MSUB Men's Soccer 2015 Season Preview

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, August 21, 2015 Yellowjacket Men’s Soccer season preview

MSUB’s men’s soccer team gears up for the 2015 season, with a dynamic cast of transfers and freshmen slotting in with the Yellowjackets’ returners from a season ago.

BILLINGS, Mont. – After doubling its win total from the previous season in 2014, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team is poised to continue the positive trajectory this fall.

The Yellowjackets, who finished in fifth place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with a record of 6-93, completed their 2014 campaign just one game under .500 in league play at 6-7-1 in GNAC games. MSUB’s 19 points were six more than it earned in the 2013 season, and as the calendar turns to August the ‘Jackets are set for another strong push up the conference table.

“We feel good about the direction the program has taken since the spring of 2013,” commented third-year head coach Alex Balog. “Both on and off the field we have taken great strides towards improving the caliber of student-athletes we are bringing in, our team grade point average, and the number of wins. All three influence one another, and I believe that this upcoming season will show that we are on the right track.”

In the 2015 GNAC preseason coaches’ poll, the ‘Jackets have been slated to finish in sixth place, receiving 24 points.

A duo of four-year seniors will anchor the Yellowjackets defensively, as Cameron Lee and Sam Butterworth will suit up for their final collegiate campaigns along the back line for MSUB. Butterworth was an honorable mention all-conference selection a season ago, and led the team with six assists while starting 16 matches.

Serving as a team captain this season, Lee is coming off a strong junior year in which he started 16 games and played the second-most minutes among field players with 1,441 as a central defender.

“It has been brilliant to see the transition these two young men have gone through over the past three years,” Balog commented on Lee and Butterworth. “They have both grown tremendously as men, as students, and as players. For their senior season, our coaching staff is going to rely heavily on their leadership and experience with GNAC play. Both Cameron and Sam will be pivotal in having the great season we want to have.”

In addition to Lee and Butterworth, MSUB welcomes back another experienced defender in junior Tom Saltwell, and a goalkeeper who started every game in 2014 in junior Tom Lohmann. After breaking out as a freshman in 2013 and starting a dozen games, Saltwell started 15 matches and has been a strong physical presence with his 6-foot-3 frame roaming the back line for the ‘Jackets.

“If we can keep Tom healthy and fit, he has the potential to be one of the most dominant center backs in the GNAC,” Balog said of the Chelmsford, England native. “With his strong understanding of the game, we will be looking at him to help anchor the defense.”

2015 Senior Captain Cameron Lee.

New to MSUB in 2014 was Lohmann, a transfer from Berlin, Germany who started all 18 matches between the pipes and notched a goals-against average of 1.46. Lohmann also came up with 73 saves and two assists on the season, and tallied three shutouts while playing the third-most minutes in the league in conference games with 1,235.

“Tom certainly proved to be an upgrade in goal for us,” said Balog. “He is a little older and more experienced than many of our players, so he is another student-athlete that our coaching staff is going to be looking at for leadership. Tom understands his role on the team, while at the same time knowing that last season is in the books and that he’s going to have to prove himself all over.”

Returning to MSUB in the midfield this season will be second-team all-GNAC pick Rhys Lambert, who immediately impacted the program with five goals and an assist in 16 matches as a sophomore in 2014. In his first year with the Yellowjackets, the Australian ranked fourth in the conference in game-winning goals with three.

“Bringing Rhys to MSUB is proving to be one of best decisions this coaching staff has made over the last few seasons,” Balog said. “Rhys brings passion and love to the team. He is hard as nails and is a good passer of the ball, and those are qualities that we will definitely need in order to be successful in the middle of the park.”

Seniors David Loeung and Fernando Perez and juniors Julian Toenges, Garret Robinson, and Daragh Kavanagh will also factor into MSUB’s midfield this season. Loeung displayed his goal-scoring potential as he found the net twice, and he and Toenges combined for three assists for the ‘Jackets.

Perez started nine matches while playing in 13, and Kavanagh had his number called by Coach Balog in a dozen games.

“This group of players knows what the college game is about,” Balog said regarding the experienced returners. “They each understand their role within the team very well, and know what our coaching staff expects from them. They are players who we will rely heavily on over the course of the season. All five of them are slowly coming towards the end of their collegiate careers, and I know that they will leave everything on the field.”

