The Creighton men’s soccer team, whose inability to score goals last season cost it an 18th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, is suddenly scoring with regularity just two matches into the season.

Ethan Finlay, who led the Bluejays last year with eight goals and 19 points, notched a pair of goals, and Josh Moran and Kris Clark each scored one Saturday as the Bluejays cruised to a 4-0 win over UNC Greensboro in front of 2,524 at Morrison Stadium in the Jays’ home opener.

Finlay said the Jays are playing with good offensive rhythm early in the season. “I think we’re all clicking. We just have more weapons this year,” he said.

“We’ve replaced and reloaded, and we’re refined in taking our opportunities and finishing them.”

Creighton coach Jamie Clark, who is in his first year with the Jays, said he was pleased with his team’s six goals in two games, but the season is still young.

“It certainly always seems easier when you start scoring goals. Goals dictate games, but they don’t always determine how well you’re playing,” Clark said.

“We had moments when we were very good, but you can’t get carried away thinking we were four goals better than them,” he said.

Finlay got the Jays on the board in the ninth minute after he was dragged down by a UNCG defender in the penalty area.

He fired the ensuing penalty kick past Spartan goalkeeper Peyton Ford into the lower-left corner of the goal to make it 1-0 Creighton.

That goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, was Finlay’s 10th career game-winning goal and his 16th career goal.

The Jays made it 2-0 less than seven minutes later as Moran took a pass from Kyle Deremer and slipped the ball past Ford.

Finlay scored his second goal of the match in the 33rd minute, and as he got past the Spartan defense and took a shot from a steep angle to the left of the goal 10 yards out and buried it inside the right goal post.

Kris Clark tallied his second of the season on a header 2:03 into the second half.

“We’re trying to have a collective effort to score goals. We’re not trying to put pressure on one guy,” Clark said.

“If we can fight for goals and grind for goals, it makes it a lot easier.”

Goalkeepers Brian Holt and Bryan Hoie combined on the shutout for the Bluejays.

Creighton didn’t score its fourth goal at home last season until the fifth home match, but the Jays were able to equal that total in just 47:03 Saturday.

The Bluejays extended their unbeaten streak in home openers to 15. Creighton is 11-0-4 in that span.

Up next for the Jays is a trip to UC Santa Barbara to take on the eighth-ranked Gauchos.

Creighton follows that with a home match Saturday against DePaul.

UNCG (1-1-0)......................0 0—0
CU (2-0-0)...............................3 1—4

• Goals: 1, CU, Ethan Finlay (penalty kick), 8:30. 2, CU, Josh Moran (Kyle Deremer), 15:11. 3, CU, Finlay (Deremer, Jose Gomez), 32:21. 4, CU, Kris Clark (Gomez, Greg Jordan), 47:03. Shots: UNCG 9, CU 12. Saves: UNCG, Peyton Ford 2; CU, Brian Holt 5, Briyan Hoie 0. Fouls: UNCG 13, CU 24. Attendance: 2,524

Ethan Finlay, who led the Bluejays last year with eight goals and 19 points, notched a pair of goals, and Josh Moran and Kris Clark each scored one Saturday as the Bluejays cruised to a 4-0 win over UNC Greensboro in front of 2,524 at Morrison Stadium in the Jays' home opener.

Finlay said the Jays are playing with good offensive rhythm early in the season.

“I think we're all clicking. We just have more weapons this year,” he said.

Creighton coach Jamie Clark, who is in his first year with the Jays, said he was pleased with his team's six goals in two games, but the season is still young.

“We had moments when we were very good, but you can't get carried away thinking we were four goals better than them,” he said.

Finlay got the Jays on the board in the ninth minute after he was dragged down by a UNCG defender in the penalty area.

He fired the ensuing penalty kick past Spartan goalkeeper Peyton Ford into the lower-left corner of the goal to make it 1-0 Creighton.

That goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, was Finlay's 10th career game-winning goal and his 16th career goal.

The Jays made it 2-0 less than seven minutes later as Moran took a pass from Kyle Deremer and slipped the ball past Ford.

Finlay scored his second goal of the match in the 33rd minute, and Kris Clark tallied his second of the season on a header 2:03 into the second half.

Goalkeepers Brian Holt and Bryan Hoie combined on the shutout for the Bluejays.

The Bluejays extended their unbeaten streak in home openers to 15. Creighton is 11-0-4 in that span.

UNCG (1-1-0)......................0 0—0
CU (2-0-0)...........................3 1—4

Goals: 1, CU, Ethan Finlay (penalty kick), 8:30. 2, CU, Josh Moran (Kyle Deremer), 15:11. 3, CU, Finlay (Deremer, Jose Gomez), 32:21. 4, CU, Kris Clark (Gomez, Greg Jordan), 47:03. Shots: UNCG 9, CU 12. Saves: UNCG, Peyton Ford 2; CU, Brian Holt 5, Briyan Hoie 0. Fouls: UNCG 13, CU 24. Attendance: 2,524

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