Yellowjackets Hit the Road at No. 6 Cal State LA and at Cal Poly Pomona

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BRIEFLY
The MSUB men’s soccer team makes its first road trip of the season as it travels to California for a pair of matches versus No. 6 Cal State-Los Angeles and Cal Poly Pomona.  MSUB enters the week with a 2-0 record after a pair of shutouts at home this past weekend.  MSUB downed Colorado Christian 6-0 and had a record-setting day against University of Great Falls Sunday with a 4-0 win. 

JUST FOR KICKS
The Yellowjackets are coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in school history.  MSUB finished the 2008 season with a 10-8 record and a 3-5 mark in the GNAC.  In 2007, the Jackets finished 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 GNAC.  The Yellowjackets return 14 letter winners heading into 2009.

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets make their first road trip of the season this week and are 2-0 on the year after shutout wins over Colorado Christian (6-0) and University of Great Falls (4-0).  The Yellowjackets are led by senior forward Sam Charles who set the GNAC goals scoring record this past weekend with his 41st goal, topping Bobby McAlister’s record of 40 (Seattle University, 2002-2005).  Charles has three goals and two assists on the year.  For his career, he has 45 goals and 109 points.

In addition to Charles, the Yellowjackets have spread the wealth quite nicely in the first two games as six different Yellowjackets have scored goals.  Jarred Weisen and Garion Holian are second on the team in goals with two each, while Weisen has two assists for six points.  Chris Andre leads the team with three assists.

In goal, the Yellowjackets also have spread the wealth as all three goalkeepers have seen action in the first two games.  Matt Mitchell leads the way with a 2-0 record and one shutout in 159 minutes of action.  He has two saves and no goals against.

RECAPPING UNIVERSITY OF GREAT FALLS
The Yellowjackets and the Argos played a very physical game on Sunday as the game was scoreless through the first half.  A quick second half goal by Jeremy DeHerrera opened the flood gates for MSUB as it scored three more goals en route to a 4-0 victory.  The Yellowjackets dominated the game to the tune of 17-3 in shots and 10-0 in shots on goal.  MSUB also had an 8-0 lead in corner kicks, including scoring the first goal off a corner.  Jarred Weisen had a goal and two assists in the game, while Sam Charles had a goal and an assist to break the all-time GNAC goal scoring record and tie the career points record for the league.

SCOUTING CAL STATE LOS ANGELES
The sixth-ranked Golden Eagles enter the week with a 1-0 record after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hawaii-Hilo this past weekend.  CSULA needed a goal by Aza Gomez in the 84th minute to break a 1-1 tie as the Vulcans tied the game in midway through the second half.  CSULA is led by Gomez and Kristian Gaustad who each have a goal on the year.  Tobias Hummel does the work between the posts and he has a 1-0 record with one save and a 1.00 GAA.  The Golden Eagles were picked second in CCAA South Division behind Cal State Dominguez Hills.  CSULA finished the 2008 season 13-5-4 record and a 9-3-2 record in conference play. 

INSIDE THE SERIES...
This is the first meeting between the two schools and first trip for the Yellowjackets to California since 2004.  MSUB has a 4-5-1 record against teams from California.

SCOUTING CAL POLY POMONA
The Broncos enter the week with a 2-0 record after a pair of wins this past weekend.  Cal Poly Pomona defeated Dominican 8-1 and Notre Dame de Namur 2-1 in overtime in Belmont, Calif.  The Broncos open the home slate with the Yellowjackets on Friday at 2 p.m.  Leading the way for the Broncos this season is Tyler Reinhart who has three goals and two assists for eight points.  Rigo Cardenas leads the squad with three assists.  In goal, the Broncos are led by Thomas Ryan and Brad Jones.  Jones has seen the most action (106:40) and leads the team with six saves and a 1-0 record.  Ryan has logged 90 minutes and has allowed two goals with five saves and a 1-0 record.  Last season, the Broncos were 4-11-3 overall and 2-10-2 in league play.  This season, CPP was selected fifth in the South Division.

INSIDE THE SERIES...
This also is the first meeting between the two schools and first trip for the Yellowjackets to California since 2004.  MSUB has a 4-5-1 record against teams from California.

