FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, November 14, 2016 Season review: MSUB men’s soccer inches closer to goal of NCAA regional berth
Finishing with its best record since the 2012 season, MSUB’s men’s soccer team reaches as highly as No. 6 in the NCAA West Region rankings and is one of the top offenses in the region. BILLINGS, Mont. – Forty goals, eight all-conference players, and nine victories highlighted the 2016 Montana State University Billings men’s soccer season, as the 20th year of Yellowjacket soccer was one of the best to date both on and off the field. MSUB finished the season with a record of 9-6-3 overall, and wound up fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with 18 points and a record of 5-4-3. Among the notable moments throughout the season was a string of five consecutive shutouts and an eight-game unbeaten streak overall from Sept. 9 to Oct. 1. The ‘Jackets out-scored opponents 25-6 during the month-long hot streak, and solidified themselves as one of the top teams in the west region.
After a 1-0 home win over Seattle Pacific on Oct. 22 – the first victory over the Falcons since the 2008 season – the Yellowjackets captured a top-six spot in the NCAA Division II west region rankings. Road losses at No. 3 Simon Fraser and Western Washington stifled the team’s shot at grabbing a first-ever regional berth, but MSUB finished the year with a dominant 7-1 win over Saint Martin’s on Senior Day. The team was ranked No. 10 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America west region rankings. “We had set out before the season to do better than we did in 2015, and we narrowly achieved that,” said fourth-year head coach Alex Balog. “We ended the season with a little bittersweet feeling, because if we look at how the chips fell in our region, we could have extended our season a bit longer. However, this is going to motivate our players and coaching staff to come back in the spring and work harder than ever before. When this opportunity comes about again, we will be ready to seize it.”
Fourth-year head coach Alex Balog reviews pregame notes alongside Sebastien Easton. Balog piloted the team to its fourth-highest win total in program history.
The ‘Jackets set themselves up for a banner season early, defeating top west-region opponents Dixie State 1-0 on Sept. 9 and Cal Baptist 3-0 on Sept. 15. The team never endured more than two straight losses, and finished the year 8-2 overall at home. One area the ‘Jackets will look to shore up is their performance on the road, as the team went just 1-4-3 in contests away from Billings.
The win over the Red Storm came at the third annual Rimrock Classic, which was dedicated this season to the memory of Trevor Wildberger. MSUB’s Team IMPACT member Sebastien Easton performed the ceremonial kickoff to begin the event, as he continued to participate with the Yellowjackets for his third season. After leading the GNAC with 35 goals in 2015, the ‘Jackets added to the total and ranked tied for third in the entire west region with 40 goals this fall. The total was the third-best in program history, and the team’s 36 assists were second most in a season. “We are, and always will be, a program where playing offensive, attractive soccer is highlighted,” Balog said. “The way we recruit is based on that, how we train is based on that, and we believe that building out of the back and going forward on the ground is what our players enjoy doing.” Leading the way for MSUB all season long was senior forward Julien Dragomir, who captured GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors with a conference-best 12 goals in his first and only year with the ‘Jackets. Dragomir capped his season off with a hat trick on Senior Day, notching his third multi-goal performance of the season. Dragomir scored two goals in back-to-back games, achieving the feat at home against Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 15 and the following game against Concordia. The senior also had four assists on the year, and finished second in the GNAC with 28 points.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey for Julien, and for him to decide to come here and work his tail off like he has fills me with pride,” Balog commented on the transfer from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. “He is such a pleasant, kind, and polite guy, and it makes me happy that we created an environment in which he could thrive.” Dragomir was one of two first-team all-conference selections for the ‘Jackets, and was joined by fellow transfer and midfielder Flavio Colasanti. A native of Rome, Italy, Colasanti led the team with seven assists and was one of just two players to start all 18 games. A central midfielder, Colasanti scored one goal and was an integral part of facilitating MSUB’s high-octane offense through the entire season. MSUB’s other full-time starter was Oliver Posarelli, who also played all 18 matches and was a second-team all-GNAC pick as a center back. A true freshman from Verona, Italy, Posarelli led the team with 1,609 minutes played and scored three goals while anchoring the defense. Posarelli also picked up a GNAC Player of the Week award, and chipped in two assists while establishing himself as one of the top defenders in the league. “Oliver helped anchor the back line, and for him to do so in such a vocal fashion as a freshman has shown us what he is made of,” Balog said. “He is passionate and will give everything he has got for his team and teammates. The fact that he scored three times and had two assists as a center back is special.”
Senior Julien Dragomir led the GNAC with 12 goals in his first and only year with the ‘Jackets.
Playing directly in front of Posarelli and the back line was sophomore holding mid Guillaume Kremer, who took on an immediate leadership role as team captain in his first year with the ‘Jackets. Kremer started 16 matches and ranked second on the team with six assists, and also scored his first-career goal. One of the team’s most technically sound players, Kremer was responsible for distribution throughout the back and consistently bridged the gap in the middle of the field. He garnered honorable mention all-league recognition, and earned a GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honor as well. “When Guillaume became part of our starting lineup, we found someone in the middle of the field with technical and physical ability who became our regulator,” said Balog. “He makes our team tick like a clock, and his quiet leadership has inspired players around him.” Bolstering the attack were three more all-conference picks for the Yellowjackets, headlined by junior forward Ricardo Palomino. The junior scored six goals and added two assists in 14 games, and earned honorable mention all-GNAC. Adding to his 16-goal effort a year ago, Palomino now ranks No. 4 in MSUB history with 22 career goals entering his senior season next fall. Fellow honorable mention all-GNAC pick Thiago Novis was another big part of the offense, ranking third on the team with five goals and 13 points in his final season. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, native carried the team at times, scoring two goals in a 3-3 draw at Concordia on Sept. 24, and scoring two more in a 3-1 home win over Western Washington on Oct.
