FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, October 11, 2016 MSUB Kicks Cancer Day highlights home weekend for Yellowjacket women
MSUB’s women’s soccer team hosts a pair of GNAC opponents this weekend in Seattle Pacific and Central Washington, with Saturday’s match being featured as MSUB Kicks Cancer Day at Yellowjacket Field. BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming off of a dramatic, overtime victory on the road last week, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team returns to Yellowjacket Field to host two more Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents this weekend. The ‘Jackets will host Seattle Pacific University on Thursday with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff, before welcoming in Central Washington University on Saturday for a 1 p.m. start. Both matches will feature live video and live statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. On Saturday, MSUB’s players will warm up wearing pink as the afternoon doubleheader in conjunction with the Yellowjacket men’s soccer team will be tabbed as MSUB Kicks Cancer day. In an annual tradition, the matches will focus on cancer awareness and supporting the fight against cancer.
MSUB (3-6-2, 3-2-1 GNAC) split a pair of road games last week, falling to No. 5 Western Washington 3-0 on Thursday before coming from behind to beat Simon Fraser 2-1 on Saturday. With six matches remaining on the regular-season schedule, MSUB is among a tight pack of leaders in the GNAC standings, with 10 points to sit in fifth place. Concordia University and SPU are each tied for third place with 11 points, while SFU is one point behind MSUB at nine. Overall, six teams are still in the mix to fight for the league’s four berths into the GNAC Championships. “We haven’t seen SPU yet, but we know their style and how they’re going to play,” said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “We just need to come out the same way we came out against Simon, and go for the win.” WOLFE’S FIRST GOAL A WINNER: Scoring her first goal of the season, junior Kylee Wolfe made her finish against the Clan count as the game-winner in overtime on Saturday. The Yellowjackets looked on in suspense as her strike from the top of the box glanced off of the far post before rolling into the net and ending the game. “I saw Jordan dribbling the ball up the field and I was wide open on the far side so I was calling for the ball,” senior Dana Lubieniecki commented on the goal. “I couldn’t tell if her shot was going in or not from my angle, but it hit the post and bounced right into the back of the net which was awesome.” Playing a season-high 88 minutes in the match, Wolfe continued her theme of being efficient with her shots. Though she has taken just 13 on the season, seven of them have been on target for a shots-on-goal percentage of 53.8. CAREER FIRST FOR LUBIENIECKI: Scoring her seventh career goal and adding her sixth career assist in the win for MSUB, it was the first time in Lubieniecki’s four years that she had both in the same game. Putting together the best offensive season of her career, Lubieniecki leads the team with four goals, and is tied for eighth in the GNAC with 10 total points. DELGADILLO NOTCHES CAREER HIGH: Facing the most shots in a single game of her career with 24 on Saturday, sophomore Lili Junior Kylee Wolfe’s first goal as a Yellowjacket counted as Delgadillo did her part in helping the Yellowjackets to the overtime the game winner in a 2-1 OT win over Simon Fraser. win. She made a career-high nine saves, two days after denying eight shots at Western Washington for a total of 17 stops on the weekend. Her saves total of 60 ranks third in the GNAC, as does her average of 5.45 saves per game. HEMMEN, KASTELIC KEEP STREAKS ALIVE: Playing all 185 minutes on the back line for the ‘Jackets last week, freshman Amanda Hemmen and senior Kari Kastelic kept their season-long streak of playing every minute intact. Their minute total of 1,038 ranks fourth in the GNAC among field players, and outside backs Kalin Sandow (968 minutes) and Courteney Shovlin (999 minutes) have been crucial on the defensive side of the ball as well. “Having Kari has really helped, and Courteney and Kalin both understand the center back role really well,” Hemmen commented on adjusting to her position at the college level. “My relationship with (holding mid) Claire Tevaseu has helped because we played club together, so I know how she plays and we can connect passes really well.”
