Yellowjackets Host Simon Fraser and Great Falls

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BRIEFLY
The MSUB men’s soccer team continues its five game homestand this week with two games against Simon Fraser and Great Falls.  MSUB battles Simon Fraser, Friday at 5 p.m. and Great Falls Sunday at 3 p.m.  The Jackets stand at 3-1 on the year, while Simon Fraser enters the week with a 4-2 record and ranked fifth nationally in the latest NAIA poll. Great Falls enters with a 4-3 record.  

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets enter the week with a 3-1 record after defeating then-No. 24 Mesa State 3-0 and the University of Mary 3-1 this past week.  Junior forward Sam Charles had an impressive week as he was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week for his efforts versus Metro State and Mesa State Monday.  He then went out and scored the first hat trick of the season and third of his career in a 3-1 victory over the University of Mary Monday.  Charles leads the team with six goals in four games and two assists with two game winners.  Chris Andre, Jarred Weisen Garion Holian and Justin Hoskins each have a goal and Andre is tied with Charles in assists with two.

In goal, Matt Mitchell and Sander Tollefson each have seen considerable action thus far.  Mitchell leads the team with a 0.40 goals against average and a 2-0 record.  He also has one shutout and nine saves.  Tollefson has a 1-1 record and a 3.03 GAA with 11 saves.

THE LAST TIME OUT
The Montana State Billings Yellowjackets improved to 3-1 on the year with victories over then-No. 24 Mesa State, 3-0, and a 3-1 victory over the University of Mary.  The Jackets scored two first half goals against Mesa State last Friday and added a third in the second half to secure their first shutout of the year.  Sam Charles broke the school record for goals in a career and points in a career.  Agaisnt Mary, Charles recorded a hat trick, his third in his career tying the GNAC record.  Charles now has six goals in four games with two assists. 

SCOUTING SIMON FRASER
Simon Fraser enters the week with a 4-2 record and winners of three straight.  The Clan has not allowed a goal in over two games - a span of 265:41.  Simon Fraser came from behind and defeated Evergreen State College 3-1, followed by 1-0 victories over Westmont and Azusa Pacific.  The Clan is led by Liam Smith who has two goals and one game winner.  Justin Carvery and Milos Jeftic each have a goal and lead the team wih two assists each.  Cavery is 1-2 in penalty kicks as well. 

Thomas Lindley has played all 540 minutes in goal this season.  He has a 4-2 record with a 1.33 goals against average and 13 saves.  Lindley has two shutouts as well.


LAST TIME VERSUS SIMON FRASER
The Yellowjackets are looking for their first victory over Simon Fraser.  The Clan own a 6-0 record in the series that dates back to Sept. 12, 1998. The two teams met last season in Burnaby, B.C., Oct. 6, 2007, with the Clan taking a 2-0 victory.  Sam Charles had the only two shots for the Jackets, while Carvery had both goals for Simon Fraser - one in the first and one in the second.

SCOUTING GREAT FALLS
The Argos enter the week with a 4-3 record and have won two of their past three and scored seven goals during that span.  UGF will play Simon Fraser at the MSUB Soccer Field Saturday, prior to the Sunday match with the Yellowjackets.  The Argos dropped a 2-1 decision to GNAC rival Northwest Nazarene earlier in the season as their only other Division II game. 

LAST TIME VERSUS GREAT FALLS
The Jackets own a 2-0 record against Great Falls in a series that began last season.  The Jackets won a 4-0 decision at home, followed by a 5-0 decision in Great Falls, Oct. 27.  In the first game, the Argos had just one shot and four different Yellowjackets scored.  MSUB had 22 shots and 12 on goal in the game.  In the second game, five different Yellowjackets scored goals.  Jurell Linford had a goal and two assists in the game.  MSUB out-shot UGF 14-3 and 9-1 in shots on goal.

JACKETS RANKED FIFTH IN LATEST WEST REGION POLL
The Yellowjackets are fifth in the latest NSCAA/adidas West Region poll.  Sonoma State is first, followed by Cal State Dominguez, Chico State, UC San Diego and the Yellowjackets.  Western Washington is sixth as the only other GNAC school in the rankings this week.

CHARLES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Sam Charles earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for his efforts this past week as he broke the school record for goals in a career and broke the school record for points in a career against nationally ranked opponents. 

SAM’S TRICK
Sam Charles recorded his third career hat trick in the GNAC Monday in 3-1 victory over Mary.  The hat trick ties him for the most all-time.  In addition, it was the 20th three goal (or more) game in the history of the GNAC.

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 versus Dixie State.  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.

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.

GOALS FOR CHARLES
Sam Charles has scored in every game to begin the 2008 season.  He scored one goal in each of the first three games and then exploded for a hat trick against Mary earlier this week with three goals.  Through four games, he has six goals on the year.

LISTEN TO COACH MCNALLY
Head coach Dan McNally’s weekly coaches show will be uploaded to the website every Wednesday.  Click on audio library from the front page and select men’s soccer to hear the weekly show. 

TOUGH AT HOME
The Yellowjackets currently own the longest home unbeaten streak in school history.  The Jackets have won their last 12 games at home dating back to October 27, 2006.

GOING THE DISTANCE
Six Yellowjackets have played all 374 minutes this season.  Sam Charles, Justin Hoskins, Kyle Moriarty, Brian Huskey, Zach Yeager and Tom Milroy all have not come out of the games thus far.

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.”