MSUB Men's Soccer Recap 9/11/2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, September 11, 2015 Clean Sheet: ‘Jackets swarm to 5-0 victory over Carroll at Rimrock Classic

Winning its home regular season opener in grand fashion, MSUB topples visiting Carroll College 5-0 Friday in Game 2 of the Rimrock Classic sponsored by TNT Automotive and Marine.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Picking up its first victory of the 2015 season in its regular season home opener, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team cruised to a 5-0 shutout victory over visiting Carroll College Friday afternoon at Yellowjacket Soccer Field.

Ricardo Palomino scored two of MSUB’s five goals, while David Loeung and Julian Toenges each had a goal and an assist.

Fernando Perez added his first goal of the season for MSUB, and freshman Adam Hepburn had his first career point with the assist on the play.

“We told the guys this was a game where we wanted them to come out flying and put them under pressure,” said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “We forced turnovers in their defensive third, and were able to capitalize on their mistakes. Even when we put some guys in who hadn’t seen as much playing time, the level on the field did not drop. The clean sheet was definitely a goal for us, and I’m really happy that the defense delivered.”

The Yellowjackets (1-1-1) held a 16-10 advantage in shots, and placed nine of their shots on target compared with four

by Carroll. Junior Tom Lohmann earned his first win of the season in goal, as he made three saves in 82 minutes. Joe Scott manned the box the rest of the way, as the duo combined for MSUB’s first shutout of 2015.

With the loss, Carroll falls to .500 on the season at 2-2. Three different Saints tied for the team high in shots with two apiece.

“We are really happy with the clean sheet, we have been after one for awhile,” commented junior defender Tom Saltwell, who played all 90 minutes on the back line. “Ricardo is really dangerous up front, and he has shown that in training. He is just starting to flourish.”

Winning a corner kick early on, the ‘Jackets had two shots in rapid succession as Toenges’s was blocked and another by Cameron Lee was pushed just wide of the far post from the left side inside the goal box.

Five minutes into the match, Loeung beat a defender down the right side, earning a corner kick for the ‘Jackets when his cross was deflected out. Jorge Paez served in his second corner of the game, and Loeung was at the top of the 6-yard box to pound it into the net for his second goal of the season.

“Jorge got his confidence back, and today he used his strengths,” commented midfielder Niklas Schregel on the play of fellow sophomore Paez. “It’s kind of the same with Julian and David as it is with Jorge. When those guys have confidence, they can do amazing things.”

Palomino nearly doubled the tally two minutes later, as his crafty shot with the outside of his right foot beat the keeper but glanced off the far post from the left side of the goal box.

Toenges split a pair of defenders with a through ball in the 15th minute, but Paez was barely late to it with a touch into the box that rolled out for a goal kick.

Lohmann picked a cross out of the air on Carroll’s first corner kick of the match, keeping calm in a crowded box and securing the ball without issue.

Sophomore Jorge Paez.

Garret Robinson played a high-arching cross into the box midway through the first, and Palomino was one stride short of reaching it with his head inside the six.

The Saints had a free kick from dangerous range with 19 minutes to go in the first, but Lohmann grabbed a direct shot by Isaac Bostrom to keep the score at 1-0.

The ‘Jackets struck early and quickly in the second half, adding two more goals in the course of two minutes. Palomino intercepted a bad clearance pass from Carroll’s defense and beat the keeper with a tight-curling shot that narrowly missed kissing the inside of the right post on its way into the net.

Toenges followed in the 58th minute with his first goal of the season, blasting a shot into the net from the left side of the goal box from 10 yards away. The opportunity arose on a nice through ball from Loeung, as he picked up the assist on the play.

Perez put the game away in the 83rd minute, pushing home a ball that came through the box off of a corner kick by Hepburn.

THE BUZZ: The five goals were the most in a regular season game for MSUB since a 5-1 win over the University of Mary on Oct. 27, 2012…Tom Saltwell was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game as he played all 90 minutes defensively and helped secure the clean sheet…the shutout for MSUB was the first since last season, when the ‘Jackets silence Saint Martin’s 2-0 on Oct. 30 at home.

“This is one of the best games Tom has played in MSUB colors,” Balog said referring to Saltwell. “I don’t think he lost one challenge today. We had Cameron Lee cleaning up next to him, and I also thing Garret Robinson, Sam Butterworth and Eli Williams did a fantastic job playing in the back.

RIMROCK CLASSIC: In the first game of the day, the University of Mary and South Dakota Mines battled to a 1-1 double overtime draw.

NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets will take on South Dakota Mines on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. as the Rimrock Classic concludes.

MSUB won both meetings between the teams last season. Mary will play Carroll College on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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