2004 Women’s Soccer Wrap Up
Record Breaking Season Culminates with Regional Ranking for Lady Jackets

BILLINGS, MT – The 2004 season was a record breaker for the Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team.  The Yellowjackets finished with a 12-4-3 overall record and were ranked tenth in the Far West Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Much of the women’s soccer record book was rewritten in 2004.  In all, the Yellowjackets set 14 new team school records, and players from the 2004 squad are listed in the individual record book a combined 32 times for game, season and career records.

Since the program started in 1996, the Yellowjackets have never had fewer than nine losses in a season.  The 2004 Lady Jackets didn’t suffer their first loss until September 22 when they fell at fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific.  Leading up to the Seattle trip, the Yellowjackets posted a school-record seven game unbeaten streak.  They started 6-0-1 and outscored their first seven opponents by a combined score of 24-7.

Following three losses in Washington to three ranked opponents—Seattle Pacific, Seattle and Western Washington—the Yellowjackets rebounded with a four-game winning streak.  MSUB rolled up wins against Minnesota-Crookston, Northern State, Jamestown and Grand Canyon, posting three shutouts in four games.

The Jackets’ final loss of the season came at Division I Boise State, where they were shutout 2-0.  They closed the season with a four-game unbeaten streak, with two wins and two ties.  One of the ties came at Rocky Mountain College in the second game of the Third Annual Rimrock Cup.  Combined with the Jackets’ 7-2 route of the Bears earlier in the year, MSU Billings brought home the Cup for the first time in three years.

MSU Billings set new team records in 2004 for points, goals and assists.  The Yellowjackets’ 124 points broke the old school record by 20.  They scored 45 goals (old record was 38) and had 34 assists (28).  Thirteen different players accounted for those 45 goals, and ten different players had at least one assist.

Despite the fact that scoring came from so many different players, two Yellowjackets had remarkable seasons offensively.  Margot Merrill-Johnson, a senior from Salt Lake City, capped an impressive career by setting new single-season school records with 28 points and 11 goals.  She finished her career as the all-time career scoring leader with 71 points.  For her excellence on the field and in the classroom, Merrill-Johnson was named a first team ESPN Academic All-American.  She became just the second Academic All-American in school history.

Ally Taylor, a sophomore from Ojai, CA, was close behind Merrill-Johnson for the team scoring lead.  She netted eight goals with a team-leading eight assists for 24 points.  The 24 points placed her third in the school record book for points in a season and moved her to third in school history for career points at 45.

While the offense was busy setting records, the Yellowjacket defense was making history of its own.  In 19 games, MSU Billings allowed only 22 goals, the fewest allowed in any season.  The Jackets’ team 1.08 goals against average also set a school record, breaking the old one by 0.37 goals per game.

Goalkeeper Megan Plank, a sophomore from Phoenix, AZ, was in goal for all 1836:51 of the 2004 season.  Her 1.03 goals against average set a school record, breaking the record she set as a freshman.  (Plank’s GAA is lower than the team’s because Alyssa Wolfer allowed one goal on a non-timed penalty kick.)

The Yellowjackets will have to replace five graduated seniors for the 2005 season.  Merrill-Johnson and team captain Candy Cherry of Missoula, MT sit tied atop the games played record list at 70 apiece.  They each played in and started every game of their college careers.

Also graduating will be Stephanie Clark (Tualatin, OR), Megan Beckstead (Salt Lake City) and Laura Trinkle (Westminster, CO).  Clark started 56 games as a Yellowjacket and ranks seventh in school history for points scored with 16.  Beckstead started every game in her two seasons at MSU Billings.

Including Taylor, MSU Billings will return seven players in 2005 who scored at least one goal in 2004.  Alyssa Wolfer (So., Longmont, CO) was third on the team with six goals and 15 points.  Brittney Sandau (Fr., Billings, MT) and Abby Bennett (Fr., Livingston, MT) each scored three goals.  Sandau was also second on the team with six assists.  Jenny Moellendorf (So., Green River, WY) and Kelsey Vinnedge (So., Great Falls, MT) scored two goals apiece.  Freshmen Amy Stephens (Colorado Springs, CO) and Vanessa Edwards (Kent, WA) each scored a goal.

2004 Yellowjacket Team Single Game Records
19 points vs. Rocky Mountain (4^th in school history)
7 goals vs. Rocky Mountain (3^rd)
5 goals vs. Jamestown (t-5^th)
5 goals vs. Central Washington (t-5^th)
5 assists vs. Rocky Mountain (t-3^rd)
5 assists vs. Central Washington (t-3^rd)
+5 margin of victory vs. Jamestown (t-4^th)
+5 margin of victory vs. Rocky Mountain (t-4^th)
:32 time elapsed between goals vs. Rocky Mountain (1^st)

2004 Yellowjacket Team Season Records
124 points (1^st in school history)
45 goals (1^st)
34 assists (1^st)
2.20 goals per game (2^nd)
5 shutouts (2^nd)
1.08 goals against average (1^st)
22 goals allowed (1^st)
220:02 consecutive shutout minutes (3^rd)
12 wins (1^st)
7 game unbeaten streak (1^st)
two 4 game unbeaten streaks (t-3^rd)
10 game home unbeaten streak (1^st)
4 game road unbeaten streak (1^st)
4 consecutive wins (2^nd)
9 consecutive home wins (1^st)
4 consecutive road wins (1^st)
.711 win/loss/tie percentage (1^st)
+6.0 improved win/loss/tie record (1^st)

2004 Yellowjacket Individual Single Season Records

28 points – Margot Merrill-Johnson (1^st in school history)
24 points – Ally Taylor (3^rd)
11 goals – Margot Merrill-Johnson (1^st)
3 game winning goals – Margot Merrill-Johnson (t-2^nd)
3 game winning goals – Alyssa Wolfer (t-2^nd)
8 assists – Ally Taylor (1^st)
6 assists – Margot Merrill-Johnson (t-4^th)
6 assists – Brittney Sandau (t-4^th)
5 shutouts – Megan Plank (2^nd)
1.03 goals against average – Megan Plank (1^st)
18:36:51 minutes in goal – Megan Plank (1^st)
220:02 consecutive shutout minutes – Megan Plank (3^rd)
204:06 consecutive shutout minutes – Megan Plank (5^th)

2004 Yellowjacket Individual Career Records
71 points – Margot Merrill-Johnson (1^st in school history)
45 points – Ally Taylor (3^rd)
16 points – Stephanie Clark (t-7^th)
15 points – Alyssa Wolfer (9^th)
13 points – Candy Cherry (10^th)
12 points – Brittney Sandau (t-11^th)
30 goals – Margot Merrill-Johnson (2^nd)
15 goals – Ally Taylor (3^rd)
11 game winning goals – Margot Merrill-Johnson (1^st)
15 assists – Ally Taylor (1^st)
11 assists – Margot Merrill-Johnson (3^rd)

6 assists – Brittney Sandau (t-6^th)
191 saves – Megan Plank (2^nd)
1.07 goals against average – Megan Plank (1^st)
2932:55 minutes in goal – Megan Plank (2^nd)
70 games played – Candy Cherry (t-1^st)
70 games played – Margot Merrill-Johnson (t-1^st)
70 games started – Candy Cherry (t-1^st)
70 games started – Margot Merrill-Johnson (t-1^st)