Championship Preview: MSUB women's soccer back in GNAC tournament

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Championship Preview: MSUB women’s soccer back in GNAC tournament

For the second year in-a-row and third time in the last four seasons, MSUB’s women’s soccer team is headed to the GNAC Championships with a chance to claim a berth in the NCAA regionals.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Finishing in the top-four in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings for the second straight year and third time in the last four seasons, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team is bound for Burnaby, British Columbia and the 2015 GNAC Championships kicking off on Thursday.

The Yellowjackets finished the regular season with a record of 8-6-2 overall and a mark of 6-5-1 in GNAC play, and claimed the fourth and final berth into the conference tournament on the last day of the regular season. A 1-0 win over Central Washington pushed MSUB’s point total to 19 on the season, as the ‘Jackets finished one win ahead of fifth-place Simon Fraser and Central.

Facing top seed No. 2 Western Washington (16-1-1, 11-0-1 GNAC) in the first round on Thursday, the Yellowjackets and Vikings will kick off at 8 p.m. Mountain time at Terry Fox Field on the SFU campus. The match will immediately follow the other first round game, featuring No. 2 seed Concordia University (11-3-3, 8-2-2 GNAC) and No. 3 seed Seattle Pacific University (12-3-2, 7-3-2 GNAC).

“We know that Western is going to come out strong, and we just need to keep doing what we have been doing,” said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “The last four or five games have been very successful for us, and we had a good game against (WWU). We are definitely ready for them.”

The winners will advance to the championship game, scheduled for 2 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday. Tickets for the event are now available online here, and can be purchased at the main gate using cash only (U.S. and Canadian currency accepted). All games of the tournament will feature live video and statistics, available through the GNAC’s Stretch Internet portal here.

“The biggest thing in getting through to the tournament was the fact that we didn’t ever give up,” commented senior captain Katlyn Lokay. “We fought through every game, win, lose, or tie, and in the end it paid off. It’s really awesome to be going again my senior year, and it’s a good way to finish out my career here.”

CHAMPIONSHIP AFFAIRS: MSUB advanced to the GNAC title game in 2012, after defeating Seattle Pacific 1-0 in the semifinals. The Yellowjackets lost in the championship game 2-0 to Western Washington in the inaugural GNAC tournament. After missing the championships in 2013, MSUB returned in 2014 after finishing the regular season with a record of 11-3-2. The ‘Jackets again faced Seattle Pacific, this time falling 1-0 in the opening round.

TICKET TO THE NCAA TOURNEY: The winner of the GNAC Championships will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II West Region Championship tournament. Seattle Pacific has won the last two GNAC tournament titles, each time defeating Western Washington in penalty kick fashion to claim the crown.

TIP OF THE CAP TO CAPTAIN LOKAY: Finishing up one of the best four-year careers in MSUB history, senior Katlyn Lokay garnered GNAC Player of the Week honors on Monday and was named a first-team all-GNAC pick on Tuesday as she has played every minute of the season as a center back for MSUB. Lokay’s 6,332 minutes played in her career are fourth-most in MSUB history, and she has started all 69 matches that the Yellowjackets have played since her career began in 2012.

“Katlyn has been awesome, and a player like her doesn’t come around very often,” said Krakowiak. “She is an awesome player and person on and off the field, and she is definitely a true leader who is respected by her teammates.”

MSUB Women’s Soccer – Career Minutes Played Leaders Rk. Name Minutes Years 1.

Jennifer Larsen 6,569 2009-12 2.

Jaucelyn Richter 6,403 2009-12 3.

Megan Plank 6,377 2003-06 4.

Katlyn Lokay 6,332 2012-15 5.

Mandy Ploskanka 6,107 2005-08 6.

Carly Valentine 6,100 2007-10 7.

Ally Stroup 6,006 2003-06 8.

Kari Foreman 5,998 2007-10 9.

Sam Boehm 5,976 2006, 2008-10 10.

Abby Bennett 5,869 2004-07 PLAY THE WRIGHT WAY: Scoring one of the most important goals of the season, freshman Alycia Wright

Senior captain Katlyn Lokay.

tucked away her team-best sixth of the year in the 49th minute as her strike held up as the game-winner against the Wildcats. It was the fourth time this season Wright supplied a game-winning goal, as she started 13 matches and played in all 16 as a true freshman while covering 1,130 minutes.

“At halftime, Stephen asked us who was going to be the hero in that game,” Kastelic said of words of inspiration from MSUB assistant coach Stephen Cavallo. “We went out into the second half and within five minutes Alycia put away that beautiful goal and became that hero for us.”

MORE MENTIONABLES: Earning GNAC honorable mention honors were Kastelic, junior Dana Lubieniecki, sophomore Jessica Spang, and freshman Chloe Hopps.

Lubieniecki supplied her second assist of the season on Wright’s game-winner, and has started all 16 matches while playing 1,435 minutes and scoring two times.

Spang is second on the team with five goals, and leads the squad with five assists in her second season at MSUB. She has started every game and is one of five players to have played more than 1,400 minutes.

Part of a strong freshman core, Hopps earned her fifth shutout of the year against the Wildcats and has a goals-against average of 0.82. Defensively in front of her, freshmen Kienna Ogden and Sarah Coghlan have filled major roles, with the latter playing 1,404 minutes and starting a dozen matches in her first season.

Freshman Sarah Coghlan.

“If we play like we did against Central, stay focused, and work hard, then we can definitely go up against Western,” said Coghlan.

SENDING OFF THE SENIORS: While their careers are not over yet, MSUB’s four seniors were honored in a pregame ceremony before Saturday’s game in their final home match at Yellowjacket Field. Joining Lokay were Ashely Marra, Teegan Koster, and Elizabeth Howard, who were accompanied by family and friends as they were welcomed and thanked for their contributions.

Thursday, November 5 - #2 Western Washington University – 8 p.m. Mountain time 2015 Record: 16-1-1, 11-0-1 GNAC Head Coach: Travis Connell, 13th season 2014 Record: 16-1-4, 11-0-3 GNAC (1st place) Moving up to No. 2 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America top-25 rankings, the Vikings claimed the GNAC title and the top seed in the GNAC tournament for the fourth year in-a-row.

WWU has lost just once this season, falling at Humboldt State 2-1 in their second match of the season.

In the only meeting of the season between MSUB and WWU, the Vikings collected a 2-0 win in Bellingham, Wash., on Oct. 10. Ranked No. 3 at the time, WWU received goals from Elise Aylward and Emily Webster in the second half and shut out the Yellowjackets in the victory.

On the season, senior Catherine Miles leads the team with 10 goals and also has four assists for a team-best 24 points.

Gabriela Pelogi has also been a top scorer with eight goals and three assists, and Savanna Moorehouse leads the team in assists with nine. Aylward has six goals and one assist for WWU. Defensively, senior Delanee Nilles was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, having started all 18 matches and logged 1,552 minutes on the back line. She has also scored two goals and added three assists.

In goal, Ashley Haden has started 17 of 18 matches, holding a goals-against average of 0.43 and making 47 saves with seven shutouts.

As a team, the Vikings have outscored opponents 44-9 this season.

The Series: Against the Vikings alltime, MSUB is 3-16-2, and WWU has won the last eight meetings between the teams.

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