MSUB Men's Soccer Preview 10/27/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, October 27, 2015 ‘Jackets take to road with crucial GNAC matches on tap vs. Saints, No. 9 Falcons

With three matches left on the regular season schedule, MSUB’s men’s soccer team hits the road for key contests at Saint Martin’s University on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific University on Saturday.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Three matches remain on the regular season schedule for the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team, which currently sits in third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings within reach of the two teams in the lead.

The Yellowjackets have earned 20 points so far this season, carrying a record of 8-4-3 overall and 6-3-2 in GNAC play.

MSUB is just one point behind second-place Simon Fraser University, and four points behind conference leader Seattle Pacific University.

MSUB has key matches against Saint Martin’s University and Seattle Pacific this week, with a chance to move up in the conference table. The Yellowjackets will face the Saints on Thursday at 1 p.m. Mountain time at the SMU Soccer Field in Lacey, Wash., before taking on No. 9 Seattle Pacific at Interbay Stadium in Seattle at 5 p.m. Mountain time. Thursday’s match will feature live statistics available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here, and Saturday’s match will have live statistics available here.

“We have a huge game ahead of us on Thursday, but as usual we take it day-by-day,” commented MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “It is a massive week for us and the guys are aware of that, but we are taking it day-by-day as we always do.”

Balog will be featured as a live guest on GNAC Insider on Tuesday, the weekly radio program produced by the conference office. The third-year head coach will discuss his team’s success this season, as well as its work with TEAM Impact adopting seven-year-old Sebastien Easton to provide him with support as he battles cancer. Listen live to Tuesday’s program here.

MSUB is coming off of a 1-0 shutout win over Western Washington on Saturday, bouncing back from a 1-0 defeat at Simon Fraser last Thursday as the ‘Jackets split their matches last week. Overall the Yellowjackets have won four of their last five matches, making a late surge up the conference standings and remaining in contention for a conference title.

“It’s going to be a huge week for us with only three games left,” commented junior captain Rhys Lambert. “Going to Saint Martin’s on Thursday is going to be a tough game. We go to SPU on Saturday which is always a hard place to go, and they are always going to battle from the first second to the last second of the game.”

UPPER-CLASS D: Two seniors and two juniors have comprised MSUB’s back line throughout the season, with center backs Cameron Lee and Tom Saltwell combining with outside backs Garret Robinson and Sam Butterworth to lead the team to five shutouts.

The Yellowjackets’ experienced and steady defensive unit held tough on Saturday, limiting the Vikings to just three shots on target after holding Simon Fraser to just one on goal Thursday.

“The whole back line has really stepped up this season,” said junior goalkeeper Tom Lohmann. “They are all upperclassmen now, and I couldn’t be happier with them.”

LEE CLIMBING RECORD BOOKS: With 67 career games played, Cameron Lee currently ranks tied for eighth-most in MSUB history. The senior captain has been a four-year starter for the ‘Jackets, becoming a fixture on MSUB’s back line and a crucial leadership figure.

MSUB Men’s Soccer Record Book – Career Games Played Rk. Name Games Career 1.

Greg McKeever 72 2004-07 Chris Andre 72 2007-10 3.

Brian Huskey 71 2005-08 4.

Jess Spann 69 2002-05 Joshua Hernandez 69 2004-07 Kyle Emerick 69 2011-14 7.

Dave Austin 68 1997-2001 8.

Thomas Pertuit 67 2001-04 Jurell Linford 67 2005-08 Cameron Lee 67 2012-15

Senior captain Cameron Lee (22) works against Seattle Pacific's Mori Tsuchiya during the teams' meeting in Billings on Oct. 8.

LOH CHANCE OF SCORING ON MSUB: Lohmann has started all 15 matches for the team so far, and he ranks fifth in the conference in goals-against average at 1.13. He has

totaled 41 saves in more than 1,300 minutes, and has benefitted from a defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest shots (166) in the GNAC this season.

“It all starts with Tom Lohmann in net,” Lambert said. “Time and time again he makes huge saves for us. Our center back pairing of Cameron and Tom is just solid, and they have the ability to play on the ball and calm everyone down. We have Garret as well who is a huge leader and is playing great this year, and then Sam who at times is more of an attacking weapon for us than a defensive weapon.”

PEREZ, LAMBERT HOLDING TOGETHER: Joining Lambert in the crucial role as holding midfielder as of late has been senior Fernando Perez. After a season-ending injury to Niklas Schregel, Perez has assumed a starting role and was a key factor for MSUB in preventing plays by WWU and SFU from developing in the Yellowjackets’ defensive third.

Overall, Perez has played in 15 matches and started seven, and has scored a pair of goals including a top-shelf gamewinner in MSUB’s 1-0 triumph over NNU on Oct. 15. Lambert, a junior captain, has started 12 of 15 matches and has also scored twice this season in 1,032 minutes played.

“The guys did really well last Saturday,” Balog said. “They fought for every inch of ground just like we like them to play. I think Rhys Lambert and Fernando Perez did a great job putting their foot on the ball and spraying passes wide and forward.”

