FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Yellowjacket men’s Senior Day set for Thursday against Saint Martin’s
MSUB’s men’s soccer team will close its regular season on Thursday, hosting Saint Martin’s University in its final GNAC game of the season. BILLINGS, Mont. – With one game remaining on the schedule for the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team, Senior Day awaits the Yellowjackets on Thursday afternoon. MSUB (8-6-3, 4-4-3 GNAC) will host Saint Martin’s University at 2 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field, in its final regular-season game of the 2016 year. Thursday’s match will feature live video and statistics through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. The ‘Jackets enter the week in a tie for fourth place in the crowded GNAC standings, and could finish as highly as second place with a win on Thursday. The team was ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II West Region poll released last Wednesday, but is expected to drop in this week’s rankings after a pair of losses.
MSUB fell to No. 3 Simon Fraser 4-0 last Thursday, before a 2-0 defeat at Western Washington on Saturday. The final NCAA regional rankings will be released Wednesday afternoon, and the NCAA selection show will air Monday, Nov. 7 at 4:30 p.m. Mountain time as the six teams comprising the west region playoffs will be announced. “This will be an emotional week, and we are going to be saying goodbye to a very special group of guys,” said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “These guys have really laid the foundation for what is ahead, and they have all left their mark here whether they’ve been here for six months or four years. I’d love to keep them here longer, but it’s time for them to go on and do other and hopefully great things in life.” SENIOR SENDOFF: Prior to kickoff on Thursday, six of MSUB’s players will be honored in a pregame Senior Day ceremony on the field. Garret Robinson, Thiago Novis, Julien Dragomir, Tom Saltwell, Julian Toenges, and Flavio Colasanti will each be recognized for their contributions to the Yellowjacket program during their careers. “I have definitely realized over my four years that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else for my college career,” said Saltwell, a four-year player. “Coach (Balog) wants not only to make us better soccer players, but to make us better people as well. When I compare myself today to how I was when I came in four years ago, I’ve definitely improved a lot.” “There will definitely be a lot of emotions for that game,” said Robinson, a fifth-year senior outside back. “It will be bittersweet as the last game of my collegiate career, but I just want to end it on a positive note.” Senior Julien Dragomir leads the ‘Jackets and ranks second in the GNAC with nine goals scored this season.
OFFENSE QUIETED: For the first time since its season-opening trip to California, MSUB was held without a goal in back-to-back games last week. Entering the games as the top offense in the west region with 33 goals scored, the ‘Jackets stayed stagnant as they struggled to find the net against Simon Fraser and Western Washington. Against the Clan, MSUB was held to a season-low nine shots, and the team’s shots-on-goal total of four in both games was the second-lowest mark of the season. DRAGOMIR AMONG GNAC’S TOP SCORERS: Entering his final game, senior Julien Dragomir is tied for second in the GNAC in scoring with nine goals this season. Dragomir has been efficient with his shots, scoring on 25 of his attempts (9 of 36) and placing 41.7 percent of his shots on frame (15 of 36). IRREPLACEABLE ITALIANS: The only two players on the team to have started every match this year are Oliver Posarelli and Colasanti. The Italian tandem has been instrumental on both sides of the ball, with Posarelli anchoring the team at center back and Colasanti leading the squad with six assists. Posarelli has played the most minutes at 1,521 this year, and has also scored a pair of goals in his debut college season. Colasanti’s assist total ranks him tied for third in the league.
HAUENSTEIN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: While Posarelli has had a standout season as a freshman defensively, JD Hauenstein has matched the performance on the offensive side of the ball. With four goals and two assists to his name, Hauenstein leads all freshmen in the GNAC with 10 points this season. CHIPPING IN: Adding to Dragomir’s nine goals and Hauenstein’s four, Novis and junior Ricardo Palomino have each found the net five times to elevate the team’s offense. Two of Novis’s goals have counted as game-winners, while Palomino has scored one game-winning goal this season. The latter now has 21 goals scored in his two years with the ‘Jackets. TEAM FIGURES: MSUB has out-scored opponents 33-23 on the season, and is averaging 1.94 goals per game. The team is second in the GNAC in points (95), goals (33), and assists (29), and has given up the third-fewest goals defensively. Thursday, November 3 – Saint Martin’s University Saints – 2 PM Yellowjacket Field | Billings, MT | SENIOR DAY 2016 Record: 3-11-1, 2-7-1 GNAC Head Coach: Rob Walker, 10th season 2015 Record: 6-12-1, 4-10 GNAC The Saints snapped a five-game losing streak last week, by defeating Concordia University 5-2 on Monday at home. The win came after a 2-1 loss to Seattle Pacific last Thursday, and lifted SMU out of last place in the GNAC and into sixth. Kyle Witzel tied a GNAC record with four goals scored in the Saints’ win, elevating him to the top spot in the conference in scoring with 10 goals on the season. Kaleb Strawn is the Saints’ other player in double figures with points, as he has two goals and a team-best six assists. Defensively, Sebastian Navarro and Christian Caro have started 14 and 13 games, respectively, with the former chipping in three goals on the offensive side. Griffin Small has been the starter in goal for the Saints, recording 59 saves and a goals-against average of 2.87 in 1,129 minutes. The Saints have been out-scored 45-22 this season, and average 1.47 goals per game. The team ranks seventh in the GNAC in all offensive categories, and has the second-most saves with 75 and an average of 5.0 per game. The Series: MSUB is 11-6-2 all-time against the Saints, including a mark of 6-2-1 in home games. The ‘Jackets have gone unbeaten in five of the last six meetings between the teams. Last Time Out: Palomino and Dragomir each scored for the ‘Jackets, while Will Eldred and Strawn found the net for SMU in a 2-2, double-overtime draw in Lacey, Wash., on Oct. 1. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--