA Quarterfinals

Providence College Press Release

OMAHA, Neb. – The Providence College men’s soccer team defeated the Creighton Bluejays, 2-1, in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. Providence improves to 15-6 and Creighton concludes its season with a 13-7-3 mark. Providence advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons.

Creighton took the lead in the ninth minute, when Joel Rydstrand got a hold of a loose ball in the box and rifled off a quick attempt that found the back of the net.

The Friars evened the score in the 21st minute when Brendan Constantine (Glastonbury, Conn.) worked around the Creighton defense in the right corner of the field and fed an open Julian Gressel (Neustadt an der Aisch, Germany) in the middle of the box. Gressel settled the ball and shot to the far side of the net to beat Creighton’s Alex Kapp.

After the first 45 minutes, Collin Miller (Bel Air, Md.) had turned aside five shots, while the Providence offense registered three shots on goal.

Danny Griffin (Wethersfield, Conn.) tallied his seventh of the season in the 83rd minute after Gressel knocked down a long ball from Liam Wilson (Sussex, England) deep in Creighton territory. Gressel dropped the ball back to Griffin who dribbled, to settle the ball, and then fired a hard shot that Kapp barely got his fingertips on and was unable to stop.

Griffin’s goal marked his sixth game-winning tally of his rookie season.

Miller finished the game with a career-high nine saves and improves his record to 14-1.

The Friars advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history. The Friars’ last Quarterfinal appearance came in 2014.

Providence will face the winner of the match-up of 8-seed Syracuse and 9-seed North Carolina, who play on Nov. 27 in Syracuse. The date, time, and location will be announced at the conclusion of all NCAA Third Round games.