2007-2008 Weekly Release #8 (October 8)

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This Week's Schedule

Sun., Oct. 14 - vs. Western Washington, 1 p.m., COT

Click HERE for this week's Yellowjacket Women's Soccer Show featuring head coach Don Trentham

Week in Review

Last week was a week of highs and lows for the Yellowjackets, and Mother Nature was a factor the entire week.  On Wednesday, MSUB battled the rain and Rocky Mountain College for a 2-1 non-conference win in the rain and under the lights at Daylis Stadium.  On Saturday, a flooded field forced the Jackets' game against Seattle to be moved, and when the game was finally played, heartbreak struck in a 4-0 loss to 15th-ranked Seattle University.

MSUB built a 2-0 lead and held on for the win over Rocky Mountain.  The Yellowjackets were in control much of the game but survived scares down the stretch.  MSUB out-shot the Bears 19-5 for the game, including 15-4 in the second half.  The Jackets also had five more shots on goal.

MSU Billings broke the ice at 34:52 when Chelsea Libby took a nice pass from Brittney Sandau near the top of the box and fired from about 15 yards.  The goal was Libby’s first of the season, and it was Sandau’s fifth assist.

“We did a good job of getting the ball forward and creating chances,” said Yellowjacket head coach Don Trentham.  “We did a good job of playing the ball on their half.  I thought we could maybe have put one or two more goals in the net.  The offense did a good job of making things happen, and the outside mids did a good job of getting around their backs.  When we’re playing on their half, that helps our defense out too.  Our attack became a good defense for us tonight.”

In the 62nd minute, the Yellowjackets scored what at the time looked like an insurance goal, but later turned out to be the game winner.  Mandy Ploskonka took a pass in the center of the field about 30 yards from the goal.  She worked her way around a defender and fired a rocket into the upper right corner.  It was Ploskonka's sixth goal of the year.

“Mandy’s goal was a great goal,” said Trentham.  “She did well to get around the defender, and she hit it great.  It was an important goal to give us a 2-0 cushion, and it turned out to be really important when they scored a few minutes later.  It was a quality goal, probably one of our best of the season.”

The Bears cut into the lead just four and a half minutes later when Alexis Deleo sent a high bouncing pass toward the Jackets’ goal where it was picked up by Allison Beckers.  Beckers was able to get behind Yellowjacket keeper Jordan Fenwick for the easy goal.  Fenwick was able to turn back Rocky scoring chances down the stretch to preserve the win.

Saturday was a day that just went from bad to worse for the Yellowjackets.  After rain overnight and throughout the morning, the Jackets’ home field was flooded and deemed unplayable by game officials.  The game kicked off an hour and a half late across town at Rocky Mountain College. 

Thirty minutes into the contest with the Jackets trailing 1-0, captain and leading scorer Brittney Sandau was tackled hard while driving toward the goal and sustained a serious injury.  After being tended to by medical personnel for over 30 minutes, Sandau was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with an apparent season-ending injury.

The Redhawks scored the game’s first goal at 23:33 when Maryann Boddy converted on a penalty kick.  It was Boddy’s first goal of the season.  Seattle took the 1-0 into halftime having out-shot the Jackets 14-4 in the period.  Seattle finished the game with a 24-10 shots advantage.

MSUB responded early in the second half, sending three shots on goal at Redhawk keeper Kaitlyn Jackson within the first 15 minutes.  Jackson made saves on all three shots, turning the momentum back to the Redhawks.

“I thought the game came down to us not converting our chances and them converting their chances,” said Trentham.  “When it was 1-0 we had several opportunities to tie the game.  We didn’t take advantage of them.  When you’re playing against a good team like Seattle and don’t take advantage of opportunities, they’re going to punish you.”

The Jackets’ early second half surge ended when Madison Collins headed in a corner kick from Ashley Porter to give Seattle a 2-0 lead at 68:51.  Less than 10 minutes later, Boddy sent a short cross to Leah Wymer, who headed in her 13th goal of the season for a 3-0 lead.  Seattle’s fourth goal came from Jamie Coe in the 85th minute.  Boddy again made a nice cross into the box from the left side, where the ball was flicked to Coe from Porter.  Yellowjacket keeper Jordan Fenwick had reacted to Porter and was caught out of position, giving Coe an easy tap in for her second goal of the year.

“I didn’t think we played well in the first 15 minutes of the game and the lat 15 minutes of the game,” said Trentham.  “Aside from that, it was a good game.  While we lost 4-0, we’re going to take some positive things from this match because we did do some things well.  We have to build on what we did well and correct the mistakes we made.”

