Men's Soccer Opens Home Season with No. 24 Mesa State

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BRIEFLY
The MSUB men’s soccer team returns home for the 2008 home opener Friday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. versus Mesa State, to begin a five-game home stand.  Monday, Sept. 8, MSUB faces University of Mary at 1 p.m. at the MSUB Soccer Field.  The Jackets are coming off a 1-1 weekend to open the season.  MSUB defeated Dixie State 4-3 in the opener last Friday in Salt Lake City.  The Yellowjackets followed up with a disappointing 2-1 loss to No. 7 Metro State Monday. 

JUST FOR KICKS
The Yellowjackets are coming off their most successful season in school history, going 13-4-1 overall and a second place finish with 5-2-1 record in their first year in the always competitive Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  MSUB returns the GNAC Player of the Year and third team all-America selection in Sam Charles and 18 letterwinners overall.

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets enter the week with a 1-1 record after splitting two games this past weekend in Salt Lake City.  MSUB defeated Dixie State 4-3 on an own goal in double overtime and dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to No. 7 Metro State Monday.  Sam Charles leads the team with two goals and an assist for a team-high five points.  Jarred Weisen and Justin Hoskins each have one goal, while Chris Andre, Kyle Moriarty and Scott Dixon each have an assist. 

In goal, the Jackets are led by Sander Tollefson who has played 148:40 this season, allowing five goals and has 11 saves on the year.  Matt Mitchell played the second half versus Metro State on Monday.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK
The Montana State Billings Yellowjackets opened the 2008 season with a 1-1 showing in Salt Lake City last weekend.  MSUB came from behind to defeat Dixie State in double overtime with an own goal, 4-3 in the opener and dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to No. 7 Metro State this past Monday.  Sam Charles recorded two goals to lead the team and set the school record for goals and points in a career as a junior.  MSUB rallied from a 3-2 deficit against Dixie State by a Jarred Weisen score with less than three minutes left in regulation and won in double overtime as Scott Dixon fired a shot from about 35 yards out that deflected off a Dixie State player and into the net for the own goal in double overtime.  Same Charles scored the equalizer against Metro State in the first half of Monday’s contest, but a late first half goal by the Roadrunners sealed the victory for Metro State.  Neither team scored in the second half. 

SCOUTING MESA STATE
Mesa State enters the week with a 2-0 record and ranked 24th nationally after a pair of wins this past weekend versus Dixie State (1-0) and needed overtime in a 2-1 victory over Saint Martin’s.  The Mavericks also were in Salt Lake City last weekend.  MSC is led by Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason all-conference selection, Eric Anderson, who leads the team with two goals scored and the game winner against Dixie State.  Anderson leads the team with 10 shots and four on goal.  Tim Linn is second on the team with one goal and the game winner versus Saint Martin’s.  In goal, the Mavericks are led by Josh Tinaglia who has played every minute thus far.  He has a 0.48 goals against average, with 12 saves and one shutout.

LAST TIME VERSUS MESA STATE
Montana State Billings won a 2-0 decision last season in Grand Junction, CO, Aug. 26, 2007, as Sam Charles broke a scoreless tie in the second half with two goals in nine minutes, for the Jackets’ second win of the season.  Yellowjacket keeper, Sander Tollefson, recorded his second shutout of the season and had four saves in the game.  MSUB leads the all-time series with Mesa State, 1-0.

SCOUTING UNIVERSITY OF MARY
The Mary Marauders enter the week searching for their first win of the season after dropping three games this past weekend.  Mary, ranked 10th in the West Region, is still searching for its first goal of the 2008 season.  The Marauders were blanked by Wisconsin-Parkside (2-0), at home and then lost 6-0 to St. John’s University and 2-0 to Concordia College in Collegeville, MN.  Mesa State and Mary will meet in a neutral site game at the MSUB Soccer Field Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m., prior to the Monday meeting with the Yellowjackets.  Alex Calder leads the team with five shots and two on goal.  The Marauders have been outscored 10-0 this season and out-shot 74-25, including 43-12 in shots on goal.

LAST TIME VERSUS MARY
The Jackets have a 13-5 record all-time versus Mary, including 9-1 in Billings.  MSUB defeated the Marauders 2-1, Oct. 12, 2007 in Bismarck.  Sam Charles scored the first goal in the game, just 40 seconds in, marking the second quickest goal in MSUB history.  Mary tied the game at the end of the first half, but Jeremy DeHerrera had the game winner in the 65th minute.  MSUB out-shot Mary 28-8, including 14-2 in shots on goal.