Along with starting eight games and playing in 16, Jorge Paez added the fastest goal in MSUB history to his resume as a freshman in 2014. Coming just 10 seconds into a September match against Colorado Mesa, Paez slotted home one of his two goals on the season.

Niklas Schregel will look to boost his offensive output this fall, as he joined fellow sophomore Paez on the scoring sheet with a goal and an assist in his debut college season out of Freialdenhoven, Germany in 2014.

“Jorge and Niklas have a very bright future ahead of them in this program,” Balog said.

“However, they cannot rest on their laurels. They both had very good freshman seasons, but will have to prove now that they are ready to step up and increase their minutes by becoming even more important to the team. We will be looking at both of them to add goals and assists to our season tally.”

The ‘Jackets return three more sophomores who saw action in 2014, with Billings Senior High School graduate Strom Nuernberger starting seven matches and tallying an assist as a freshman last year. He and Eli Williams will factor into MSUB’s defensive unit this year, while fellow sophomore Kyle Davis will have an opportunity as a striker in the Yellowjackets’ lineup.

2015 Sophomore Jorge Paez.

“We are very happy with the development of these three guys,” commented Balog. “I know that all three are very hungry to see the field even more than they did last season. Strom and Eli will battle between the two of them for playing time on the left side, and Kyle will be in the mix for minutes up top.”

With a dozen newcomers – including eight freshmen – MSUB’s primary focus during the offseason was to bolster its attack with hopes of improving on its 2014 goal differential of minus-five (23 goals scored, 28 allowed).

The Yellowjackets’ revitalized offense will start with junior transfer Thiago Novis, a Brazilian striker who scored four goals at Fresno Pacific University. Novis will be complemented by Puebla, Mexico native Ricardo Palomino, another striker who posted four goals and six assists as a freshman at fellow NCAA Division II school Northeastern State University in 2014.

“We looked long and hard to find the type of player we felt would bolster our offensive department,” said Balog. “These two guys will add a nose for goals, speed, technique, and strength to our team. Both of them will compete for extensive playing time and will be key factors in our offensive scheme this season.”

Providing experience and stability in MSUB’s midfield will be senior Guido Riffeser and sophomore Eli Herman. Riffeser, an Italian, will play his senior season for the ‘Jackets after transferring from Nova Southeastern University. Riffeser figures to fill an attacking role in MSUB’s midfield, after scoring four goals with the Sharks at NSU. Herman, a Bozeman, Mont., native, helped North Idaho College to a second-place finish in the Northwest Athletic Conference in 2014 and will compete for minutes this season as a sophomore with MSUB. “Guido is a highly decorated player and with his NCAA Division Two experience, he will definitely be a leader on and off the field,” Balog said. “Guido is looking to finish his collegiate career on a high note and with his technical skill set, he will add to our offensive prowess. Eli is a player we had been recruiting awhile, and he had several Division One options. As a Montana native, he knows what it is like to represent his home state, and he will do so very proudly. Eli is very passionate and is another player who will leave everything on the field.”

MSUB’s 2015 freshman class is comprised of four defenders, a trio of midfielders, a goalkeeper and a striker. Graduates of Century High School in Bismarck, N.D., Jacob Richter and Anthony Morrell are both expected to figure into the conversation for the ‘Jackets as true freshmen in the midfield and on defense, respectively. Also joining MSUB after being high school teammates are defender Blake Crutchfield and midfielder Tanner Corrie, who both graduated from Snohomish High School in Snohomish, Wash. Chris Box, a freshman out of Mountain Range High School in Thornton, Colo., will provide further defensive depth.

Up top, forward Christian Geronimo could see action in tandem with Novis, Palomino, and Paez. A Pittsburg High School (Calif.) graduate, Geronimo will link up with fellow Californians Adam Hepburn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Trevor Wildberger (Rocklin, Calif.) on MSUB’s roster. Hepburn will check in as a midfielder while Wildberger and junior Joe Scott will each compete for minutes in goal next to Lohmann.

