MSUB Men's Soccer Preview 10/6/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, October 6, 2015 Preview: Men’s soccer at home for 4 straight starting this weekend

The Yellowjackets will face nationally-ranked Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s this weekend at Yellowjacket Field, the first of two straight weekends at home for MSUB. BILLINGS, Mont. – Currently in a four-way tie for second place in the crowded Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team will play its next four matches at home at Yellowjacket Field with the first two set for this weekend.

MSUB (4-2-3, 2-1-2 GNAC) will host nationally-ranked Seattle Pacific University on Thursday and Saint Martin’s University on Saturday. Thursday’s match will kick off at 4 p.m. with Saturday’s beginning at 3 p.m., and both matches will feature live video and statistics available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.

The Falcons, most recently ranked No. 7 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, suffered their first defeat of the season last week on the road at Simon Fraser University. SPU had gone unbeaten in its first eight games of the season, and has conceded one goal in each of its last three matches after not allowing any over its first five.

“Seattle Pacific is an extremely solid team,” commented MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “They don’t give a whole lot of goals up, and it is going to be a very tough game. I expect a very tactical game, and it may be decided by a one-goal margin.”

The Yellowjackets are coming off a 1-0 road loss to No. 17 Northwest Nazarene University and a 3-3 double-overtime draw at Concordia University as MSUB earned one point in its road trip last weekend.

PALOMINO KEEPS PACE WITH NATIONAL LEADERS: Sophomore forward Ricardo Palomino scored two more goals last week to push his GNAC-leading total to 11 and his conference-leading points total to 24 on the season. Palomino now ranks tied for fifth in the NCAA Division II in goals and tied for seventh in total points. He has added a pair of assists to his goals and holds a nine-point lead in total points over the next-closest player in the conference (Matt Paine, Concordia, 15).

Sophomore Ricardo Palomino.

Palomino is tied for fourth within MSUB’s record book for single-season goals and is tied for seventh in single-season points with his offensive efforts so far this season.

MSUB Men’s Soccer Record Book – Individual Goals, Single Season Rank Name Goals Season 1.

Sam Charles 24 2009 2.

Sam Charles 19 2008 Sam Charles 19 2007 4.

Ricardo Palomino 11 2015 Thomas Pertuit 11 2004 Mark Cipolla 11 2002 NOVIS WITH ASSISTS IN RETURN: Recently returning to the team after missing several games due to injury, junior midfielder Thiago Novis made a significant impact last week with a pair of assists. Novis twice connected with Palomino in the match against Concordia, as he recorded his first two points of the season in his second start of the year.

STEPPING UP ON THE BACK LINE: Sophomore Eli Williams made his first two career starts on MSUB’s defensive unit last week, filling in as the team’s left back for an injured Sam Butterworth. Williams totaled 197 minutes in the Yellowjackets’ two matches, helping his team earn a point in the draw against the Cavaliers.

Freshman Anthony Morrell also made his debut as a starter on the defensive unit, filling in as a center back alongside senior Cameron Lee against the Crusaders on Saturday. It was the seventh overall appearance of the season for Morrell, and his 78 minutes played were a season high in his first year as a ‘Jacket.

“Right away I was a little bit nervous to begin with, but everyone kept telling me to be confident in everything I do,” Morrell said regarding his first-ever start. “On and off the field the guys always help me. It is a battle every single day and every game, and you always have to be focused in.”

“The way those two have stepped up in particular has been very impressive,” Lee commented on the freshman and sophomore. “There hasn’t been time for a slow transition, and they have just been thrown into the mix. This shows a lot of promise for the team not just this year, but the depth that we have in the defense for the rest of their careers here at MSUB.”

“I am very proud of them because they stepped up in both of those games,” Balog said on Morrell and Williams. “Those are guys who we are going to have to build our program around, and it’s great to see that they are getting these minutes in these very important GNAC games.”

ROBINSON, LEE PROVIDING STABILITY: Senior Garret Robinson has started all nine matches for the Yellowjackets this season, leading the team among field players with 808 minutes played as a right back. Lee has started eight matches and totaled 729 minutes, playing complete games in six of his eight appearances.

“Garret is one of the most hard-working guys on our team and he is definitely a leader in that sense,” Lee commented on his fellow senior. “The little things he does on and off the field make a huge difference. Playing along with him on the right side, we have certainly built up a nice partnership.”

