Yellowjackets Head to No. 13 Western Washington and Central Washington

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BRIEFLY
MSUB heads on the road this week for just the second time this season.  The Jackets begin the final stretch of the season with six of their last nine games away from home.  Thursday the Yellowjackets head to No. 13 Western Washington in the first night game of the season (7 p.m.) and then look for revenge on Saturday at Central Washington at 11 a.m.  The Wildcats beat MSUB earlier this year at the COT Field, 2-0.  MSUB stands at 7-4 on the year and evened its record to 2-2 in conference play with two huge, come-from-behind victories this past week over Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon.

SCOUTING MSUB
The Montana State Billings Yellowjacket women’s soccer team enters the week with a 7-4 record and a 2-2 record in conference play.  The Jackets dropped their first two conference games at home by a margin of 5-0, then last week scored five goals en route to defeating Saint Martin’s 3-2 in overtime and defeating Western Oregon 2-1.  MSUB came from behind in both games for the wins. 

Leading the way for the Jackets this season is Kari Foreman, who has four goals and eight points thus far.  She leads the team with 21 shots and 13 on goal and has two games winners.  Melissa Carlson is second on the team with three goals and one assist.   Mandy Ploskonka leads the team with four assists and one goal.  Seven different Yellowjackets have scored goals this season.

In goal, the Jackets are led by Jordan Fenwick who has played and started in 10 games.  She has a 6-4 record with three shutouts to go along with a 1.77 goals against average and 43 saves.  She has allowed 15 goals on the year.  Brittany Knudtzon earned her first start of the season Saturday against Western Oregon and carries a 1-0 record with a 0.62 gaa and seven saves.  She has played in a total of three games this season.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK
Staring a 0-3 start in conference play with seven minutes left and a 2-0 home deficit to Saint Martin’s, the Yellowjackets rallied to score two goals in the final seven minutes, including a goal by Kari Foreman with just 19 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime.  In the overtime period, the Jackets score the game winner as Foreman scored her second goal of the game, this time with just 23 seconds left in the first overtime for a 3-2 lead.  On Saturday, the Jackets fell behind early, but rallied for two first half goals for a 2-1 victory over Western Oregon.  Mandy Ploskonka scored her first goal of the season for the game winner off a corner kick, 32 minutes into the contest.  The equalizer came as Carly Valentine scored her first collegiate goal to go along with her first collegiate assist on Thursday against Saint Martin’s on the Foreman game winner in overtime.  

SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
The Vikings enter the week winners of five straight and six of seven.  WWU, ranked 13th nationally and first in the NSCAA/adidas West Region Poll, are 8-2 on the year and a perfect 4-0 in conference play.  During the Vikings’ five-game winning streak, they have outscored their opponents 11-3.  The game against MSUB will be the final game of a four game home stand. 

Leading the way for the Vikings this season is Claire Morgan who leads the team with six goals and five assists.  She has a team-high 46 shots and 16 on goal with four game winners.  Molly Shannon is second on the team with four goals, while Emily Frankland leads the team with four assist and has three goals.  WWU has 18 goals on the year to just eight by its opponents. 

In goal, Kylie Broadbent has played started in all 10 games.  She has an 0.80 goals against average with 37 saves in 902:10 minutes of action.  Broadbent also has four shutouts and an 8-2 record. 

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Vikings own a 4-0-1 record in the series that dates back to 1998.  WWU went 1-0-1 against the Yellowjackets last year as the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Bellingham and WWU won 2-0 in Billings.  In the game in Bellingham, the Jackets held a 2-0 lead at halftime and WWU scored two second half goals, including a 90th minute goal at the 89:11 mark to force overtime and the eventual tie.  In Billings, Claire Morgan scored one and assisted on the other for the 2-0 victory for the Vikings.

SCOUTING CENTRAL WASHINGTON
The Wildcats enter the week with a 5-4-2 record overall and a 2-3 record in conference play.  CWU has dropped two straight and three of six.  MSUB and CWU played just over two weeks ago in Billings as CWU won 2-0.  The Wildcats are led by Lynde Clarke and Serena Tomaso who each have three goals and one assist on the year.  Kaycie Hutchins leads the team with four assists.  The ‘Cats have outscored their opponents 17-10 and have a 13-9 lead in assists. 

In goal, Amber Easterbrook has played and started in all 11 games.  She has a 5-4-2 record with six shutouts and a 0.87 goals agaisnt average.  Easterbrook has 50 saves on the year. 

INSIDE THE SERIES
Central Washington owns a 7-2 record in the series which dates back to 1998.  The Wildcats won a 2-0 decision in Billings in the first meeting this season Sept. 24.  In that game, CWU scored two first half goals en route to the victory.  Ellie Eckroth and Lynde Clarke each had goals for the Wildcats.

CLUTCH JACKETS
The Yellowjackets scored two goals in the last seven minutes of regulation and scored a goal in overtime for a dramatic 3-2 victory over Saint Martin’s Thursday.  It was the Yellowjackets’ first conference victory of the season.  Even more impressive, the Jackets scored the equalizer with just 19 seconds left in regulation and won the game with 23 seconds left in the first overtime. 

VALENTINE’S DAY
Sophomore Carly Valentine scored her first collegiate assist Thursday in a 3-2 victory over Saint Martin’s.  She followed that up with the equalizing goal in the first half of a 2-1 victory over Western Oregon Saturday.  Her goal came just 75 seconds after WOU took a 1-0 lead. 

FOREMAN NAMED POW AGAIN
Sophomore midfielder Kari Foreman was named co-GNAC Player of the Week again this week, her second time this season.  Foreman scored two goals helping the Jackets to a 2-0 record in conference play last week.  Foreman scored the equalizing goal with 19 seconds left in regulation and scored the game winner with 23 seconds left in the first overtime in a 3-2 victory over Saint Martin’s Thursday.  Foreman leads the team with four goals on the year.  This week Foreman shares the honor with Jill Jensen who scored five goals last week for Saint Martin’s. 

TAKE IT TO THE CORNER
The Yellowjackets have 39 corner kicks this season compared to 36 by the opponents.  However, MSUB has a 24-12 lead in corner kicks in the second half and the opponents have a 23-14 advantage in the first half.

PENALTY FREE JACKETS
Not one Yellowjacket player has been carded through seven games this season.  MSUB had just four during the 2007 season, but two were in the first six games.   

LISTEN TO COACH TRENTHAM
Head coach Don Trentham’s weekly coaches show will be uploaded to the website every Wednesday.  Click on audio library from the front page and select women’s soccer to hear the weekly show.

WINNING LATE AGAIN
Four of the seven Yellowjacket wins this season have been in late dramatic fashion, including the last four.  MSUB posted 1-0 victories over Mary and Carroll College with late goals and then scored three goals in the final 17 minutes of regulation and overtime to beat Saint Martin’s.  MSUB also needed to come from behind to defeat Western Oregon Saturday.

UNFAMILIAR ROAD
The MSUB women’s soccer team will be playing its second and third true road games this season.  Up to this point, the Jackets have had just one true road game and one neutral site game, too.  MSUB dropped a 4-0 decision at Augustana College (Sept. 7) and won a neutral site game at Augustana against Adams State, 2-1 that same weekend.

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.

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.