MSUB Women's Soccer recap 9/26/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, September 26, 2015 ‘Jackets draw Cavaliers 0-0 in double overtime Saturday

Neither team finds the back of the net as MSU Billings and Concordia battle to a scoreless double overtime draw in a GNAC match Saturday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Despite plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides – a total of 29 shots in the match – the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team battled visiting Concordia University (Ore.) to a scoreless double-overtime draw on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match at Yellowjacket Field.

MSUB (4-1-2, 2-0-1 GNAC) had 11 shots on the match and placed five on target, while CU (4-1-2, 1-0-1 GNAC) had 18 shots and four on frame.

“In our conference every game is tough, and every team is going to give you a game,” commented MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “We created some chances and Concordia created some chances, but at the end of the day nobody scored. This was a very evenly matched game and it was a tough battle for both teams.”

Anchoring MSUB’s back line in the shutout effort were senior Katlyn Lokay and junior Kari Kastelic, as both played 110 minutes as the team’s center backs.

“Kari and Katlyn did a really good job in the back,” Krakowiak said. “They held the back four, won a lot of balls in the air, and they helped keep us in the game. They made good decisions on and off the ball.”

Yellowjacket goalkeeper Chloe Hopps earned her second shutout of the season, making four big saves and securing several difficult through balls to keep the game scoreless. For CU goalkeeper Olivia Brock, it was the third shutout of the season, as she made five saves in protecting the Cavaliers’ net.

“Chloe did a good job, and saved all of the ones she had to save,” Krakowiak said.

The Yellowjackets held tough defensively through seven corner kicks by the Cavaliers throughout the match, while MSUB earned a pair of its own on the offensive end.

“Today we were all definitely confident in each other, and I think it was a solid result,” Lokay commented.

Also playing every minute defensively was freshman Kienna Ogden, who has assumed a role as one of MSUB’s outside backs this season. Fellow freshman Sarah Coghlan also contributed heavily with 97 minutes played in the game.

“I am proud of everyone that we held them to a shutout,” said Kastelic. “The whole team defended together, and Chloe, Katlyn, Kienna and Sarah along the back line were very strong on their tackles and winning air balls.”

Ashely Marra won a challenge and played a cross into the box three minutes into the match, but Brock secured it before it reached MSUB’s attackers.

Shannon McMahon played a dangerous cross into the box from 35 yards out on the right side of the field five minutes into the match, but MSUB’s back line was able to knock it away among a crowd of players inside the six-yard box.

Lokay was on the defensive end of several crucial challenges early in the match, knocking a ball out of danger as the last defender and stifling CU’s attack.

The Cavaliers attacked often in the opening 15 minutes of the match, but the Yellowjackets did well defensively to knock down the shots from long range before they reached Hopps in goal.

Alicia Alarcon had a dangerous breakaway into the box midway through, but her attempt missed wide as the ‘Jackets dodged a bullet.

With 16 minutes remaining before the break, Hayley Warren created a quality scoring chance outside the box. It took a sliding tackle from CU’s Ana Delgadillo to prevent a shot, as the Cavaliers knocked the ball out of danger.

The teams possessed the ball evenly over the final 15 minutes of the first half, and neither side scored as the line read 00 at the break.

Opening the second half with a deep free kick, McMahon drove a shot towards goal from 45 yards out that carried just high over the crossbar.

Hopps twice secured dangerous balls into her box in the span of five minutes, coming off of her line early on in the second to prevent good scoring chances for the Cavaliers.

Preventing a shot directly following a free kick, Ogden had a strong sliding tackle inside MSUB’s 18-yard box to knock the ball away from CU’s Bobbi Eckler midway through the second half.

With 17 minutes remaining, Jessica Spang and Dana Lubieniecki connected in the attacking third and moved the ball towards the box. Lubieniecki’s through ball was received by Warren, but her strike from 10 yards out missed wide of the goal frame.

With less than five minutes remaining, Hopps again came off of her line strongly to snag a through ball before CU’s attackers could run onto it.

Senior Teegan Koster contributed quality time off of the bench in the match, slotting into MSUB’s midfield for 50 minutes and helping limit CU’s chances.

Both teams had opportunities in the overtime periods, with CU creating five shots and MSUB totaling three. Eckler had the best chance to win the game for CU in the second OT period, but her hard, low shot from the right side of the box skimmed past the far post and out for a goal kick.

THE BUZZ: MSUB is now undefeated over its last four matches, and has allowed just two goals during that timespan…Lokay earned St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game honors for her gritty physical effort defensively…Warren and Brittney Greenback tied for the team lead in shots for MSUB with three apiece…Saturday’s meeting was the first-ever between MSUB and CU, which is in its inaugural campaign as a member of the GNAC. “Having seven points going into two weeks in a row of road trips is definitely strong for us,” Lokay said.

COMING UP: The Yellowjackets kick off a four-game road trip next week as they cross the Canadian border to face Simon Fraser University on Oct. 1 with a 6 p.m. Mountain time kickoff. MSUB will remain out west to face Saint Martin’s two days later, and will hit the road again the following weekend to challenge Northwest Nazarene and Western Washington.

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