LOHMANN BUSY IN GOAL: Junior goalkeeper Tom Lohmann totaled nine saves in his two matches last week, helping keep the ‘Jackets close in each game. In particular, his fivesave effort against the Crusaders helped give MSUB a chance to equalize and earn a point in the eventual 1-0 defeat.

Senior Garret Robinson.

Lohmann ranks third in the GNAC with 30 saves on the season, and his average of 3.33 per match ranks fifth. He is tied for fourth with a pair of shutouts and has played upwards of 832 minutes in goal.

STRONG OFFENSE: The Yellowjackets remain as the top offensive team in the GNAC, as their 60 points, 21 goals, and 2.33 goals per game all lead the conference. MSUB is tied with NNU for the conference high in assists with 18, and the ‘Jackets hold a 12-point edge over the Crusaders in total points.

MSUB ranks towards the middle of the pack defensively, with a fourth-best 1.14 goals-against average as the team’s 11 goals allowed in nine games are tied for fourth-fewest.

Thursday, October 8 – #7 Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 4 p.m.

2015 Record: 6-1-2, 2-1-2 GNAC Head Coach: Mark Collings, 8th season 2014 Record: 16-2-2, 12-1-1 GNAC Coming off of their first defeat of the season, the Falcons enter this week tied with the Yellowjackets in the GNAC standings with a conference record of 2-1-2.

Thursday’s match will be the third in a four-game road stretch for the Falcons, as they will continue on to Bismarck, N.D., on Saturday to challenge GNAC foe University of Mary.

The Falcons’ success this season has been driven by its defense, as SPU has surrendered just three goals in its nine matches. Junior goalkeeper Cody Lang ranks among national leaders in goals-against average at 0.32, and has a GNACleading six shutouts while playing every minute of the season between the pipes for the Falcons.

Offensively, Ian Adams and Danny Olivas have accounted for four of SPU’s 10 goals scored, as the duo has found the net twice each. Adams leads the team with six points, as he also has two assists this year.

Davis Karaica, Jeffrey Collings, and Jordan Kollars have been anchors for SPU defensively, each starting all nine matches.

Stephen MacDonald has scored and provided an assist for SPU, starting five matches and playing in six.

As a squad the Falcons boast the best defense in the conference, as their three goals allowed, 0.32 goals-against average, and six shutouts all lead the GNAC. The Series: SPU holds an alltime advantage of 14-3 against the Yellowjackets with four draws between the sides in the 21 historic meetings. SPU is undefeated over the past 12 meetings between the teams, with MSUB’s three victories in the series coming in succession during 2007 and 2008.

Last Time Out: The Falcons picked up a 1-0 shutout win over the ‘Jackets in Billings on Nov. 1, 2014, after defeating the Yellowjackets 2-1 in Seattle on Oct. 9.

Saturday, October 10 – Saint Martin’s University Saints – 3 p.m.

2015 Record: 2-6-1, 1-4 GNAC Head Coach: Rob Walker, 9th season 2014 Record: 3-14-1, 3-9-1 GNAC Coming off of its first conference win of the season, Saint Martin’s rallied for a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Western Washington on the road on Saturday.

The Saints will take on the University of Mary in Bismarck on Thursday before squaring off with the Yellowjackets on Saturday in Billings.

SMU’s Kyle Witzel leads the team with three goals on the season, as the Saints have scored nine times and allowed 22.

Kaleb Strawn is the team’s leader in assists with two, and he has also scored to give him four total points on the year.

Nick Rosato has assumed the majority of minutes in goal for the Saints, starting seven matches and playing 761 minutes.

He holds a goals-against average of 2.36 and has made a GNAC second-best 43 saves on the season.

Tim Teipel, Conner Williams, and Jake Zimmer have each started 8 of 9 matches, with the former two a big part of SMU’s defense and the latter seeing major minutes up top. http://www.msubsports.com/news/2014/10/11/MSOC_1011145446.aspx?path=msoc The Series: MSUB holds a 10-5 alltime record against SMU with one tie between the teams in the 16 historic meetings.

The Yellowjackets have won three in-a-row and five of the last six, with SMU’s lone win during that time span coming on Sept. 26, 2013 in Lacey, Wash.

Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets rolled to a 2-0 shutout of the Saints in Billings last October, with Rhys Lambert finding the net and Butterworth and Julian Toenges providing assists in the match. MSUB won the road match 2-1, with Lohmann turning in one of his two assists on the season in the game.

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