Lady Jacket Soccer Picked Third in HLC (8/15/06)
Click here for an audio clip of Coach Trentham discussing
the Heartland preseason poll

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team has been picked to finish in the middle of the pack in a recent poll of Heartland Conference coaches and sports information directors.  The Yellowjackets, coming off an 11-5-2 season, qualified for the conference tournament last year but were bumped by St. Mary’s in the semifinals.

“We don’t worry too much about where we are in the preseason polls,” said Yellowjacket head coach Don Trentham.  “We’re more worried about how we finish out our preseason practices and where we are at the end of the year.  Right now we’ve had great practices.  I think we’re ahead of where we were last year.”

Defending champion University of the Incarnate Word was picked to repeat as conference champions.  The Cardinals went to the NCAA Tournament last year and finished the season 14-4-3.  UIW has won four of the last six Heartland Conference women’s soccer titles.

St. Mary’s, last year’s conference runner up, is picked to finish second.  The Cardinals and Rattlers are followed in the poll by the Yellowjackets, St. Edward’s, and Dallas Baptist.  Unlike last season, there will not be an end of season conference tournament in 2006.  The conference champion will be determined by a home-and-home conference schedule.

MSU Billings opens regular season play on August 24 when they play at Colorado School of Mines.  The Jackets will face Fort Lewis and Eastern New Mexico on August 26 and 27 respectively in Portales, NM.  After the long road trip south, the Yellowjackets open the home schedule with the Fifth Annual MSU Billings Cup Sponsored by Thrifty Car Rental on September 2 and 3.

2006 Heartland Conference Women’s Soccer Poll
1. University of the Incarnate Word
2. St. Mary’s University
3. Montana State University-Billings
4. St. Edward’s University
5. Dallas Baptist University