Jacket Men Go for First Win in Salt Lake (8/31/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings men’s soccer team will be searching for its first win of the season this weekend when the Yellowjackets play three games in as many days in Salt Lake City.  The round robin tournament is hosted by Westminster College and runs September 2-4. 

The Yellowjackets started the season 0-2 with losses at Metro State and Colorado School of Mines last weekend.  Those two teams were picked to finish second and third respectively in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  The Jackets were outscored 6-1 in the two games, falling to Metro State 2-1 and to Colorado Mines 4-0.  Junior captain Victor Sargent (Billings, MT) scored the lone Yellowjacket goal.  Goalkeeper Jess Feldtman (Sr., Lander, WY) made 13 saves with a .683 save percentage.

This weekend the Yellowjackets will face California State-Monterey Bay, Colorado-Colorado Springs, and Westminster College.  CSU-Monterey Bay moved from the NAIA to NCAA Division II this year, joining the California Collegiate Athletic Association.  The Otters’ first game of the year will come Friday against the Yellowjackets.  CSUMB was 6-13-1 overall last season.

Colorado-Colorado Springs plays in the RMAC where they have been picked to finish sixth in the seven-team league.  The Mountain Lions were 4-13-0 last year and will open the 2005 season on Friday against host Westminster.  Westminster College enters with weekend with a 2-0 record after wins against Colorado Christian and William Jessup.

Following the trip to Salt Lake, the Yellowjackets will travel east for a pair of games in North Dakota.  They will face University of Sioux Falls on September 10 and University of Mary on September 11.  Both games will be played in Bismarck.  The Jackets open the home schedule on September 21 when they host fifth-ranked University of the Incarnate Word.