2016 Yellowjacket men’s soccer schedule revealed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, May 24, 2016 2016 Yellowjacket men’s soccer schedule revealed

MSUB’s men’s soccer team’s 2016 schedule is released Tuesday, and includes a dozen GNAC games, the fourth-annual Rimrock Classic, and preseason matches against top west-region competition.

BILLINGS, Mont. – After its first winning season since 2012, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team is ready for another step in the right direction as the 2016 schedule was released on Tuesday.

The Yellowjackets will play a dozen Great Northwest Athletic Conference games, preceded by a mix of home and away games in the preseason against some top talent in the west region.

“We are very excited we managed to put together a top NCAA Division II schedule for this coming fall,” commented fourth-year head coach Alex Balog. “By kicking off our season against last year’s national championship runner-up, we will know where we stand right away.”

MSUB’s first regular-season game is at Cal Poly Pomona, as the Yellowjackets will face a Broncos team that lost to No. 1 Pfeiffer in the 2015 NCAA Division II national title game. This will be the second historic meeting between the ‘Jackets and Broncos, as MSUB defeated CPP 2-0 on Sept. 4, 2009 in Pomona, Calif.

After opening the year on Sept. 1 against CPP, the ‘Jackets will take on Cal State San Bernardino two days later in another matchup against a California Collegiate Athletic Association team. “We will be playing some interesting west region games against programs from California, the Dakotas, and Utah,” Balog said. “We know some of them well, and we are in the process of gathering information about the others.”

The Yellowjackets’ home season kicks off with the third-annual Rimrock Classic sponsored by TNT Automotive and Marine, which features four games between South Dakota School of Mines, the University of Mary, Dixie State University, and MSUB, and runs Sept. 911. “We are proud to host the Rimrock Classic for a third year,” Balog said. “It is a fantastic opportunity to get quality home games and to give our community a chance to watch us play and see what we are about.”

The ‘Jackets will face the Hardrockers and Trailblazers at the event, before hosting California Baptist University and Mary the following week. “Our non-conference schedule will be very competitive, and our goal is to prepare our team for the GNAC with these games,” said Balog.

Conference play starts with a road game at Northwest Nazarene University on Sept. 22 in Nampa, Idaho, and is highlighted by a stretch of five straight GNAC games at Yellowjacket Field from Oct. 8-22. MSUB closes the regular season against Saint Martin’s University, and the Yellowjackets’ graduating players will be honored in a pregame ceremony on Senior Day, Nov. 3.

The Yellowjackets’ conference schedule will also include their annual MSUB Kicks Cancer game, which is set for Oct. 15 against Northwest Nazarene University at 3:30 p.m. and is part of a doubleheader with MSUB’s women’s team.

“The GNAC will be a top NCAA Division II conference again, as it has turned out to be year-in and year-out,” said Balog.

“Where we will end up in the standings depends on a wide variety of factors. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of measuring ourselves against top DII opposition every single game. Preseason is getting closer, and I know everyone associated with our program is excited about what is ahead for us.”

The schedule features 18 total regular-season matches, including 10 home games and eight road contests.

MSUB will play three exhibition matches in August, including a 7 p.m. matinee against Rocky Mountain College on Aug. 19 in the first contest of the year. The ‘Jackets travel to Helena, Mont., to face Carroll College on Aug. 22, and host Northwest University on Aug. 27 in their final tune-up before the regular season starts.

MSUB finished the 2015 season in fourth place in the GNAC standings, with an overall record of 8-6-4 and a mark of 6-53 in league play.

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