JACKETS RANKED FIFTH IN INITIAL WEST REGION POLL
The Yellowjackets are tied with Western Washington for fifth in the lastest NSCAA/adidas West Region Top 10.  Sonoma State leads the way, followed by Cal State Dominguez, Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego and WWU and the Yellowjackets are tied for fifth.  Also, first year program Northwest Nazarene is 10th in the first poll of 2008.

CHARLES IN CHARGE
Junior Sam Charles is putting his stamp on the MSUB record book as he already has broken two school records and the season is just two games old.  Charles set the school record for goals in a season with his goal against Metro State Monday and set the school record for points in a career with that goal as well.  Dave Austin had the career record for goals (27) and Thomas Pertuit had the previous record for points with 60.

OWN GOALS, COMING FROM BEHIND AND OVERTIME
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at MSUB won games in back-to-back days on own goals in overtime.  First, the men came from behind and won its season opener 4-3 in double overtime on an own goal last Friday versus Dixie State.  Last Saturday, the women came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Fort Lewis 2-1 in overtime on an own goal as well.  As of this printing, MSUB is the first school to have won games in men’s and women’s soccer on own goals in overtime on back-to-back days this season.

DIXON MOVING UP
Sophomore Scott Dixon is moving up the assist charts.  He set the school record for assists in a season with 10 dishes in just 12 games last season.  Dixon already has one for the 2008 season.  Career-wise, his 11 assists rank him second all-time behind Thomas Pertuit who has 14. 

BREAKOUT IN ‘07
The Yellowjacket men’s soccer team had a breakout season in 2007.  MSUB won 13 games which is the most in school history.  The Jackets went 13-4-1 in Dan McNally’s third year at the helm of the program.  MSUB was second in the GNAC with a 5-2-1 record and just missed out on its first NCAA Tournament appearance.  Not only did individual players break school records, the team did as well.  MSUB tallied a school record 46 goals in 2007 and was just as stout defensively.  MSUB allowed a school record low 13 goals in 2007 and had a 0.71 goals against average along with a school best nine shutouts.

MSUB SOCCER FIELD WINS AWARD
The newly renovated MSUB Soccer Field won a NCAA Community Engagement Award as the top community relations effort submitted from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  MSUB was one of 22 schools to receive the award and also received a $500 grant from the NCAA to be used in future community-engagement efforts.

SOCCER TEAMS OPEN WITH DIXIE STATE
Both MSUB men’s and women’s soccer teams opened with Dixie State this season.  The women played Dixie State last Thursday in the second game of the MSU Billings Cup sponsored by Best Western Clocktower Inn.  The men played Dixie State at Westminster College in Salt Lake City last Friday.

JACKETS TABBED LEAGUE FAVORITE
The MSUB men’s soccer team has been selected as preseason conference favorite by the league coaches.  The Jackets received 23 points and three first place votes, edging out Western Washington by two points overall and one first place vote for the top spot.  Following the Vikings is Seattle Pacific who received 15 points after a 7-6-3 record and a 2-3-3 record in conference play.  Saint Martin’s was tabbed fourth with 10 points after going 3-16 last season and Northwest Nazarene was picked fifth as a first year men’s soccer program with six points.  Points are awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2008
Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team enters the 2008 season determined to continue their drive for prominence in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  Having gone 13-4-1 overall and 5-2-1 in their first season in the GNAC, the Jackets are poised to retain leadership in the conference with a core of 18 veteran players and a talented pool of newcomers.

In his fourth year at the helm, head coach Dan McNally remains focused on developing a pattern of consistent achievement as the Jackets vie to win the GNAC.  Coming off a second-place conference finish last season, McNally is optimistic about the Jackets’ ability to continue the momentum and take the GNAC title, based on the team’s make-up, skill level and exceptional defensive depth.

“We are returning a great group of players, our team spirit is very strong and we have a very good sense of togetherness on the field,” McNally said.  “This season we have a great defensive unit, we’re solid at keeper and defending is our strength.  We also have a group of excellent attacking players and are very well balanced between attack and defense.”

In considering the challenges ahead, McNally notes the importance of the team being able to stay healthy as a key factor for continued success.  In addition, he notes that the loss to graduation of key players like Chris Cornish, right back Josh Hernandez and left back Greg McKeever will be felt.  The skill level, winning attitude and calm authority they brought to the program created excellent examples for the 2008 Jackets to replicate.

The strength of the league, itself, and the difficulty of the schedule are also part of the mix for the season.

“The GNAC is very strong,” McNally said.  “Western Washington is an outstanding team coming back this season and Seattle Pacific University will rebound and be very strong, as well.  Last year St. Martin’s was a new team and I expect them to be better this year, while Northwest Nazarene is a new program that I expect to be good.  There are no easy games and I think it will be a great season.  If we stay focused and play at a high level consistently, we can win games.”