Yellowjackets Blank Crusaders in Crucial Conference Contest, 3-0

Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – After a disappointing performance at Seattle Pacific on Saturday, the Montana State Billings men’s soccer team responded with a crucial 3-0 victory at Northwest Nazarene Tuesday to keep its NCAA Tournament and Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship hopes alive.  With the win, the Yellowjackets improved to 9-3-2 overall and 3-1-2 in the conference and clinched their third consecutive winning season, while NNU fell to 5-9-1 on the year and 0-5-1 in conference play.

“It was a very important win today for us under difficult circumstances,” head coach Dan McNally said.  “Over the weekend we had a number of starters sick with colds and sore throats and today we were missing some starters through illness.  However, I thought the guys who played today were fantastic and they proved how much playing for MSUB means to them.  My two forwards, Sam Charles and Jarred Weisen, were outstanding, their movement and finishing were excellent.” 

MSUB was led by two goals and an assist from senior forward Sam Charles as he led the team with four shots and two on goal.  Jarred Weisen scored the middle goal for his third of the year, while Jeremy DeHerrera added his seventh assist of the year to tie with Chris Andre for the team lead.  Kyle Moriarty tallied his first assist of the season.

Charles scored his first goal at the 8:51 mark as he received a pass from Moriarty for a low shot to the left side and his team-best sixth game-winner of the year.  The Yellowjackets found the back of the net again as Weisen hooked up with Charles and DeHerrera for a shot inside the near post off NNU goalkeeper Cesar Lira for a 2-0 score at the 32:02 mark and a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Just like in the 2-2 tie in Billings earlier in the year, MSUB held the lead at halftime.  This time, however, the lead wouldn’t slip away as Charles converted his second penalty kick of the year for a 3-0 lead just 6:51 in the second half.  MSUB goalkeeper, Sander Tollefson, recorded his first shutout of the season and his second win of the year.  Tollefson stopped four balls in the second half to preserve the shutout.  It was the fifth shutout of the year for the Yellowjackets.

It was the first win for the Yellowjackets against NNU since the Crusaders began intercollegiate men’s soccer last year.  NNU defeated MSUB both times in 2008 and the two teams tied Oct. 3.

MSUB now returns home for the final three home games of the year, beginning with Senior Day on Saturday, versus cross-town foe Rocky Mountain College at 2:30 p.m., at Yellowjacket Field.  MSUB will be honoring six seniors who are playing their final seasons at MSUB.  The Yellowjackets then host Saint Martin’s on Oct. 29, and Western Washington on Oct. 31, to round out the home stand.  MSUB then is scheduled to conclude the regular season at Rocky on Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. in a makeup game from Oct. 11.