2005 Men’s Soccer Wrap Up

BILLINGS, MT – A new coach, a new system, a new schedule, and several new players in 2005 marked what the Montana State-Billings men’ soccer program hopes is a new beginning.  The Yellowjackets finished the 2005 season with a 5-13-0 record, but first year coach Dan McNally took several positives away from the season.

“My biggest positive was everything that happened off the field,” said McNally.  “I think great strides were also made on the field.  Next year we’re returning 19 players, and 12 to 14 of those players are well experienced because they all got a lot of playing time this year.  So next year, instead of having players out there that are completely new to the experience, I can draw on a lot of experience from within the established squad.”

The Yellowjackets entered the 2005 season having graduated players who accounted for 75 percent of the team’s goals in 2004.  McNally knew going into 2005 that the Yellowjackets could have offensive struggles, so the focus during his first season as a head coach was to teach defense.

The Yellowjackets posted their best defensive season in the program’s history, allowing just 33 goals in 18 games.  The 1.81 goals against average broke a school record that dated back to 2001.  The 2005 Yellowjackets also tied the school record for shutouts with three.  While victories were still scarce, McNally believes his approach is the start of building a successful program.

“When I first got to preseason, it was my first time working with that group of players, which obviously makes it difficult for everyone,” said McNally.  “My honest first impressions were that it was going to be a difficult year.  We didn’t return many goal scorers or players that could have an impact offensively.  I saw that very early on.  From the year before we graduated Thomas Pertuit, our leading goal scorer, and Robbie Thimm, our leading assists man.  I think we only returned six goals from the 2004 team.  It was obvious early that scoring goals was going to be a problem for us.”

McNally’s early assessment of his team’s strengths and weaknesses proved prophetic.  The Yellowjackets found the net just 20 times in the 18 games for a goals per game average of 1.09.  As the defense did its part to keep the Jackets in most games, the offense struggled to find an identity all season.

Despite having five senior starters, the Yellowjackets were still a relatively young team in 2005.  McNally had 11 freshmen and four sophomores on the roster, leaving him with what he believes is a solid foundation on which to build in 2006 and 2007.  The losses to graduation include goalkeepers Jess Feldtman and Yacine Zerizef, defender Pat Boltz, and forwards Marcus Riley and Jesse Spann.

Eleven players who saw action in at least 15 games in 2005 will be back for the Yellowjackets in 2006.  With that experience and the defensive success the Yellowjackets had in 2005, McNally is optimistic for the future.

“We had a lot of freshmen this season and it took them about a month to get used to college soccer,” he said.  “That was kind of a problem because half the squad was freshmen.  As a result, the team that started the first game was vastly different than the team that started the last game.  I think you can say that’s a positive.  By the end we started five freshmen in the last game of the season.

“A big positive from the season was the freshmen.  Players such as Brian Huskey and Jay Dougan both matured into good, solid Division II field players, which is a big bonus for the squad going into next year.  A player such as Jurell Linford, who came completely raw to soccer at this level and was very nervous early in the season, was one of our best offensive weapons by the end of the season.”

The young Yellowjacket team learned its collegiate lessons with a tough schedule.  MSU Billings played 13 of its 18 games outside the state of Montana, including the first seven games of the season.  The Jackets didn’t play a home match until September 21 and four of their five home games came during a nine-day stretch in October.

“We had a tough schedule with a lot of road games,” said McNally.  “We opened the season at Colorado Mines and Metro State.  It was a tough start to the season on the road in the heat of Colorado against two teams that were around the top 25 in the nation all year.  Against Metro we were outstanding although we lost 2-1.  I thought we defended very well.  We were organized and worked very hard.  We just lacked the offensive ability to break down the opposition, which is basically what happened all season.

“We played well at the Westminster Tournament the following week.  We lost 3-2 in overtime to Monterey Bay after we were winning, then we lost 3-2 to Colorado Springs after leading 2-0.  We were playing really well.  We changed the system a little for the Westminster game and we beat Westminster 2-1 for our first win.  At that point we were 1-4, but we felt we were making strides.”

Following the two long road trips to open the season, the Yellowjackets made the drive to Bismarck, ND, to face Sioux Falls and University of Mary.  After a 5-3 loss to Sioux Falls in which MSUB gave up a 3-0 lead in the second half, the Jackets defeated Mary 4-1 on the Marauders’ home field.  Winners of two of their last three games, the Yellowjackets prepared for their home opener against nationally-ranked Incarnate Word.

“At that point we were 2-5, but I think the morale of the team had improved,” McNally said.  “In the preseason when anything went wrong everyone’s head went down and there was kind of a culture of blaming each other for the problem.  That’s a result of the program never having had a winning season.  I think the Mary game changed that, not necessarily in the results, but the atmosphere of the team was much more positive.

“Against Incarnate Word in our home opener we were excellent against a team that eventually made the national tournament.  They were ranked in the top 15 in the country by the end of the season.  We played great; it was 0-0 at halftime and we had some early chances.  In the second half their quality took control of the game and they scored.  But even at the end of the game I felt we had a chance to get back in the game.  That was one of our best performances of the year.”

