FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, October 26, 2016 All Out: Kari Kastelic never misses a minute in career with Yellowjackets
Senior captain Kari Kastelic enters her final weekend with the Yellowjackets having never missed a minute in three seasons, starting 49 matches at center back on MSUB’s women’s soccer team. MSUB SPORTS – Four thousand, six hundred and nineteen. That equates to 3.21 days, or, perhaps more appropriately, 49 soccer matches, from start-to-finish, for the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team since the beginning of the 2014 season. Most significantly, it represents the number of consecutive minutes senior Kari Kastelic has played in her three-year career as a starting center back for the Yellowjackets. During that time span, the team has played above .500 at 22-20-7, has finished as highly as second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and earned two berths into the conference tournament.
The team has played more than 90 minutes on 14 occasions, with half of those overtime affairs lasting the full 110 minutes and ending in a draw. The ‘Jackets have also put together 15 shutouts defensively, had 11 players named to the all-conference team, and had 15 more named academic all-conference. Kastelic has been there for everything that has happened on and off the field surrounding MSUB’s program the last three years. With two games left on the schedule for the 2016 season, Kastelic is guaranteed 180-200 more minutes of action. She will wind up 14th in MSUB history for minutes played, and if you count her 1,561 minutes from starting 19 games as a freshman at fellow NCAA Division II New Mexico Highlands University in 2013, she would climb to No. 5 on MSUB’s list. The sheer quantity of minutes played, at one of the most demanding physical positions on the field, is impressive enough. But the fact that Kastelic has never missed a game, never come off the bench, and never even been subbed off of the field is downright remarkable. As far as the Phoenix, Ariz., native is concerned however, 100 percent still isn’t enough. “I just try to put 110 percent into everything I do,” she said. “Not everyone gets the opportunity to play every minute, and I am grateful for that. But I still want to work hard to get better, and strive to improve each game.” A regulation soccer game lasts 90 minutes, and if you factor in her average of 94.27 minutes per game in her career it comes out to her having played in around 105 percent of the originally scheduled minutes. That extra five percent has come to define Kastelic’s character. The five remaining to get to her 110 percent goal represents her relentless pursuit of excellence in all aspects of life. FAMILY Kristen Kastelic arrived for preseason training in the fall of 2009 excited about the opportunity to play college soccer. She came from a sportsoriented family with her father Ed scoring 11 goals in seven years in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and the Hartford Whalers. Her mother Susan competed in collegiate volleyball at York University in Toronto. Needless to say, a pedigree of athletic excellence had been passed down to the eldest of four siblings who she played with growing up. Along with Courtney, Kari, and Mark, Kristen had grown up around the game of soccer and from Kari’s perspective, was inspirational in helping her pursue her own college career.
Kristen and Kari Kastelic posing at Yellowjacket Field.
“We used to play in the back yard and I remember always shooting on my brother because he liked to play goalie,” Kari said with a smile. “When I was a freshman in high school and saw Kristen go off to college, I wanted to have the same experiences she was having.” Though Kastelic was set on continuing her soccer career in college, she wanted to follow her own path and decided to enroll at NMHU for her first season. Little did Kastelic know that starting 19 matches and leading the entire team with 1,561 minutes as a true freshman would set the precedent for the consistency that would come to define her career. Though she enjoyed her time in Las Vegas, N.M., she weighed her options and decided that a change of scenery would better fit her college and career ambitions. Having already attended an MSUB overnight camp during her time at Desert Vista High School, Kastelic was well aware of the Yellowjacket program and reached out to her oldest sister to inquire about joining the team. By this time, Kristen was an assistant coach for the ‘Jackets, and when she brought up Kari’s thoughts about transferring to MSUB to head coach Wojtek Krakowiak, he didn’t hesitate on signing her. “I had seen Kari play and knew that she was a good student, so I was happy when Kristen told me she was thinking about transferring here,” Krakowiak said. “What really impressed me was her defensive ability and her speed, strength, and soccer I.Q.” Krakowiak’s assessment proved to be on-the-money, as Kastelic transitioned into MSUB’s starting lineup immediately upon arriving at the beginning of the 2014 season. Though she was intimidated by her new surroundings at first, Kastelic found a connection with fellow new player Elizabeth Howard as they began their journey with the ‘Jackets together. “Izzi was my roommate my first year, and we were both transfers so we went through that process together,” Kastelic said. “It was nice to have reassurance that our decision to come to MSUB was the right one. She was really passionate about the game, and that helped me remember why I liked to play soccer.” Being new to the program didn’t deter Kastelic and Howard from contributing to a successful season, as the ‘Jackets stormed through the GNAC schedule with an 11-4-2 record and a second-place finish in the league standings. The sophomore started all 17 matches and tied for the team lead with 1,590 minutes played, and even contributed a pair of goals by pushing forward on set pieces. Kastelic and Howard embrace after a home win at Yellowjacket Field.
Her second goal of the year counted as the game-winner in a memorable, 1-0 shutout of Northwest Nazarene University on Oct. 2, 2014. Not only did she provide all the offense the team needed to win, but she and the defensive unit became just the fifth team in GNAC history to hold its opponent without a shot for the entire match. “The first few games that season I was pretty nervous, but once I got into a rhythm I felt more comfortable,” Kastelic commented on playing center back for the first time in her college career. “I was the youngest on that back line, but I had great players to look up to and that helped me ease into the position.” Whether Kastelic realized it or not, her time spent next to the likes of upperclassmen Haley McFarlane, Jessie Mancilla, and Jennifer Johnson was preparing her to take her next step into a leadership role for MSUB.
Kastelic, who stands at 5-foot-10, is known for her presence and ability to command the aerial game with her head.
