Men’s soccer 2016 season preview: Yellowjackets picked 3rd in GNAC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, August 17, 2016 Men’s soccer 2016 season preview: Yellowjackets picked 3rd in GNAC preseason poll

Coming off its first winning season since 2012, the MSUB men’s soccer team looks to build upon a successful 2015 season as the Yellowjackets are ranked third in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Strength up the middle of the pitch will form the spine that will define the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team this season, as the Yellowjackets enter the fall with high expectations after their first winning year since 2012.

MSUB finished the 2015 season with a record of 8-6-4 overall, and 6-5-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play for fourth place. Remaining in the hunt for a league title into the final three matches of last season, the ‘Jackets are optimistic to repeat the run and take a further step this fall. In the 2016 GNAC preseason coaches’ poll released Wednesday, the ‘Jackets were picked to finish in third place among the eight-team conference field.

“Until the last three games of last year, we were in the mix to win the league, and this team knows what it feels like to compete for something until the end,” said fourth-year head coach Alex Balog. “Hopefully we can put ourselves in that

position again. The character of our players is something we spend a lot of time on when it comes to recruiting, and because of that, the product on the field is getting better.”

Returning at the core of the Yellowjackets’ lineup is an experienced group of upperclassmen from back-to-front at the center of the field.

Returning for his third season in goal will be senior Tom Lohmann, fresh off of a Premier Development League national championship title with the Michigan Bucks during the summer of 2016. Lohmann was an honorable mention all-GNAC pick a season ago, after starting all 18 matches and holding a 1.16 goals-against average with 4-plus shutouts.

“In my eyes we have the best goalkeeper in the conference in Tom, and with Joe Scott coming back and Caleb Van Blankenstein coming in, the competition for that position will increase,” Balog commented on his goalkeepers.

Continuing the theme of strength up the middle, the veteran presence will extend forward from Lohmann’s box through senior center back Tom Saltwell, junior center mid Rhys Lambert, and junior striker Ricardo Palomino.

Senior Goalkeeper Tom Lohmann.

A three-year starter defensively, Saltwell has played in 45 matches in his three seasons and averaged north of 1,100 minutes per year. He will pilot the defensive unit, which also includes experienced returners in senior outside back Garret Robinson, junior Eli Williams, and sophomore

Eli Herman.

“Tom is our most vocal player, and he never shies away from a challenge,” Balog commented on Saltwell’s presence in the center of the defense.

“He’s someone who knows the league very well, and who we can rely on to give one hundred percent for us. To have someone in the middle of the field who has been here a long time is invaluable.”

The departure of senior center back Cameron Lee after the 2015 season left a hole next to Saltwell, where several incoming players have a chance to step in. Leading the pack is freshman Italian Oliver Posarelli, whose vision and technical ability have the potential to complement Saltwell’s 6foot-3 presence.

“With Cam leaving, we lost someone who played 70 games, and that’s why we brought in Oliver to replace him,” Balog said. “When we combine him and Tom in the middle we have everything we need in a pair of center backs.”

Freshman Defender Oliver Posarelli.

Battling for playing time at the outside back position will be juniors Aidan Raj and Alexis Chavez, and freshmen Callan Martin, and Chad Triplett. French sophomore Guillaume Kremer will slot into the depth chart at the holding mid position, after transferring to MSUB from the University of Strasbourg. “All of those new guys have the ability to see the field right away, and there will be a lot of competition as they battle it out among themselves,” said Balog.

Anchoring the midfield unit will be Lambert, who wore the captain’s arm band a season ago and was a second-team all-GNAC performer in 2014. Lambert played upwards of 1,100 minutes over 17 matches last year, and contributed on the score sheet with a pair of goals. “Rhys is a true Yellowjacket, and someone who plays for MSUB with a lot of passion,” Balog said regarding the Australian international. “Whether it’s a good day or a bad one, you know the work rate you’re going to get out of him.”

Recovering from a season-ending knee injury as a sophomore last year, Niklas Schregel will be a key factor in the midfield unit as well. Schregel had a goal and an assist as a freshman in 2014, and contributed two more goals in 13 games last year before his season was cut short. Now back to full strength, his 6-foot-4 frame will be a crucial element to the center of MSUB’s strategy.

The youngest of MSUB’s positional groups, the midfield unit is full of incoming talent that will fit into the lineup. Junior Italian transfer Flavio Colasanti could see time in the middle of the field, while freshmen Ignacio Crespo, JD Hauenstein, and Ian Bream will be in the mix as well. Also back for the ‘Jackets is sophomore Adam Hepburn, who saw action in nine matches a season ago and recorded one assist.

Junior Midfielder Rhys Lambert.

“The fact that we have so many players who can fit into so many different roles is one of our strengths this year,” Balog said. “We are versatile with our depth, and we feel that these guys have the ability to do well at multiple positions.”

Leading the GNAC and the NCAA Division II west region with 16 goals in his first season last year, Palomino will spearhead a dangerous attacking unit. The 2015 GNAC Newcomer of the Year forced his way into MSUB’s record books as a sophomore, and will look to build on his scoring prowess with a strong cast of attacking players alongside him.

“Ricardo proved he was a goal scorer last year, and we hope he can hit the ground running and stay consistent throughout this season,” Balog said. “He’s very hungry, he came back very fit, and he is in great spirits.”

Junior Forward Ricardo Palomino.

Also contributing to MSUB’s GNAC-best 35 goals scored and second-best 28 assists were returning seniors Thiago Novis and Julian Toenges. Novis chipped in four goals and a pair of assists in 13 games in his first season, while Toenges started all 18 matches and ranked second in the conference with 10 assists.

The trio of Toenges, Novis, and Palomino created the majority of MSUB’s attack, and will be joined by a pair of transfers in senior Julien Dragomir and junior Victor Sanchez. Dragomir joins MSUB’s squad after scoring four goals at NCAA Division I UNLV in 2014, and provides a further punch at the top of the offense. Sanchez, a Portland, Ore., native, tallied nine goals in two years at Peninsula College.

“Our offense is going to be a bit more versatile this year when it comes to going forward,” said Balog. “We are going to fit Julien and Victor into what we had last year, and if we can get all of those guys on the same page, we will have dynamite going forward.”

MAKING AN IMPACT ON AND OFF THE FIELD The Yellowjackets will continue their partnership with Team IMPACT for the third straight season, as now-eight-year-old Sebastien Easton continues to be a part of the team’s roster. Adopted into the program prior to the 2014 season, Sebastien has battled through cancer and fought the disease into remission, while maintaining a close relationship with the ‘Jackets on the pitch and off.

Sebastien and his family will continue to be present at MSUB’s home matches throughout the season, and the team will surround many of its community service and engagement activities around him. “Our community involvement has become a lot more important over the last few years,” said Balog. “Sebastien is a good example of that, but we have done many other projects as a team as well.”

MSUB’s coaching staff poses with Sebastien Easton.