VERSUS RANKED TEAMS
The Yellowjackets went 1-2 last season versus ranked teams. MSUB dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 7 Metro State, defeated No. 21 Mesa State and lost to No. 7 Fort Lewis, 2-1.  MSUB battles No. 6 Cal State LA Wednesday at 7 p.m.  MSUB is 2-2 against ranked teams since 2007.

JACKETS THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Montana State Billings was picked third in the annual GNAC Coaches Poll.  Western Washington was the unanimous favorite, followed by Seattle Pacific, MSUB, Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene.  WWU had 25 points to lead the way.

CHARLES SETS GNAC RECORD
Senior Sam Charles broke the GNAC goal scoring record this past weekend with a goal against University of Great Falls.  With that goal, it was his 41st since MSUB has been in the GNAC breaking Bobby McAlister’s record of 40 (2002-2005).  In addition, Charles also tied McAlister for the career points record with 93 points.  For Charles’ career, he has 48 goals and 109 points, however the GNAC only counts records since MSUB has been in the league (2007). 

CHARLES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Charles scored three goals and two assists while this past weekend in a pair of wins to open the season for the Yellowjackets.  He set the GNAC goal scoring record and tied the GNAC career points record with a goal and assist against UGF on Sunday.  For his efforts, he was named the first GNAC Player of the Week for the 2009 season.  He was named Player of the Week twice last season in back-to-back weeks in September.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN ‘09
Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team brings tangible optimism to the third season in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  In his fifth season at the helm, head men’s soccer coach Dan McNally is enthused about the prospects of having his first true recruiting class playing as seniors.

“I think that it is a big deal that these seniors have had a lot of success and have played together for three seasons and have really transformed this team,” McNally said.  “They are really motivated to have a great senior year and we are returning a good number of players who have started a lot of games for us.”

McNally considers the two key strengths of the team to be experience and flat out talent.

“For the first time since I’ve been at MSUB, we are going to be able to field an experienced team of juniors and seniors,” McNally said.  “Some of the sophomores and freshmen will play because some of them are excellent, but the strength of this team is the juniors and seniors who bring the needed experience to do well in Division II men’s soccer.

In terms of talent, we have an outstanding group of defenders, two great goalkeepers, we’re loaded in midfield and we have, arguably, the best forward in the country, as well as great forward support.”

The team brings valuable lessons from experiences faced in last season’s 10-8 overall record.

“We were runner-up in 2007 and we let some games get away last year, which we shouldn’t have,” McNally said.  “What we learned will add to our expertise this season.”

FRESHMEN SEEING TIME
MSUB’s eight freshmen have seen significant time thus far.  Clifton Thomas has played in 52 minutes to lead the way for the freshmen.  Blair Stevenson is second with 35 minutes.  For the season, the Yellowjackets have eight newcomers with six freshmen and two juniors, including Ryan Covey who transferred from Division I Central Connecticut State.

MCNALLY CLOSES IN ON .500
Head coach Dan McNally is 35-36-3 in his career at MSUB and needs just one win to reach the .500 mark for the first time.  He is the all-time winningest coach at MSUB in men’s soccer and has led the team to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in school history.

FORMER YELLOWJACKET HOSKINS EARNS POY HONORS
Former Montana State Billings men’s soccer standout, Justin Hoskins, was named Player of the Year for the Rochester Thunder of the Premier Development League.

“I felt honored to be named Player of the Year as voted on by the team,” Hoskins said.  “I felt very blessed to get that respect from my teammates.  I had a great experience in Minnesota with a team of very talented players”
Hoskins, led the league in minutes played as he played all 90 minutes in all 16 games for the Thunder this season.  He tallied 1440 minutes with one assist.  Hoskins helped lead the Thunder to a 5-9-2 record.

“I am very proud of Justin’s continued success,” MSUB head coach Dan McNally said.  “He was an outstanding player for MSUB and it is no surprise that he is finding success now that he has graduated.”

FIRST TIME OPENING AT HOME
For the first time in school history, the MSUB men’s soccer team opened the regular season at home.  Since the program began in 1996, the Yellowjackets have opened on the road or at a neutral site every year except 2009.  MSUB   blanked Colorado Christian 6-0 in the regular season opener last Friday and now is 7-5-2 in regular season openers.

LIVE ON THE WEB
This season ALL MSUB home men’s and women’s soccer games will be FREE on the internet with live video and audio as the voice of the Yellowjackets, Ken Adelblue, will have the call.