FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Preview: MSUB men’s soccer to host Concordia, Seattle Pacific this week
Two big GNAC games are set for this weekend at Yellowjacket Field in Billings, as MSUB’s men’s soccer team challenges Concordia on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday. BILLINGS, Mont. – A pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents are headed to Yellowjacket Field this week, as the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team continues its push up the conference standings. The Yellowjackets (6-4-3, 2-2-3 GNAC) will host Concordia University at 3 p.m. on Thursday, before welcoming Seattle Pacific University on Saturday at 3 p.m. Both matches will feature live video and live statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. Currently in fourth place in the conference standings, the Yellowjackets have collected nine points and are in a crowded race for the second place spot in the league. Northwest Nazarene is currently No. 2 in the GNAC with 11 points, while SPU is one ahead of MSUB with 10 points in third place. Concordia meanwhile, is in a tie for sixth place with four points in the GNAC.
With five games remaining, the ‘Jackets have slim chances of catching first-place Simon Fraser (5-0-2 GNAC, 17 points), but are well alive in the race for an NCAA Division II West Region Championships at-large bid. “We know that the game against Concordia is always a very physical, high-scoring game,” said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “We really want to learn from the defensive mistakes that we have made, and take that into the Concordia game and SPU game. We are going to focus on training, and then the Concordia game. Once that game is over we can start thinking about the SPU game on Saturday.” MSUB split a pair of games last week, defeating visiting Western Washington University 3-1 last Thursday before a wild, 4-3, overtime loss to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. The two matches this week will wrap up a five-game home stand, the longest of the year for the ‘Jackets. After a final road trip to Simon Fraser University and Western Washington University next week, MSUB will close the season at home on Nov. 3 against Saint Martin’s University on Senior Day. BEST OFFENSE IN THE WEST: MSUB’s 28 goals are the most in the entire NCAA Division II West Region, as is the team’s scoring average of 2.15 goals per game. It is a function of high shot volume, as MSUB’s 17.31 shots per game are second in the region only to WWU’s average of 18.42 per match. Only UC San Diego (227) has more shot Senior Julien Dragomir leads the team with seven goals and attempts than MSUB’s total of 225. is tied for first in the GNAC with 18 points this season. DRAGOMIR’S DRAMATICS: Conceding two goals in the span of 16 seconds in the first half, and another in the 64th minute on Saturday, MSUB watched as a 1-0 lead quickly turned into a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 deficit against the Crusaders. Heroics from senior Julien Dragomir shifted the momentum of the game however, as he scored in the 79th minute and again with 52 seconds to play as he pulled the score even. “My teammates put me in the right positions, and Ian set me up for a nice finish to put us into overtime,” Dragomir commented on the scoring plays. “One of the best feelings you can experience is to be on top and have that momentum and to see my teammates’ reaction after that goal happened was great.” Though the Crusaders emerged with the victory in overtime, it was Dragomir who headed up the spirited comeback effort. The senior has a team-high seven goals and four assists, and is tied for first place in the GNAC in total points with 18 in his first year with the ‘Jackets. Saturday was his first multi-goal game of the year, and his seven goals are tied for second-most in the league and are one behind the leader. NOVIS HAS A KNACK FOR BIG GAMES: In Thursday’s win over the Vikings, senior Thiago Novis scored once in each half including the game-winner in the 30th minute. It was the second multi-goal game of the season for Novis, and the third overall in his two-year career with the ‘Jackets. He is second on the team behind Dragomir and tied for seventh in the GNAC with five goals. BREAM BREAKS OUT: Contributing offensively in both matches last week, freshman Ian Bream scored against the Vikings and had the assist on Dragomir’s game-tying goal against the Crusaders. The goal against WWU was Bream’s second of the season, and came in his first-ever collegiate start. His assist to Dragomir was the first of his career.
