October 4, 2007          
                                                                  

Jackets Overpower Saints, 6-0
   Box Score
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LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State Billings men’s soccer team dominated Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Saint Martin’s Thursday, shutting out the Saints 6-0, to stay atop the league standings.  The Jackets improved to 9-2-1 overall and 4-2-1 in conference play, while the Saints dropped to 2-11-0 and 0-5-0 in the GNAC. 

The Yellowjackets cruised through 90 minutes of play using a hat-trick from Sam Charles (Weymouth, England), two goals from Jarred Weisen (Great Falls), and one from Jurell Linford (Missoula) to ice the win.  The Jackets have recorded seven shutout wins on the season.

The Yellowjackets’ Charles scored the eventual game-winning goal and only goal of the first half at the 23:06 mark off a penalty kick.  The Jackets hit their stride in the second half scoring five goals.  Weisen scored in the 53rd and 60th minutes with a second penalty kick goal by Charles sandwiched in between.  Charles took a corner from Chris Cornish (Surrey, England) to head the ball into the net at 67:46 in completing the hat-trick.  Linford scored his first goal of the season in the 82nd minute that was assisted by senior Matt D’Hont (Rapid City, S.D.).

MSUB outshot Saint Martin’s 24-7 with a 13-1 shots on goal advantage.  Peppering the Saints’ keeper Zac Lubin throughout the game, Lubin tackled six saves in the effort.  Sander Tollefson (Missoula) made one save in the game before giving way to Matthew Mitchell (Thornton, CO) for the final 10:45 of the contest.

The Yellowjackets’ Charles scored his second hat-trick of the season in the win.  Charles’s 17 goals move him into first in school history for goals scored in a single season.  He surpassed Dave Austin’s record of 15 goals scored during the 1998 season. 

As a team, the Yellowjackets have scored 30 goals to lead the conference in offense.  MSUB is also just nine goals shy of tying the school record for total goals scored in a single season at 39.  At the Jackets’ current feverish pace, the team has a good chance of setting the record late in the season.

MSU Billings is set to travel to Burnaby, British Columbia for a non-conference game against NAIA opponent Simon Fraser University (8-1-1) Saturday, October 6.  Kick off is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PST.