FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, September 21, 2016 SAAC Game of the Week Saturday highlights GNAC-opening weekend for MSUB women
MSUB’s women’s soccer team hosts Western Oregon University and Concordia University this weekend as GNAC play begins, and Saturday’s match is tabbed as the MSUB SAAC Game of the Week. BILLINGS, Mont. – Beginning its 12-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule at home this weekend, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team hosts a pair of league opponents at Yellowjacket Field. Western Oregon University (3-3, 0-1 GNAC) will visit MSUB on Thursday with a 2 p.m. kickoff scheduled, before Concordia University (6-0, 1-0 GNAC) heads to town on Saturday in a game that starts at noon. Both matches will feature live video and live statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. Saturday’s match against the Cavaliers is tabbed as the MSUB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Game of the Week, a new initiative put forth by MSUB’s student-athlete leadership group to help highlight each of the school’s 15 varsity teams throughout the year. With a goal of students supporting students through attending events on campus, all MSUB students are encouraged to attend the match and support the ‘Jackets for ‘Jackets program. It also falls on the weekend of the annual GNAC SAAC retreat hosted by MSUB, as student leaders from all 11 of the conference’s schools will be in Billings for official conference meetings.
The match will occur on Club Day, and youth players from Billings’ Magic City club teams and other club teams across the state will receive free admission to the match if they wear their club’s jersey. As part of the GNAC SAAC’s community engagement initiative, youth players will have a chance to meet student-athletes from all of the conference’s schools after the game and get autographs on the field. The Yellowjackets (0-4-1) are among the final teams to make their conference debut, as six of the nine GNAC schools have already played one league game. The ‘Jackets are coming off of a 3-1 loss to College of Idaho on Sunday, in the team’s lone game last week. “We are excited for our first conference games, and both of the teams we are playing have done well in the GNAC the last few years,” commented MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “It will be a good game against Western Oregon on Thursday, and we are working on getting prepared to face them.” WARREN WASTES LITTLE TIME: In her first game of the 2016 season after missing several weeks with an injury, senior Hayley Warren recorded her first career goal for the ‘Jackets on Sunday. After being fouled from behind on a run inside the box, Warren was awarded a penalty kick and tucked a low shot inside the right goal post. “It was really good to see the ball go into the back of the net,” Warren said. “Finally being able to put away a goal in my first game back really boosted my confidence.” FRESHMEN IN THE MIDDLE: Helping anchor the team as the three primary central midfielders this season, freshmen Claire Tevaseu, Mackenzie Breeden, and Alexa Iacolucci have seen plenty of minutes in their first year in the program. Breeden has played in all five matches – Freshman Amanda Hemmen has played every minute of starting one – and has had at least one shot in every game this year. the season at center back for the ‘Jackets. Tevaseu has logged 222 minutes in four starts as a holding midfielder, while Iacolucci has seen time at both attacking mid and holding mid. Starting all five games and playing 401 total minutes, Iacolucci enters the weekend tied for the No. 1 spot in the GNAC with 21 shots this season. The freshman has had a season-best seven shots in each of her last two games, and 12 of her 21 shots (57.1 percent) have landed on frame this year. “A center mid’s job is to get the ball, see the field, and distribute it well, and I think all three of us have been doing great,” Breeden commented on the trio. “When I’m in, I try to find Alexa with her left-footed shot, and going forward into GNAC I’ll try to keep doing that and take more shots myself.” KASTELIC LEADING BACK LINE: Having started all five games and playing every minute of the season, senior center back Kari Kastelic continues to anchor the defensive unit for the Yellowjackets. Playing next to her at center back is freshman Amanda Hemmen, who has matched Kastelic minute-for-minute with 473 through five starts. On the outside, freshmen Courteney Shovlin and Kalin Sandow have also started all five games and topped 400 minutes on the season. In goal behind the defensive unit, sophomore Lili Delgadillo ranks fourth in the GNAC in saves with 27 and is averaging 5.4 per game. TEAM FACTS AND FIGURES: As a team, MSUB has scored four goals this season and allowed 10, despite out-shooting opponents 71-68. MSUB has placed 33 of its shots on target for a shots-on-goal percentage of 46.5, and the team has won 16 corner kicks while allowing 25.
Thursday, September 22 – Western Oregon University Wolves – 2 PM 2016 Record: 3-3, 0-1 GNAC Head Coach: Steve Ancheta, 6th season 2015 Record: 8-8-1, 4-7-1 GNAC (7th) Starting off the season with a 3-3 record, the Wolves have split their most recent two matches heading into Thursday’s game. Opening their league schedule at No. 17 Western Washington on Saturday, WOU fell to WWU 2-0. Leading the team offensively this year is Taylor Higa, who has scored three goals and added an assist while starting all six games. Meli Cortez, and four-year starting midfielder Mariah Konyn are the other two goal scorers on the season for WOU. Despite scoring just five goals, the Wolves’ defense has held tough and allowed only seven in its first six matches. Senior defenders Allison Sprecher and Hailey Berg have led the back line, and junior Kai Mahuka has been a major factor with six starts as well. In goal, Caitlin Kastelic has started all six matches and holds a goals-against average of 1.17. She has made 47 saves on 104 shots faced, and holds a save percentage of 87.0 in 540 minutes in the net. The Series: MSUB leads the historic series 9-8, and there have been a pair of ties between the teams in the 19 total games played. Last Time Out: The ‘Jackets won both games against the Wolves last season, including a 2-1 victory at home on Sept. 24, and a 1-0 shutout win on the road in Monmouth, Ore., on Oct. 24. Junior Jessica Spang scored both goals in the home win last year, and was assisted by Warren both times. Saturday, September 24 – Concordia University (Ore.) – 12 PM 2016 Record: 6-0, 1-0 GNAC Head Coach: Grant Landy, 20th season 2015 Record: 11-4-3, 8-2-2 GNAC (2nd) Rolling to a 6-0 start this season, one of those victories included a 4-0 shutout win over Saint Martin’s University on Sept. 13 to start GNAC play. Behind 20-year coaching veteran Grant Landy, the Cavaliers won both of their games last week with a 5-3 result over Hawaii Pacific on Friday and a 3-1 win over Southern Oregon University on Saturday. CU will continue its GNAC schedule at home in Portland, Ore., on Thursday against Northwest Nazarene University, before traveling to Billings for Saturday’s game against the ‘Jackets. Featuring a balanced attack, seven different players have scored two goals, and two others have found the net once to account for CU’s 16 goals this season. Equally as impressive defensively, the Cavs have surrendered just four goals in their first six games of the year.
Sydney Van Steenberge and Gabrielle Ewing have each scored twice and provided two assists for CU, which ranks second in the league with 104 shots and is leading the conference in scoring overall. Defensively, senior Shannon McMahon and junior Martha Heaps captain the squad, with each having started all six matches. Three different goalkeepers have shared time between the posts, with veteran returner Olivia Brock leading the team to four shutouts. She has not allowed a goal in 257 minutes played, making eight saves and holding a perfect record of 3-0. The Series: The Cavaliers hold a 1-0-1 record against the ‘Jackets in the all-time series, which began last season. Last Time Out: The teams played to a scoreless, double-overtime draw in Billings on Sept. 26, and the Cavaliers won another double-overtime bout, 1-0, in Portland on Oct. 22.
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