A tough three-game road trip to Texas followed the Jackets’ only September home date.  They fell 4-1 to Trinity, the third-ranked team in Division III.  Losses to Heartland Conference foes St. Edward’s and St. Mary’s followed to drop the Yellowjackets to 2-9.

“We went down to Texas in the middle of Hurricane Rita,” said McNally with a laugh.  “Trinity was probably the best team we played all year.  The two most disappointing games of the year followed that at St. Edward’s and St. Mary’s.  We lost both games 2-0, but I didn’t think we should have lost either of those games.  But those games signified our whole year.  We were defensively solid and organized, but we just lacked the ability to break down the opposition.”

Between October 1 and October 9 the Yellowjackets played four-straight home games.  They recorded 1-0 victories against Colorado Christian and Dallas Baptist to start the home stand, marking the first back-to-back wins since the 2003 season.  The Jackets then dropped two heartbreakers, 1-0 to Regis and 2-1 to Colorado State-Pueblo in overtime, to fall to 4-11.

“The thing I’m most proud of was after every setback we had we never folded,” said McNally.  “That was the key thing.  We came back and won two games back-to-back for the first time in a few years.  We beat Colorado Christian and Dallas Baptist, and they were good wins for us.”

MSU Billings closed the season with three games in Phoenix.  A pair of 1-0- losses to Embry-Riddle and Grand Canyon were sandwiched around a 2-0 win against Humboldt State. 

“Our best performance of the year came against Humboldt State,” said McNally.  “That was kind of a look at the future of the program.  I made quite a few changes to the game.  We started quite a few freshmen and two freshmen scored in Brian Huskey and Jay Dougan.  That’s the way forward for the program.”

With the performance of the younger players over the final weeks of the season, McNally sees hope for 2006.  The Yellowjackets will still have holes to fill.  Goalkeeper Jess Feldtman graduates after starting the last two years.  Leading scorer Dustin Kono also graduates.  He scored seven goals this season, including a school-record scoring streak of five games.  But McNally believes his returning players and a few recruits will have the Jackets on the road to the program’s first winning season.

“The big positive for me is the overall attitude of the squad going into next year,” said McNally.  “All the freshmen and all the returning players now realize what it’s about to be part of a quality Division II program.  They know dedication to the out of season fitness is going to be important.  They understand how to behave on the road.  They understand how important it is to be a solid representation of the department.  On the field you don’t see those results right now, but down the line you will.”

McNally concluded, “Definitely one person who deserves attention for the past season is Jess Feldtman, a senior goalkeeper who had an outstanding year.  He was a big part in our only conceding 33 goals, and he was a very reliable character both on and off the field.  He led the team by example and he had an excellent season.  Greg McKeever, our left wingback, will be a junior next season.  He’s going to be a team captain.  He had an excellent season and I think he’s someone who can lead us for the next two years.  Obviously Dustin Kono had a very good season.  He led us in goals and overall points.  He led the line at times without too much service and he did a good job for us.”

Team Records set in 2005

• 1.81 goals against average (1^st)
• 0.16 shutout percentage (T-1^st)
• 3 shutouts (T-1^st)
• 4 goals vs. Mary (T-6^th)

Individual Single Game Records set in 2005

• Greg McKeever, 2 assists vs. UC-Colo. Springs (T-1^st)
• Jess Feldtman, 12 saves vs. Trinity (T-6^th)

Individual Single Season Records set in 2005

• Dustin Kono, 0.83 points per game (10^th)
• Dustin Kono, 15 points (T-8^th)
• Marcus Riley, 3 assists (T-6^th)
• Dustin Kono, 0.38 goals per game (T-8^th)
• Dustin Kono, 7 goals (7^th)
• Jess Feldtman, 5.00 saves per game (6^th)
• Jess Feldtman, 90 saves (4^th)
• Jess Feldtman, 1.81 goals against average (2^nd)
• Jess Feldtman, 3 solo shutouts (T-1^st)

Individual Career Records set in 2005

• Dustin Kono, 0.44 points per game (T-7^th)
• Dustin Kono, 23 points (7^th)
• Dustin Kono, 9 goals (T-8^th)
• Dustin Kono, 5 assists (T-3^rd)
• Jess Feldtman, 4.78 saves per game (6^th)
• Jess Feldtman, 177 saves (1^st)
• Jess Feldtman, 2.37 goals against average (5^th)

Individual Miscellaneous Records set in 2005

• Dustin Kono, fastest goal to start a game, 0:51 vs. Colorado Christian
• Dustin Kono, 6^th fastest goal to start at game, 6:00 vs. UC-Colo. Springs
• Dustin Kono, most consecutive games with a goal, 5
• Jess Feldtman, most consecutive shutout minutes, 265:21
• Jess Feldtman, 3^rd most consecutive shutout minutes, 205:18