MSUB Women's Soccer Week 1 Preview

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Yellowjacket women open regular season at home Thursday

MSUB’s women’s soccer team kicks off its 2015 regular season with a home contest against Carroll College on Thursday, before traveling to Bismarck, N.D. to challenge the University of Mary on Saturday.

BILLINGS, Mont. – After wrapping up its preseason last week, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team will open its 2015 season with a home match against Carroll College on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field.

The Yellowjackets will then travel to Bismarck, N.D. to take on the University of Mary on Saturday at noon Mountain time. Both matches will feature live video and statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal.

“I think we had a pretty good preseason, and we worked on some different things in our scrimmages,” said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “Our team is really clicking, they understand our system and how to execute. That really showed in the three scrimmages that we played.”

Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the Yellowjackets finished second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2014 with an overall record of 11-4-2 and a mark of 9-3-2 in conference play. MSUB advanced to the GNAC Championships for the second time in three seasons, and is poised for another strong regular season campaign in 2015.

“So far, everyone is getting along great and it has been a really big family environment,” said junior transfer Hayley Warren, a forward on this year’s team. “The whole team has been really welcoming and I feel like I fit in really well here.”

Against Carroll College, MSUB holds an alltime record of 10-8 with the last meeting between the teams coming on Sept.

19, 2008. So far this season, the Saints are 1-1 with a 1-0 win over Mount Royal University on Aug. 20 and a 1-0 loss to the University of Calgary on Aug. 22.

“I feel like right away we have clicked and have played really well together,” commented sophomore Jessica Spang. “I am excited to see how the game against Carroll goes. Our first few scrimmages we had we did well, and I am just excited to grow.”

Saturday’s game will be the second of the season for MSUB and the opener for Mary, the latter collecting a 1-0 exhibition victory over the University of North Dakota on the road on Aug. 18. In 21 total meetings between the two teams, each has won 10 and there has been one tie. MSUB won the last meeting between the teams, a 2-1 victory on Sept. 5, 2014 in Bismarck.

Sophomore Jessica Spang.

“We are looking really good, a lot of the freshmen came in really fit and have been working hard,” said senior midfielder Ashely Marra. “The GNAC is one of the hardest conferences and we just need to be on top of it every single game and practice.”

Thursday, September 3 – Carroll College – 3 p.m.

2015 Record: 1-1 Head Coach: Dave Thorvilson, 7th season 2014 Record: 13-3 The Saints are stacked with 11 seniors on their roster, as many key players from last season’s 13-3 squad return to the purple and gold.

Senior forward Lexi Pyette has already found the net once for CC, and junior goalkeeper Jamie Carter has started both games and played every minute of the young season for the Saints.

The Series: This will be the first time the teams have met since an exhibition game in 2013 which the ‘Jackets won 3-0.

Saturday, September 5 – at University of Mary – 1 p.m.

2015 Record: 0-0 Head Coach: Sarah Cook, 4th season 2014 Record: 6-8-4 Yet to play a game in the 2015 season, Mary will turn to returner Michelle McGeary who scored five goals and added three assists for a team-best 13 points last year. She is the lone returner who scored multiple times during 2014, as she started all 18 matches and played 1,571 minutes.

The Marauders also lost goalkeeper Shelby Buttron, who started 16 matches while making 95 saves in more than 1,400 minutes on the pitch.

As a squad Mary was outscored 28-22 last season, allowing 16.28 shots per game while averaging 11.61 on the offensive end.

The Series: The Yellowjackets have won the last two meetings between the teams in an overall very even alltime series.

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