“This is the biggest freshman class we have brought in since I’ve been part of the MSUB men’s soccer coaching staff,” said Balog. “We feel that these guys understand what will be asked of them, and if they fulfill their end of the bargain, they, and subsequently our program, will be successful. They all come from solid soccer backgrounds, and were dominant players where they came from. None of these guys will be content to sit on the bench, and that is exactly what we want as a coaching staff. We will be looking at all of them to compete for minutes, but how much playing time they get is ultimately up to themselves.”

Three home exhibition matches will signal the start to the 2015 season, as Balog will have a chance to work new players into his lineup in the three non-counting preseason affairs. MSUB will challenge Lethbridge (Canada) on Aug. 25, Northwest College on Aug. 27, and Western Nebraska on Aug. 30 all at Yellowjacket Field.

MSUB’s regular season begins on the road with matches against Cal State San Marcos and Metro State University on Sept. 4 and 6 in a tournament hosted by Dixie State University in St. George, Utah.

2015 Senior Sam Butterworth.

The Yellowjackets’ first regular season home matches come in the form of the second-annual MSUB Rimrock Classic sponsored by TNT Automotive, running Sept. 11 and 13 at Yellowjacket Field. All of MSUB’s home contests and select road matches will feature live video streaming as well as live statistics, available via MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal.

“We feel we put an exhibition schedule together that is a lot more challenging than in previous years,” Balog said. “Our belief is these three games will help us hit the ground running for our regular season matches. We can’t wait to see what the season has in store for us, as we truly believe this team has what it takes to continue the positive trend we have started.”

No. Name 7 Sam Butterworth 22 Cameron Lee 14 David Loeung 21 Fernando Perez 29 Guido Riffeser 8 Daragh Kavanagh 10 Rhys Lambert 1 Tom Lohmann 9 Thiago Novis 2 Garret Robinson 20 Thomas Saltwell 24 Julian Toenges 15 Kyle Davis 3 Eli Herman 17 Strom Nuernberger 12 Jorge Paez 28 Ricardo Palomino 4 Niklas Schregel 27 Joe Scott 16 Eli Williams 23 Chris Box 19 Tanner Corrie 5 Blake Crutchfield 11 Christian Geronimo 25 Adam Hepburn 18 Anthony Morrell 6 Jacob Richter 26 Trevor Wildberger

MSUB Men’s Soccer 2015 Roster by Class Pos. Ht. Cl. Exp. Hometown (Previous School) D/M 5-11 Sr. 3V Aylesford, England (Kent College) D 6-1 Sr. 3V Bloemfontein, South Africa (King Williams College) M/F 5-9 Sr. 1V Mill Creek, WA (Highline CC) M 5-10 Sr. 1V Greeley, CO (Laramie County CC) M 5-9 Sr. TR Selva Val Gardena, Italy (Nova Southeastern) M 5-9 Jr. 1V Perth, Australia (ECU University) M 6-1 Jr. 1V Gold Coast, Australia (Griffith University) G 6-1 Jr. 1V Berlin, Germany (Nyack College) F 6-1 Jr. TR Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Fresno Pacific) D 5-10 Jr. 2V Everett, WA (Everett) D 6-3 Jr. 2V Chelmsford, England (Great Baddow) M 5-10 Jr. 1V Hessen, Germany (South Polytechnic State) F 5-9 So. 1V St. Louis, MO (Bishop DuBourg) D/M 6-0 So. TR Bozeman, MT (North Idaho) D/M 5-9 So. 1V Billings, MT (Billings Senior) F 5-9 So. 1V Las Vegas, NV (Bishop Gorman) F 6-2 So. TR Puebla, Mexico (Northeastern State) M 6-4 So. 1V Freialdenhoven, Germany (Willy Brandt) G 6-1 So. SQ Edwall, WA (Concordia) D 5-10 So. 1V Nine Miles Falls, WA (Lakeside) D 5-11 Fr. HS Thornton, CO (Mountain Range) M 5-8 Fr. HS Snohomish, WA (Snohomish) D 6-0 Fr. HS Snohomish, WA (Snohomish) F 5-11 Fr. HS Pittsburg, CA (Pittsburg) M 5-7 Fr. HS Huntington Beach, CA (Edison) D 5-9 Fr. HS Bismarck, ND (Century) D 6-0 Fr. HS Bismarck, ND (Century) G 5-10 Fr. HS Rocklin, CA (Rocklin) --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--