FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, September 6, 2015 ‘Jackets strike first, stall in 4-1 defeat against Metro State
MSUB scores a penalty-kick goal in the first six minutes, but Metro State evens the score in the first half and adds three goals in the second to hand the Yellowjackets a 4-1 road loss on Sunday. ST. GEORGE, Utah – A goal within the first six minutes of play came in the form of a penalty kick for the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team, but it wasn’t enough for the Yellowjackets Sunday evening in a 3-1 loss to Metro State University Denver at Hansen Stadium on the campus of Dixie State University. David Loeung gave the ‘Jackets the early advantage with his first goal of the season, slotting home the penalty kick from 12 yards out after MSUB was granted a foul inside the goal box. The Roadrunners (1-1) evened the score before halftime however, and used a surge of three goals in the second to seal their first victory of the season. Danny Arrubla, Tyler Trujillo, Jack Mayfield, and Will Moats each scored for MSUD, with the latter two contributing off of the bench. The Roadrunners finished with 16 shots on the match while the ‘Jackets had 10, and MSUD had an 11-3 advantage in shots on target. MSUD kept constant pressure on the Yellowjackets’ defense, winning eight corner kicks and forcing MSUB goalkeeper Tom Lohmann to make seven saves.
Loeung stepped up and slotted home his first goal of the season on the early penalty kick, as MSUB took a 1-0 lead for the second time in as many matches early on in the season. The Roadrunners put pressure on MSUB within the first 15 minutes, as a header shot by Brock Labertew missed wide left and resulted in a corner kick. Collin Jeambey had a look towards goal on the next play, but his shot missed high. Lohmann made his first save of the match in the 16th minute, knocking away a header attempt by Jeff Gillis to keep the lead in the hands of MSUB. Julian Toenges had a shot on target less than a minute later, and it was MSUD goalkeeper Hayden Rus’s turn to make a save and keep the score at 1-0. It was one of two saves Rus finished with in the match. Arrubla created enough space to shoot midway through the first, and it took another save by Lohmann to deny MSUD a goal in the 24th minute. The breakthrough for the Roadrunners came in the 29th minute, when Trujillo finished a cross from Dustin Berg with his head to make the score 1-1. Emerging from the halftime break with the score still at 1-1, Rhys Lambert had the first good look towards goal of the second half as Rus grabbed his shot for a save in the 54th minute. The Roadrunners pulled ahead in the 58th minute, as Moats cashed in on a loose ball after a blocked shot from 10 yards in front of the goal. Tacking on in the crucial closing minutes of the game, Mayfield found the back of the net in the 86th minute and Arrubla sealed the deal three minutes later with both strikes coming from point-blank range in front of the goal. Ricardo Palomino and Sam Butterworth each had three shots on the game for MSUB, which fell to 0-1-1 on the season with the defeat. AHEAD: The Yellowjackets return to Billings to host the second-annual Rimrock Classic sponsored by TNT Automotive & Marine. MSUB will make its regular season home debut against Carroll College on Sept. 11 at 4:30 p.m., and will then challenge South Dakota Mines on Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--