CAPTAIN KASTELIC “She motivates me to realize that you can’t just quit if you get scored on. She has been in there for every goal scored on our team for all three years, and she didn’t quit any of those times. She makes us pick our heads up and keep playing to win the game.” – MSUB Freshman Center Back Amanda Hemmen on Senior Kari Kastelic.
The spring after her first season, Kastelic spent countless hours working with then-senior Katlyn Lokay and fellow classmate Dana Lubieniecki to prepare for another run to the conference tournament the following fall. Emphasizing the importance of the center back being a team leader, Krakowiak made the decision to appoint Kastelic a captain along with the other two experienced upperclassmen. “It is one of the most important positions on the field, and she can see the plays develop and direct players,” Krakowiak commented on Kastelic’s role in the back. “Kari has done an amazing job this year with the young players. They look up to her and respect her, and she has a good relationship with everybody on the team.” Kastelic commented that the early spring work with Lokay and Lubieniecki made the captain role come more easily to her, and she has especially valued her relationship with Lubieniecki over the last three seasons. “Having Dana by my side has been very helpful, and we are always on the same page,” Kastelic said. “We have a good relationship on and off the field, and I have a lot of respect for her.” Entering the 2016 fall as senior captains together, Kastelic and Lubieniecki have been tasked with leading a youthful group of players that includes 11 freshmen. On the defensive unit in particular, Kastelic is surrounded by first-year players with Amanda Hemmen at center back, Kalin Sandow and Courteney Shovlin at the outside back positions and Claire Tevaseu at holding midfielder. “The freshmen who have stepped in have done an awesome job, and I know for myself it was intimidating at first being a starter and playing a lot,” Kastelic said. “You put a lot of pressure on yourself and put the weight of the team on your shoulders sometimes, but they have all done a good job handling that.” In the Yellowjackets’ home match against Concordia University on Sept. 24, the defensive unit worked against a consistent wind of 35 miles per hour to earn a 0-0, double-overtime shutout. Hemmen played perhaps her best game of
the season and kept the Cavaliers’ attackers at bay, but Kastelic could tell long before the conference match that she would be next to a special player this season. “She had a really good performance against Rocky in our first exhibition game, and I could tell from then on that she was going to be really solid back there,” Kastelic said. “I see a bit of myself in her, because she isn’t very loud but she focuses on coming in and working hard. I know she is going to have consistent games and she doesn’t let pressure get to her.” Hemmen enters this week’s games as the only other field player to have played every minute of the season, as she has followed in Kastelic’s footsteps and started every game in her first year with the ‘Jackets. From the freshman’s perspective, playing next to a seasoned veteran has been one of the most important elements of her standout year. “Kari is a leader on the field, not just defensively, but when our heads go down she’s there to keep encouraging us all,” Hemmen said. “Her ability to win crosses and clear them out with her head is something I’ll always be striving to do the way that she does.” SET UP FOR SUCCESS Kastelic recently earned GNAC academic all-conference honors for the second straight year, and was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America academic all-region pick as a junior in 2015. Carrying a 3.9 grade point average while studying finance, Kastelic plans to pursue a career in business and said that working in an environment where she’s surrounded by good people will be paramount in her job search.
Amanda Hemmen (18) has played every minute of the season next to Kastelic at center back for the ‘Jackets.
Set to graduate in the spring, Kastelic cited her work with Dr. Scott Harris, MSUB’s faculty athletic representative, as being most influential during her time at the university. “I know that I can go to him about soccer or school, and he just wants so much for his students,” Kastelic commented on her adviser within her major. “He has been a positive influence throughout my career here, and has taught me a lot.” With a historically strong academic tradition, Kastelic has meant just as much to the ‘Jackets through her example in the classroom as her presence leading the defense. She has been a part of the last three MSUB teams to win the NSCAA’s Team Academic Award, an honor the ‘Jackets have earned for 15 consecutive years to commend a team grade point average north of 3.0. The senior has also contributed as a student-leader within the department, serving as a team representative on MSUB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in tandem with Lubieniecki for the last two seasons. Last spring, Kastelic was also inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society, which recognizes student-athletes who maintain a GPA of at least 3.4 while competing in a varsity sport. “Kari is an excellent student, and is a very kind person,” Krakowiak said. “She represents our program well on and off the field, and we are going to miss everything about her. It’s going to be very difficult to replace a player like Kari.”
ALL OUT Kastelic has never tweaked an ankle, had the wind knocked out of her, or been brought to the turf after a physical challenge while on the field for the ‘Jackets. When she breaks the huddle for the last time in her career this weekend, the battle cry of ‘all out!’ that rings from the circle of players will carry into the mid-afternoon air just as it has done before and after every practice and game this season. No player embodies the team’s mantra more than Kastelic. During preseason fitness tests, when some players in the second group were struggling to continue and showed signs of dropping out, Kastelic, who had already completed the test, joined back in and ran along with words of encouragement.
Kastelic poses with mother Susan and father Ed after a match.
“I want people to know that through hard work anything is possible,” said Kastelic. “If some of the girls could’ve seen me back as a freshman or sophomore, they wouldn’t believe some of the struggles I went through. Hopefully I can leave an impact by staying positive and always believing in myself.”
Kastelic’s family will be on hand at Yellowjacket Field this weekend, to see out a college career that they have been following closely since Minute 1. She’ll share the moment with Lubieniecki and senior Hayley Warren, as a ceremony before Saturday’s game against Western Washington will serve to celebrate their contributions to the program. But 4,619 minutes later, Kastelic’s not ready to be done. For two more matches, she’s going to play at the only speed she knows how to: All Out. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--