FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, September 29, 2015 MSUB women’s soccer kicks off 4-game road trip Thursday
The next four matches for the Yellowjackets are on the road, and MSUB will cross the Canadian border this week to face Simon Fraser University on Thursday in Burnaby, B.C. BILLINGS, Mont. – Undefeated in its last four matches and overall in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team will kick off a four-game road trip this week with contests against conference opponents Simon Fraser University and Saint Martin’s University. The Yellowjackets (4-1-2, 2-0-1 GNAC) are coming off four points at home last weekend, as they defeated Western Oregon University 2-1 in comeback fashion before battling Concordia University to a scoreless double-overtime draw at Yellowjacket Field. MSUB has conceded just two goals in its last four matches, while scoring six and beginning conference play with seven points to sit in second place behind Western Washington University (nine points). “Simon Fraser and Saint Martin’s are good teams, and we need to raise the level a little bit more on the road than at home,” commented MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “It’s always harder to play away, but we just have to come out with the same mentality. We definitely have good momentum going.”
Thursday’s contest against the Clan is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. Mountain time, with live video and statistics available for the match here. On Saturday, MSUB and SMU will kick off at 1 p.m. Mountain time and live statistics will be available to follow along here. “Simon Fraser is a great team, and we just need to play how we have been playing,” commented junior defender Lindsay Lucore. “We just have to put everything out on the field and we have to stay together as a team.” GRITTY COMEBACK: Facing a 1-0 deficit at halftime against Western Oregon, the Yellowjackets clawed their way back into the match thanks to a pair of second-half goals from sophomore Jessica Spang. The Skyview High School graduate is now tied for the GNAC lead in goals with five on the season, and she is the outright leader in total points with 12 as she also has two assists in seven matches. HAYLEY’S HELPING HAND: Both of Spang’s goals came on assists by Hayley Warren, who picked up her first two points of the season last Thursday against the Wolves. Warren helped create many scoring chances for the Yellowjackets over the weekend, winning multiple challenges in the attacking third and acting as a strong physical presence playing 60 minutes in each match. “Hayley and Jessica really linked up together very well on those two goals,” Krakowiak said regarding Spang’s goals against the Wolves. “It’s definitely challenging to get two goals in the second half, but it was a good overall team effort.”
Junior Hayley Warren.
DEFENSIVE EXCELLENCE: Though the Yellowjackets conceded 29 shots between their two matches last week, only seven total were on target. MSUB’s back line stifled numerous long-range attempts by both Western Oregon and Concordia, knocking away shots before any real threat of them reaching goal.
Senior captain Katlyn Lokay was once again at the center of MSUB’s defensive effort, winning crucial challenges in the defensive third in both matches and helping protect freshman goalkeeper Chloe Hopps. Lokay, Kari Kastelic, and Kienna Ogden each played all 200 minutes on the weekend defensively and each player was a major contributor. Kastelic and Lokay are the lone Yellowjackets to have played every minute of the season so far. “Katlyn is a solid player,” Krakowiak said. “You don’t really need to teach her much, and she really knows the game. She anticipates, sits back, and uses her strengths very well, and I know as a coach what to expect from Katlyn.” REINFORCEMENTS: Coming on early in both matches was freshman Sarah Coghlan, who played 75 minutes off the bench on Thursday and 97 minutes on Saturday in the overtime match. The Billings Senior High School graduate has seen action in all seven matches this season as a defender, and has also taken five shots placing two on target. Senior Teegan Koster played a major role in Saturday’s shutout as well, contributing 50 quality minutes in the defensive third for the Yellowjackets. Koster helped limit Concordia’s touches offensively, preventing several scoring opportunities from materializing into threats.