READY, SET, GOAL: A 26th-minute goal by junior Thiago Novis on Saturday was the latest example of MSUB capitalizing on a set piece opportunity. The Yellowjackets have been dangerous all season long with the ball on the ground, and Novis made his shot from 20 yards out count as the game-winner against the Vikings as he tucked it into the side netting inside the left goal post.

“That was great awareness form Thiago, and we have been working on that since the beginning of the season,” Balog said. “I am very happy with that goal and also for Thiago’s confidence it is going to be a great booster. It’s good that we have that quality on set pieces because one third of the goals scored in our league come from set pieces.”

It was the second goal of the season for Novis, who has six total points in his first season with MSUB after transferring from Fresno Pacific University.

Junior Thiago Novis.

HEROIC PERFORMANCE: Sophomore forward Ricardo Palomino received another honor stemming from his second-half, game-winning hat trick against Concordia on Oct. 17, as he was voted as the HERO Sports D2 Hero of the Week.

Palomino’s three goals erased a 2-0 halftime deficit that the ‘Jackets faced, and pushed his GNAC-leading total to 16 on the season. As of Monday, Palomino’s scoring total ranks No. 5 in all of the NCAA Division II, and his 34 points rank seventh.

TOENGES REMAINS AMONG ASSISTS LEADERS: Junior Julian Toenges remained No. 2 in the GNAC in assists with eight on the season, as he has been the top facilitator this season for the ‘Jackets. Toenges is one of six ‘Jackets to have multiple assists this season, with Butterworth and Jacob Richter at three and Palomino, David Loeung, Novis, and Jorge Paez at two apiece.

‘JACKET OFFENSE LEADS GNAC: Despite scoring just once last week, MSUB continues to lead the GNAC in most major offensive categories. The Yellowjackets rank No. 1 in points (90), goals (32), and goals per game (2.13), and No. 2 in assists (26), and assists per game (1.73).

Thursday, October 29 – at Saint Martin’s University Saints – 1 p.m. MTN 2015 Record: 3-11-1, 2-9 GNAC Head Coach: Rob Walker, 9th season Currently enduring a three-game losing skid, the Saints occupy the bottom spot in the GNAC standings.

SMU lost at Concordia 1-0 last Saturday, after a 7-0 road loss at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday.

Though the Saints are just 2-5-1 at home this season, three of their losses have been by just a single goal.

Kyle Witzel is leading the team with five goals, and is the only Saint to have scored more than once on the season. As a unit, the squad has allowed 39 goals while scoring 12 in 15 matches.

Freshman Jacob Richter had a pair of assists in MSUB's home match against Saint Martin's on Oct. 10 at Yellowjacket Field in Billings.

Kaleb Strawn is SMU’s assists leader with two on the season, while Tim Teipel and Conner Williams have each started 14 of 15 matches defensively. In goal, Nick Rosato has assumed the majority of minutes, starting 12 of 14 matches and holding a goals-against average of 2.59 over 1,179 minutes played.

The Series: The Yellowjackets are 11-5-1 alltime against the Saints, and hold a 5-3 record playing at the SMU Soccer Field in Lacey. MSUB has won the last four matches between the teams dating back to the 2013 season.

Last Time Out: MSUB scored four times in the opening 45 minutes and stormed to a 5-1 victory in Billings on Oct. 10.

Palomino scored twice in the match, and Novis, Paez, and Lambert each also had a goal.

Saturday, October 31 – at Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 5 p.m. MTN 2015 Record: 11-1-3, 7-1-3 GNAC Head Coach: Mark Collings, 8th season Maintaining its ranking as No. 9 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America top-25, the first-place Falcons have gone undefeated over their last six matches since a 1-0 loss at Simon Fraser.

Last week, the Falcons defeated Northwest Nazarene 2-1 after battling Concordia to a scoreless double-overtime draw in a pair of road matches.

The Falcons will host the University of Mary on Thursday before welcoming the ‘Jackets to Interbay Stadium on Saturday.

Boasting the top defense in the GNAC, SPU leads the conference in goals allowed (7), goals-against average (0.45), and shutouts (9).

Having outscored opponents 26-7 on the season, six different Falcons have scored multiple times. Leading the way is Danny Olivas, who has five goals and two assists for a dozen points. Ian Adams and Mori Tsuchiya each have four goals, and Gabe Kellum has three with a team-best four assists.

Defensively, Jeffrey Collings, Davis Karaica, Jordan Kollars, and Chaz Jenkins have anchored the back line, starting all 15 games. Goalkeeper Cody Lang leads the GNAC with a 0.46 goals-against average, with eight shutouts and 48 saves in 1,359 minutes played.

The Series: MSUB is 3-15-4 against SPU alltime, and the ‘Jackets have only won once in 15 historic meetings in Seattle.

SPU has won the past six meetings and is undefeated in the last 13 dating back to the 2008 season.

Last Time Out: The ‘Jackets could not overcome two quick goals by the Falcons in the second half, falling on their home turf 3-1 on Oct. 8 in Billings. Bryson Pavel, Adams, and Tsuchiya each scored for SPU, while MSUB’s Daragh Kavanagh scored his first career goal in the 80th minute to prevent a shutout.

Senior Guido Riffeser works against SPU defenders Jordan Kollars (23) and Jess Cayetano (25) in a match at Yellowjacket Field on Oct. 8.

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