After last year’s disappointing defeat against Millard North in the semifinals, #3 Creighton Prep won the Metro Conference Soccer Tournament Championship with a 4-3 victory over #4 Omaha South. The Junior Jays brought their record to 9-1 before back to back tests against #1 Gretna and Omaha South. 

Prep started the tournament with a 7-0 victory over Bellevue East. The Junior Jays dominated from start to finish, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes. Prep forward Jack Johnson had the best game of his career. Just 18 seconds into the second half he scored his 4th goal, a career high. Zac Mcleay added 2 goals and Sean Stratman found the net as well. 

Creighton Prep found themselves up against #9 Millard West in the second round and struggled to break through. The Junior Jays outshot the Wildcats 19-4, but Wildcat goalie Gabe Griffiths kept them in the game. The Junior Jays finally broke through with a penalty kick from Stratman. Zac Mcleay put the game away with a goal following an errant goal kick from Griffiths, securing Prep a spot in the semifinals. 

Creighton Prep found themselves against a familiar opponent in Papillion La Vista South. The Titans were looking for revenge after the Junior Jays defeated them 4-2 in their season opener. 

After the offensive struggles against Millard West, it seemed the Junior Jay offense had a new fire inside them. Stratman scored his third goal of the tournament and sophomore Jordan Igwenma doubled the lead off a cross from Tim Dowd. 

The Junior Jays kept their foot on the gas in the second half. After the Titans cut the lead in half, Dowd shot a rocket from outside the box into the back of the neck. Prep forward Noah Hogan-Doria’s goal locked the door on a potential comeback from the Titans. The Titans scored late, but it wasn’t enough, and the Junior Jays defeated the Titans 4-2 for the second time this year. 

All came down to a showdown against Omaha South in the Metro Tournament Final. For the first time this tournament, the Junior Jays were losing after the Packers scored early. The Junior Jays had only been trailing once this year, and that came in their 3-0 loss to Lincoln Southwest. However, the Junior Jays responded in lighting fashion, as Igwenma tied the game less than 3 minutes later. Stratman launched a rocket into the back of the net to give Prep a 2-1 lead at the half. 

Looking to put the Packers away, the Junior Jay offense did not slow down. Igwenma and Dowd both scored to extend the Junior Jays lead to 3. 

Finding themselves down 3, the Packers needed to score badly. The defense stepped up and prevented the Junior Jays from scoring the rest of the way. The offense struggled but broke through with 5 minutes remaining. Packer forward Julian Rodriguez and Kevin Hernandez scored to cut Prep’s lead to 1, and suddenly, the game seemed in reach. 

South’s onslaught continued in the final minutes but Prep held off the Packers in a 4-3 victory to claim their first Metro Tournament Title since 2019. 

Both the offense and defense had their moments where they shined in this tournament. In the round of 16 and quarterfinal, the Junior Jays didn’t allow a single goal. In the semifinals and finals however, although a few goals were allowed, the Junior Jay offense scored 4 goals twice. It was a truly dominant effort from a team that was up multiple goals in each game. 

The Junior Jays have little time to rest before a marquee matchup later this week against top ranked Gretna. 

This week: @ Gretna this Thursday (4:30 PM)