CLEAN SHEET: Hopps earned her second shutout of the season on Saturday, and she remained unbeaten on the year with a 4-0-1 record in goal. The freshman’s goals-against average of 0.73 ranks No. 4 in the GNAC, and she has made 10 saves while allowing four goals for a save percentage of .714. GREAT NUMBER 8: After playing 88 minutes against the Wolves on Thursday, senior Elizabeth Howard played the full 110 against the Cavaliers on Saturday. Howard had one of MSUB’s quality scoring chances against Concordia, firing a linedrive shot towards goal that carried just high in the 96th minute of the match. Howard has started all seven matches as a holding midfielder for the ‘Jackets, scoring and providing an assist while placing three of her nine shots on target. Freshman Chloe Hopps. SHOOTING FROM DISTANCE: Maintaining her status as team leader in shots on the year, junior midfielder Brittney Greenback had four more attempts to give her 17 on the season. Fellow junior Dana Lubieniecki has also been among team leaders in shots this season, placing five of her nine attempts on target for a shots-on-goal percentage of .556.
As a team the Yellowjackets are tied for fourth in the GNAC in goals (10) and points (25). MSUB’s goals-against average of 0.78 as a team is also fourth-best in the conference. Thursday, October 1 – Simon Fraser University Clan – 6 p.m. MTN 2015 Record: 3-1-2, 1-1-1 GNAC Head Coach: Annie Hamel, second season 2014 Record: 2-16, 2-12 GNAC A five-game unbeaten streak to start the season came to an end last weekend, when Simon Fraser fell at home to No. 5 Western Washington University 5-0. The Clan had conceded just one goal all season before Saturday’s match, and defeated Central Washington 1-0 after drawing Seattle Pacific 0-0 to start GNAC play. Thursday’s meeting between the Clan and Yellowjackets will mark the middle of a five-game homestand for SFU, which hosts Concordia University on Saturday and Saint Martin’s University next weekend. SFU is being led offensively this year by Christina Dickson, who has scored three goals and added an assist for seven points. Dickson has placed 11 of her 19 shots on target for a shots-on-goal percentage of .579. Allyson Dickson and Olivia Aguiar have scored the other two goals for SFU this year, as the Clan has had success in limiting opponents’ chances rather than outscoring them. Goalkeeper Priya Sandhu has been behind SFU’s strong defense this year, making 27 saves and collecting four shutouts while playing every minute of the season for the Clan. Starting every match as a true freshman on the defensive unit is Carli Grosso, who has teamed up with Mikela Fong and Teagan Rae Sorokan to help the Clan to a GNAC third-best 64 shots allowed on the season.
The Series: The Yellowjackets hold an alltime record of 9-3 against the only opponent from Canada they have ever played against. Last Time Out: MSUB won both matches last year, collecting a 3-0 victory at home on Oct. 30 after a 4-0 road win on Oct. 18. Then-senior Chelsea Shuman scored three goals and had two assists in MSUB’s matches against SFU, and Spang scored in the home win last October. Saturday, October 3 – Saint Martin’s University Saints – 1 p.m. MTN 2015 Record: 1-5, 0-2 GNAC Head Coach: Rob Walker, 9th season 2014 Record: 3-13-2, 2-10-1 GNAC Narrowly missing their first victory of the season last Saturday, the Saints conceded a goal in the final seven seconds before falling in overtime at home against Seattle Pacific University 2-1. The defeat came after a 3-0 loss at Western Washington, as SMU has started its GNAC schedule 0-2. Abby McFaul and Kelli Bannerman are leading the team this year in scoring with three goals apiece, and the former is also pacing the squad with a pair of assists. Bannerman, who was the 2013 GNAC Freshman of the Year, has started all six matches this year after missing a third of the season in 2014 with an injury. Brittany Orlosky, Carly Bannerman, and Hannah Frakes have each also scored for SMU, which has totaled nine goals offensively while allowing 13 on the defensive end. Sunny DeBoer has played the majority of minutes in goal for the Clan, starting five matches and making 25 saves for a save percentage of .714. Before Saturday’s match, SMU will take on Concordia University in Portland, Ore., at 7 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday. The Series: MSUB leads the alltime series between the teams 9-5 and there have been two draws in the 16 historic meetings. Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets collected a solid 2-0 home victory over SMU on Oct. 23, 2014 after the teams fought to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season in Lacey, Wash. Kastelic scored off of an assist by Howard in the road win, and Ashely Marra and Spang each had assists when the ‘Jackets beat the Saints at home last year. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--