Yellowjackets Close Regular Season at Seattle Pacific and at Saint Martin's

BRIEFLY
The MSUB men’s soccer team closes out the regular season this week with two tough road Great Northwest Athletic Conference games at Seattle Pacific Thursday (7 p.m.) and at Saint Martin’s Saturday (1 p.m.).  The Jackets enter the week looking to snap a three-game skid and records of 9-7 overall and 2-4 in conference play.  One victory this week would give the Yellowjackets a winning record for the second straight season and second straight 10-win or more season.  MSUB won 13 games in 2007.     

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets conclude the regular season Nov. 6 and Nov. 8 at Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s, respectively.  Leading the way for the Jackets this season in Sam Charles who has a team and conference best-18 goals on the year in 16 games. Charles also has four assists and 40 points.  He also leads the team with 81 shots and 46 on goal.  He has seven game winners has three converted penalty kicks on the year, including one last week against Western Washington.   For his career, Charles is a perfect 11 for 11 in PK’s.  Jarred Weisen is second on the team with four goals  Weisen is second on the team with 12 points and has four assists.  Scott Dixon leads the team with six assists. 

In goal, the Jackets are led by Matt Mitchell who leads the team with a 8-6 record and a 0.89 goals against average.  Mitchell has 47 saves, 12 goals against and four shutouts.  Sander Tollefson is 1-1 with five goals against and 11 saves.  Michael Sheridan has played in two games this season with one save and one goal against.     
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Yellowjackets dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 loss at home to Western Washington on Senior Day.  MSUB held a 1-0 lead at halftime, before WWU scored two goals in the final 15 minutes to seal the victory.  It was the Jackets’ third straight loss and second straight to Western Washington. 
   
SCOUTING SEATTLE PACIFIC
The Falcons enter the week with a 6-8-3 record overall and a 4-2 mark in conference play, just one game behind league-leading Western Washington.  In the last eight games, beginning with a 1-0 loss at MSUB on Oct. 4, SPU is just 3-5 since. 

Alex Nelson leads the team in all three scoring categories as he has five goals, three assists and 13 points.  Ryan Brand has four goals and three assists, while Andy Wolverton has three goals.  Nelson also leads the team with 47 shots and has the teams’ only penalty kick of the season, while Brand leads the squad with two game winners.

In goal, the Falcons have split time between Ben Lovelace and Kaleb Kuehn.  Kuehn has played in 10 games and started eight with a 3-4-2 record and one shutout.  He leads the team with 39 saves and has allowed 19 goals for a 1.83 goals against average.  Lovelace has played and started in nine games with a 3-4-1 record.  He has 31 saves and a 1.54 goals against average.  Lovelace has allowed 12 goals with a team-high .721 save percentage.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE FALCONS
A goal by Jurell Linford in the 22nd minute gave the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead and that would be all they would need for the victory.  MSUB outshot the Falcons 7-3 in the opening half, but SPU put the pressure on in the second but was unable to get the equalizer.  The goal was Linford’s first goal of the season.  SPU holds a 5-2-1 record in the series.

GOING FOR 10
The MSUB men’s soccer team is going for its 10th win of the season this week and if it does, the Yellowjackets will ensure themselves of their second straight winning season.  MSUB won 13 games in 2007.  The Jackets are 9-7 overall at this point.

GOING FOR THE CENTRY
Sam Charles needs just one goal and one assist in his final two games to score 100 career points.  In addition, Charles needs one goal to tie his own school record for goals in a season (19) set last year.  Charles has 18 goals and four assists through 16 games this season.

SCOUTING SAINT MARTIN’S
The Saints enter the week with a 4-10-1 record and a 2-3-1 record in conference play.  Saint Martin’s is 3-2-1 in its last six games after starting the season 1-8. 

Leading the way for the Saints is Xan Nixon who has seven goals, two assists and 16 points.  He also leads the team with 26 shots and has one game winner.  Ruben Orozco has three goals and leads the team with three assists.  He is 1-1 in penalty kicks this season as well.

In goal, the Saints are led by Zac Lubin who is 4-9-1 and has 61 saves.  Lubin has allowed 26 goals for a 1.83 goals against average.  TJ Young has played in two games with a 0-1 record and four goals against.

LAST TIME VERSUS THE SAINTS
MSUB posted a 2-1 victory over Saint Martin’s Oct. 2 in Billings for the Jackets’ first conference victory of the year.  Sam Charles scored the first goal in the 43rd minute on assists from Tom Milroy and Scott Dixon.  Mark Clark evened the game in the 71st minute, but Charles won the game on a penalty kick in the 84th minute.  MSUB leads the series 3-0.  The Jackets have outscored the Saints 10-1 in the three previous meetings.
    
SAM’S CLUB
Sam Charles ranks sixth nationally in goals per game (1.13) and seventh nationally in points at a 2.53 clip in this week’s NCAA Division II national statistical report.  Charles leads the GNAC with 40 points, including 18 goals and four assists. He is the only GNAC player ranked in the top 10 in any category.

MIGHTY, MIGHTY MITCHELL
Sophomore Matt Mitchell ranks 23rd nationally in goals against average with a 0.81 average.  In addition, he is ranked 23rd nationally in save percentage at an 0.808 clip.  He has four shutouts on the year and an 8-5 record with just 10 goals against.

THE UNFAMILIAR ROAD BECOMES FAMILIAR
The Yellowjackets began the season with eight of the first 11 games at home and will end the season with six of the final seven away from home.  The regular season home finale is Friday against Western Washington at 3:30 p.m. at the COT Field.  The Jackets are 3-4 in games out of Billings this season and will end the regular season next week at Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s.

TOUGH IN THE CLOSE ONES
MSUB is 5-7 in one goal games this season.  In fact, all seven losses have come by one goal.  The Jackets began the season with a 4-3 double overtime victory over Dixie State, then lost to No. 7 Metro State, 2-1, lost to NAIA No. 6 Simon Fraser, 1-0, beat Great Falls, 1-0, lost to Northwest Nazarene, 2-1 and lost at Fort Lewis, 2-1.  The Jackets won two one goal games with a 2-1 victory over Saint Martin’s, a 1-0 victory over Seattle Pacific in conference play.  MSUB dropped hard-fought decisions at Northwest Nazarene (3-2), at Western Washington (1-0) and at home against WWU, 2-1. 

DIXON DISHES
Scott Dixon leads the team with six assists on the season and broke the school record for assist in a career earlier this season.  He topped Thomas Pertuit’s record of 14 career assists. Dixon now has 16 assists on the year.

CHARLES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
Junior forward, Sam Charles, earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week (9/15) as he scored four goals helping the Jackets to a 2-1 record.  He had his third career hat trick against the University of Mary, tying the career best for hat tricks in the GNAC.  He also had the game winner in the 89th minute against Great Falls.  The week before, Charles earned co-weekly honor as he broke the school record for goals in a career and points in a career against nationally ranked opponents.

SAM’S TRICK
Sam Charles recorded his third career hat trick in the GNAC in 3-1 victory over Mary Sept. 8.  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. 

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.

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.

TEAM NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Yellowjackets are ranked nationally in a number of areas.  The Jackets are 43rd in scoring offense at 2.53 per game, 39th in team goals against average (1.05), 37th in shutout percentage (0.4) and 53rd in save percentage (0.781).

WWW.MSUBILLINGS.EDU/ATHLETICS
Montana State Billings launched a newly redesigned website in August.  The new website features improved navigation, improved layout and a crisper look.  Log on and checkout the new www.msubillings.edu/athletics for all MSUB athletic information.