13. Novis finished his two-year stint with the ‘Jackets with nine career goals, and turned in three assists in his final game on Senior Day. While the ‘Jackets will lose seniors Novis and Dragomir, they’ll return the top-scoring freshman in the GNAC in JD Hauenstein. The Spokane Valley, Wash., forward made his presence known early in the year, scoring goals in four consecutive games from Sept. 11 to Sept. 22. Hauenstein also had three assists in his debut college season, and placed 12 of the 19 shots he took on target. “JD has turned out to be a threat up top, and is someone whose play is relentless, tireless, and passionate,” Balog said regarding the honorable mention all-GNAC freshman. “He has outstanding technical ability, and I foresee JD growing into a very dominant GNAC forward.” Though Hauenstein and Posarelli stood out as the top freshmen for the ‘Jackets, there were several other key contributors who were in their first year with the team. Ian Bream scored a pair of goals and had an assist in his freshman season, playing in 16 matches and earning one start. Left back Chad Triplett came on midway through the year, earning a starting role in seven matches and scoring his first collegiate goal this fall. Freshman JD Hauenstein scored four goals and had three assists in his debut season this fall.
“There were numerous occasions this past season where we played with five or six freshmen at the same time,” Balog said. “How that group came in and hit the ground running is very promising for the future of our program, and they have shown the rest of the freshman class that seeing the field on a regular basis in your first year is possible.” Despite strong efforts from the team’s younger players, injuries to key seniors significantly impacted the course of the season. Immediately after winning GNAC Player of the Week honors, senior all-conference goalkeeper Tom Lohmann was shelved for the rest of the year after playing just four matches. On the offensive side, all-conference forward Julian Toenges had his season cut short after scoring two goals and adding four assists in his first nine games. Three-year starter and senior center back Tom Saltwell was hampered by nagging injuries as well, but fifth-year senior Garret Robinson was another boost as a veteran leader within the back line. Robinson started 15 matches and wore the captain’s arm band at right back, while logging 1,163 minutes for the ‘Jackets. “The senior class that we have been honored to work with this season is a class that will be remembered at MSUB for many years to come,” Balog said. “I could not have been happier for them to finish their careers here in the fashion they did against Saint Martin’s. Just like our coaching staff, they are one of the reasons that this program has stood up again.” A wide array of returners provided experience and depth in every area of the team, as MSUB looks to return a talented senior class next fall. Returning from a season-ending knee injury last year, Niklas Schregel played his way to honorable mention all-league after scoring a pair of goals and playing in all 18 matches. Controlling the game as a central mid, one of the highlights of the season was Schregel’s game-winning goal against Seattle Pacific on Oct. 22.
Playing a complementary role next to Schregel was sophomore Adam Hepburn, who started five games and played in all 18 in his second year at MSUB. Hepburn recorded a pair of assists out of the midfield, which came in back-to-back games in mid-October. Captaining the defensive unit next to Posarelli in the back, Rhys Lambert started 16 matches and logged upwards of 1,400 minutes. In goal, junior Joe Scott started 14 games and held a goals-against average of 1.39 as the Yellowjackets’ stopper. Scott started his season with three straight shutouts, and totaled 40 saves on the year. Aidan Raj and Alexis Chavez each had promising stints in their first year as outside backs, and junior Eli Williams started 10 games and played in 15 in the same role. Another junior transfer, Victor Sanchez, played in a dozen games up front, while freshmen Ignacio Crespo and Callan Martin played in six and five games, respectively. Freshman Caleb VanBlankenstein saw time in four games as Scott’s backup in goal as well. “I’m in my sixth year here at MSUB, and we had big shoes to fill after Dan McNally’s departure,” Balog commented referring to the former head coach’s 11-5-2 record in his final year in the fall of 2012. “It is through the tireless work of associate head coach Thomas Chameraud, and assistant coaches Guido Riffeser, Kyle Emerick, and Fernando Perez that I feel we have been able to continue Dan’s legacy of excellence. What those four have done for the program is nothing short of unbelievable, and I want to thank them for contributing towards this successful season.” In addition to MSUB’s success on the field, the ‘Jackets were recognized with the NSCAA Team Academic Award, after turning in a collective grade point average north of 3.0 during the 2015-16 academic year. Three players – Robinson, Scott, and Lohmann – were named to the academic all-conference squad as well. “Apart from the results we achieved this past season, and our success in the classroom, I’m very pleased with how this team competed in one of the premier NCAA D2 conferences,” Balog said. “Our guys tackle the challenges associated with playing at this level with smiles on their faces, and it is their ability to do so that will mold them into men of character. At the end of the day, that’s the single most important thing here in our program.”