Women’s Soccer Sweeps Northwest Nazarene with 3-0 Shutout

Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – Goals and assists by Samantha Sandau and Mandy Ploskonka propelled the Montana State Billings women’s soccer team to a 3-0 road victory at Northwest Nazarene Thursday afternoon.  With the victory, MSUB improves to 10-9 on the year and 5-6 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  NNU falls to 1-17-1 overall and is still winless in league play with a 0-11 record. 

“I was really pleased in the way the team came out today and got our 10th win of the season,” head coach Don Trentham said.  “We were really happy to achieve that goal of 10 wins against Northwest Nazarene.”

The Jackets scored two goals in the first half and that would be all they would need to ensure the victory.  MSUB got on the board in the 22nd minute as Sandau scored her second goal in as many games as she had a shot from 12-yards out and played up the middle from Ploskonka who tallied her fifth assist of the season to tie for the team lead.  It was Sandau’s second goal of the year.

Just 1:45 later, Melissa Carlson scored her fourth goal of the year. This time, she received the ball off a deflection from the NNU goalkeeper, Pip Herman, and scored with the assist from Sandau.  It also was Sandau’s fifth assists of the year.

MSUB held a 2-0 lead at halftime and out-shot the Crusaders 7-3.  Neither team had a corner kick in the first half, while each team had two saves in the opening period.

Just over 10 minutes into the second half, Ploskonka tallied her fourth goal of the year as well as she scored on the first penalty kick of the season for the Yellowjackets.  Kari Foreman was fouled in the box to setup the PK.  It was Ploskonka’s third career penalty kick.  She converted one last season and one during her freshman year.

For the game, MSUB out-shot the Crusaders 10-8 and 5-4 in shots on goal.  Yellowjacket goalkeeper Jordan Fenwick recorded her fourth shutout of the season and had four saves.  Carlson had a team-high three shots and a goal off the bench.  Sandau and Ploskonka each had two shots and a goal and assist a piece.

MSUB posts the season sweep versus the Crusaders and out-scored them 7-0 this season.  The ‘Jackets posted a 4-0 victory Oct. 16 in Billings, and a 3-0 victory Thursday.  MSUB leads the all-time series 5-3-1 and has won the past four meetings, including out-scoring NNU 14-1. 

The Yellowjackets added to NNU’s scoreless streak and the Crusaders have not scored a goal since Oct. 4 and now have been outscored 39-0 during that span.

The win by the Yellowjackets is the 10th of the season, marking the fourth time in the seven years that Trentham has been head coach that the team has won 10 or more games in a season.
MSUB concludes the regular season Saturday at No. 4 Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m. pacific time. 

“We are excited about the opportunity to play one of the top teams in the country in Seattle Pacific Saturday,” Trentham added.  “We are looking forward to playing a good game against them.”