MSOC | Thriller in Omaha; Gaels Storm Back to Tie No. 12 Creighton 3-3

Thursday, September 10

Omaha, NE

5:00 PM

Saint Mary's College of California

1-4-2, 0-0-0

Creighton

5-0-2, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Saint Mary's (CA)	0	3	3
Creighton	3	0	3

MSOC | Thriller in Omaha; Gaels Storm Back to Tie No. 12 Creighton 3-3

9/10/2026 9:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Highlights Adam Cooper Postgame Interview

OMAHA, Neb. - The Saint Mary's men's soccer team marched into Morrison Stadium Thursday night and erased a three-goal deficit to tie with No. 12 Creighton 3-3 in a thrilling affair. The Blue Jays scored three times in the first half but the Gaels were able to net three goals within the final 20 minutes of the match to pull off a remarkable comeback and earn a result against a ranked team for the first time since 2023.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Creighton has been one of the best scoring teams in the country this season, averaging over three goals per game, and they had that on display with three goals in the first half. All three goals would come before the half hour mark as Saint Mary's got into the locker room with a tall hill to climb in a tough road environment.

The comeback for the Gaels would start in the 70th minute with a goal from first-year Gael Carl Emil Lauridsen for his first as a Gael. Sophomore forward Henry Beatty applied some nice pressure to the Blue Jays center back to force a turnover and Lauridsen picked up the loose ball and curled a right-footed shot into the bottom corner to put Saint Mary's on the board. No more than two minutes later, SMC keeper Sam Bentley came up with a huge kick save that turned into a counter the other way in which a Creighton defender eventually kicked a ball out of bounds for a throw-in deep in their half. The Gaels would take a long throw but Rafael Suarez would get taken down on a header attempt and Adam Cooper would force a video review with a challenge on the next ball out of bounds. The officials would go on to reverse the call and award Saint Mary's a penalty in which Cameron Kobey would step up and net the goal for his third of the season and cut the deficit to just one.

The equalizer would come in the 80th minute off a series of headers finished off with the first collegiate goal for Beatty. Another loose ball in the attacking third would go high up in the air and first come down on the head of Kobey. Kobey simply flicked it forward towards the box where Lauridsen had another contested header and his touch would go into the box where Beatty would slip between two Creighton defenders and lob a header over the Blue Jays keeper who was caught off his line. The improbable comeback had been complete as the Gaels tied the game at three with ten minutes remaining.

The game would remain tied for the final ten minutes but the Gaels escaped Morrison Stadium with a point against the number 12 ranked team in the nation in dramatic fashion.

GAME NOTES

Cameron Kobey scored his team leading third goal of the season
Kobey led the Gaels with four shot attempts on the night
Carl Emil Lauridsen and Henry Beatty scored their first collegiate goals in the match
Sam Bentley finished the match with four big saves to aid the comeback
Bakersfield transfer Ben Erwin made his season debut with 61 minutes off the bench
Kobey picked up his team leading second assist of the season while Lauridsen got his first career assist on the third goal for Saint Mary's
Kobey leads the team with eight points on the season
Saint Mary's recorded its first result against a ranked team for the first time since 2023;
the Gaels defeated No. 25 LMU 1-0 that season
The Gaels recorded their first win over the Blue Jays in their third all-time meeting

LOOKING AHEAD

Saint Mary's will end its midwest road trip at Omaha on Sunday at 11 a.m. pacific time. Tickets and live stream links can be found at smcgaels.com.

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