COLASANTI CREATING CHANCES: Junior midfielder Flavio Colasanti has continued to be a threat in the offensive third of the field, and had an assist in each game last week. He is now tied for the GNAC lead in assists with six this season, all of which have come during his last eight games. The first-year player from Italy has started all 13 games, and is averaging 73.3 minutes per game as a central midfielder. SCHREGEL SCORES FIRST OF SEASON: Returning from a knee injury suffered last season, junior Niklas Schregel scored his first goal of the year to set the tone against the Crusaders on Saturday. Finding the net just four minutes into the match, the German midfielder pounded home a close shot from five yards in front of the net. It was the fourth goal of Schregel’s career at MSUB, as he scored once as a freshman in 2014 and added two goals last year before his season-ending injury. KREMER’S COMPLETE-GAME STREAK REACHES SIX: Guillaume Kremer has played every minute at holding midfielder over the last six games, helping the ‘Jackets build their attack out of the back of the field. His impact offensively displayed on Thursday, as he had the assist on Bream’s goal and added another on Novis’s final finish that sealed the victory. The assists pushed Kremer’s total on the year to four, and the first-year captain has started 11 matches. TALKING DEFENSE: Garret Robinson returned to MSUB’s back line last Flavio Colasanti (right) assisted Niklas Schregel (center) on week after missing time with an injury, while freshman Chad Triplett his first goal of the season on Saturday. earned his first two collegiate starts. The outside backs started alongside the usual tandem of Rhys Lambert and Oliver Posarelli at the center back positions. “All of the upperclassmen are really supportive, and are always pushing you to be your best,” Triplett commented on mixing into the defensive unit last week. “Players like Rhys and Garret have had a big impact on me, and I have learned a lot from watching Garret play outside back.” PALOMINO RETURNS, STRONG HISTORY VS. CAVS: Junior striker Ricardo Palomino will return to the lineup this weekend, and boasts an impressive history against Concordia. Five of his 20 career goals have come against the Cavaliers in just three games played, and he will look to give the top-scoring team in the GNAC (28 goals) a further boost. UNDERPAID FOR OVERTIME WORK: Four of the Yellowjackets’ last six matches have gone to overtime, but MSUB has yet to emerge with a win with three draws and a loss. It is a streak that carries back much further than the 2016 season, as the ‘Jackets are 0-5-16 in their last 21 matches that have gone to extra time. The last win for MSUB in a game that exceeded 90 minutes was a 2-1 triumph over Western Washington on Oct. 18, 2012 in Billings.
Thursday, October 20 – Concordia University Cavaliers – 3 PM Yellowjacket Field | Billings, MT 2016 Record: 4-5-2, 1-4-1 GNAC Head Coach: Dan Birkey, 29th season 2015 Record: 7-5-5, 5-4-5 GNAC (5th) The Cavaliers have lost four of their last five GNAC matches since a 3-3, double-overtime draw against MSUB on Sept. 24 at Tuominen Yard in Portland. CU most recently lost 2-0 to Simon Fraser at home last Thursday, before Saturday’s match at Saint Martin’s on Saturday was postponed due to weather. Senior Matt Paine has wreaked havoc on the league this season, and has a GNAC-high eight goals in only nine games played. The senior has also contributed a pair of assists, and is tied with Dragomir and Simon Fraser’s Mamadi Camara for the league lead with 18 points. Christian Thyron has found the net four times for the ‘Cavs, while Essam Nicola is one of two field players to start all 11 games and has three goals and an assist. Sophomore Kevin Stordahl anchors the back line for CU, having started all 11 games and played a team-high 966 minutes. Junior Alec Lohr has also been a key defender. Sophomore Grant Alcorn has been the primary goalkeeper for CU with 40 saves and one shutout in nine starts. However, he did not play in the team’s most recent game against the Clan, as Jason Hines earned his second start of the season and played 90 minutes. The Series: MSUB remains unbeaten against CU, holding a 1-0-2 record in a series that began last season. Last Time Out: Similarly to their game last Saturday, the ‘Jackets stared a 3-1, second-half deficit in the face before rallying to tie the score. Dragomir scored in the 51st minute, and Novis pushed home the game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute before the teams battle to a draw in overtime. It was the second time CU and MSUB tied by the score of 3-3, and it was the Yellowjackets’ fourth 3-3 double-OT draw in the last three seasons. Saturday, October 22 – Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 3 PM Yellowjacket Field | Billings, MT 2016 Record: 4-3-5, 2-1-4 GNAC Head Coach: Mark Collings, 8th season 2015 Record: 14-1-4, 10-1-3 GNAC (1st) Entering the week unbeaten in its last four matches, Seattle Pacific will travel to Nampa, Idaho, to face Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before continuing to Billings for Saturday’s game. The Falcons picked up a 4-2 win over Saint Martin’s last Thursday, and have won back-to-back games after drawing four straight matches in double overtime.
Stephen MacDonald leads the team with seven goals, but has only played five games this year and has not played since Sept. 17. Gabe Kellum has been a consistent scorer for the team as well, with six goals and three assists in nine starts. Four other Falcons have scored a pair of goals, and the team ranks third behind MSUB and SFU with 26 goals scored this season. Senior veteran Davis Karaica anchors the team defensively, and has started all 12 matches and played 1,129 minutes. Fellow senior Jeffrey Collings has earned a pair of GNAC Defensive Player of the Week awards this fall, and has a goal and two assists while starting seven games on the back line. In goal, Cody Lang has started all 12 games and has made 44 saves in 1,134 minutes. The senior holds a goals-against average of 1.51, a save percentage of 69.8, and has one shutout. The Series: MSUB is 3-16-5 against the Falcons all-time, including a mark of 2-3-2 in home matches. Last Time Out: The ‘Jackets held the upper hand in a match played in Seattle on Sept. 29, out-shooting the Falcons 2612. Despite placing 11 shots on target, a goal from Dragomir in the 68th minute was the only shot that found the net in a 1-1, double-overtime draw.
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