Yellowjackets Soccer Home Opener Set for Thursday (September 25, 2002)

BILLINGS, MT - Montana State University-Billings will host the University of Mary in men’s soccer on Thursday in the Yellowjackets’ 2002 home opener.  It will be the first of only two home contests for the team this year.

MSUB is coming off two straight wins at the Northwest Nazarene Tournament in Nampa, Idaho last weekend.  The Yellowjackets won the tournament title after defeating Westminster College and Northwest Nazarene.  Westminster entered the weekend ranked No. 15 in the NAIA and No. 1 in the NAIA West Region. 

The Yellowjackets improved to 3-4 on the season with the wins at NNU.  Mary enters the weekend at 6-3 and has won five straight.

MSU Billings is led by sophomore midfielder Mark Cipolla, who has eight goals and 17 points in the first seven games.  Mike Gallegos has tallied three goals and eight points, and Jesse Span has scored twice.

Goalkeepers Yacine Zerizef and Kevin Petriz have split time this season.  Petriz has played in six games and has a goals-against average of 2.89 and a save percentage of .618.  Zerizef has played in four games with a goals-against average of 2.00 and a save percentage of .615.

No statistics were available for the University of Mary, which is an NAIA school.

Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field on the campus of the MSUB College of Technology.