MIXING IN THE MIDFIELD: Freshman Claire Tevaseu played her third complete game in the last four matches with 95 minutes against the Clan, as she has found her home at holding midfielder in front of the back line. Fellow freshmen Alexa Iacolucci and Mackenzie Breeden have slotted into the midfield as well, and the return of sophomore Bailey Griglio has provided the ‘Jackets with a boost off of the bench. Junior Jessica Spang has been a rock this year, starting all 11 matches and racking up 993 minutes with one goal scored. Sophomore Jordan Devoto has also been an effective part of the offense, as she facilitated the game-winning goal against SFU with the initial pass to Lubieniecki. Devoto has scored twice and added an assist while playing in all 11 matches. COMEBACK EFFORT/OT WARRIORS: The come-from-behind win over the Clan marked the second time this season the ‘Jackets have rallied to win a game that they trailed at halftime. Both instances have occurred on the road this season, as MSUB also defeated Northwest Nazarene 2-1 in Nampa, Idaho on Sept. 29 with a game-winner from Alycia Wright. Six of the team’s 11 games this year have been decided by one goal or resulted in a draw, with four of those matches going to overtime. The OT win over the Clan was the first golden goal triumph of the year, as the ‘Jackets had previously lost to Western State Colorado 1-0, and drawn the University of Mary 2-2 and Concordia University 0-0. Thursday, October 13 – Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 12:30 PM Yellowjacket Field | Billings, MT 2016 Record: 6-2-3, 3-1-2 GNAC Head Coach: Arby Busey, 2nd season 2015 Record: 14-5-2, 7-3-2 GNAC (3rd) The Falcons enter Thursday’s match after consecutive draws last week, and the team is currently one point ahead of MSUB in the league standings with 11 total. SPU battled Central Washington University to a 1-1, double-overtime draw on Oct. 4, before playing Concordia University to a draw by the same score at home on Oct. 6. The team is led by reigning GNAC Player of the Year Hannah Huesers, who has scored six goals and added one assist for 13 points. Maddie Krauss has contributed three goals for the Falcons, while Kasey Reeve and Megan Moore have each scored two of the team’s 17 goals. Simone Herzberg has a team-best three assists, despite starting just 3 of 11 matches and playing 502 minutes. Krauss is one of three four-year veterans who patrol the midfield for SPU, as she is joined by Emma Holm and Haley Ayers. In goal, junior Molly Stinson has started all 11 matches and has two shutouts on the season. She has made 52 saves while allowing just eight goals, holding a goals-against average of 0.69. The Series: The Falcons hold a 17-4-1 all-time advantage in the series against the Yellowjackets. Last Time Out: SPU won the only meeting between the teams last year, securing a 1-0 win in Billings on Oct. 15, 2015. MSUB last defeated SPU in a 2-1, come-from-behind win on Sept. 27, 2014 at home.
Saturday, October 15 – Central Washington University Wildcats – 1 PM Yellowjacket Field | Billings, MT | MSUB Kicks Cancer Day 2016 Record: 9-2-1, 4-1-1 GNAC Head Coach: Michael Farrand, 17th season 2015 Record: 7-9-1, 5-6-1 (6th) The ‘Cats enter this week on a roll, having not lost in their last five matches and picking up four wins since Sept. 24. Last week, CWU played Seattle Pacific to a 1-1 draw, before going on the road to hand Western Oregon University a 3-1 defeat. Keilin Farrand, who picked up GNAC Player of the Week honors, is leading the team with 12 points including four goals and four assists. Mackenzie Nolte has matched Farrand’s goals total with four, and 13 different players have combined to score the team’s 22 goals. Allie Bohnett and Abby Litka continue to be anchors defensively, with Bohnett starting every match and playing 1,000 minutes so far. In goal, Emily Holt has started all 12 games, and holds a goals-against average of 0.75 with 58 saves and five shutouts. As a team the Wildcats rank third in the GNAC with 22 goals and 59 total points. CWU is also tied for fourth in goals allowed with nine, and its five shutouts are also fourth-most in the league. The Series: CWU is 12-11-1 against MSUB in a very evenly-matched historic series. Last Time Out: The ‘Jackets were shut out 3-0 in Ellensburg on Oct. 1, as Lexsi Manning, Bailey Martoncik, and Whitney Lowe each scored in the teams’ first meeting of the year.