Record Watch:
Sandau was unquestionably the Jackets most valuable player thus far this season with seven goals and five assists.  She will finish her career ranked second in school history with 76 career points, fourth with 27 career goals, and second with 22 career assists.  Saturday’s game was her 69th career start, only five short of the school record.  Her 70 games played are also second in school history.  While she won't climb any higher in the school record books, Sandau will certainly be recognized as one of the program's best players....Junior midfielder Mandy Ploskonka continued to quietly put together a solid season with another goal last week.  Her sixth goal of the season on Wednesday was the 12th of her career.  That ranks fifth in school history.  She also ranks fifth with 34 career points.

NSCAA National (Oct. 2) -   3. Seattle Pacific, 15. Seattle. Far West Regional (Oct. 2) -  1. Seattle Pacific, 3. Seattle, 4. Western Washington, 9. MSU Billings. NCAA Division II Far West Regional – The first poll will be released Wednesday by 1:30 p.m.  Polls will also be released on Oct. 17, Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 5.

NCAA National Statistics (Sept. 30): Individuals: Points - 14. Sarah Martinez, SPU, 2.50; 23. Leah Wymer, SU, 2.25. Goals - 16. Sarah Martinez, SPU, 1.08; 18. Leah Wymer, SU, 1.00. Assists - 1. Ashley Porter, SU, and Meredith Teague, SPU, 0.92; 23. Claire Morgan, WWU, 0.64. Goals Against - 7. Kaitlyn Jackson, SU, 0.41; 13. Jesslyn Rahm, SPU, 0.54; 19. Teresa Fish, WWU, 0.62. Save PCT. - 21. Teresa Fish, WWU, .865; 32. Kaitlyn Jackson, SU, .844. Team: Scoring - 25. Seattle Pacific 2.83; 36. Seattle 2.50; 43. Montana State Billings 2.36. Goals Against - 6. Seattle 0.41; 16. Western Washington 0.62; 21. Seattle Pacific 0.66. Shutout Percentage - 6. Seattle .667 10. Western Washington .636; 29. Seattle Pacific .500. Save Percentage - 14. Western Washington .865; 25. Seattle .848.

GNAC PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: Shawnna Chastain, Central Washington (D, 5-7, Jr., San Diego, CA – University City) anchored a Wildcat defense that held Western Washington without a shot in the first half (and 12 for the game) in a 1-0 win.   CWU has now allowed just one goal (in overtime) in its last four contests. “Saturday’s effort was typical for our girls in their ability to stay organized, win balls and not allow teams to get inside our penalty box,” CWU coach Michael Farrand said.  “As the central defender, Shawnna takes charge and keeps our defense compact and working together.”

HONORABLE MENTION:     Sarah Martinez, Seattle Pacific (F, 5-6, Sr., Bothell, WA – Cedar Park Christian) scored one of the Falcons’ three goals in a 3-0 win against Northwest Nazarene as SPU remained perfect in 13 games.  She set a new GNAC record for career goals (46) and tied the GNAC career record for points (111) set by SPU’s Shannon Lovejoy between 2002 and 2005 with the goal. . .Maryann Boddy, Seattle (M, 5-6, Sr., Bellevue, WA – Seattle Prep) earned her first points of the season, scoring a goal and adding two assists in a 4-0 road win at Montana State Billings. . .Brenna Lander, Western Oregon (F, 5-10, Fr., Poulsbo, OR – North Kitsap) scored the Wolves’ first goal and had an assist on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime win against Saint Martin’s.

AROUND THE GNAC:  Ashley Porter recorded her 46^th and 47^th career assists and Kaitlyn Jackson earned her ninth shutout of the season making three saves in Seattle’s win at Billings.  Porter has 13 assists this season, one short of her own GNAC record she first set in 2005 and equaled last year. . .Andrea Archer scored the only goal and Amber Easterbrook had six second-half saves in Central Washington’s 1-0 win over Western Washington. .  . Jocelyn Charette, Meredith Teague and Martinez scored Seattle Pacific’s goals in its 3-0 home win over Northwest Nazarene.  The Falcons outshot the Crusaders 16-5. . ..Brittney Sandau was injured in Montana State Billings’ 4-0 loss to Seattle and will likely miss the rest of the season.  She leads the Yellowjackets in goals (7) and assists (5) and ranks second in school history in points (76), fourth in goals (27) and second in assists (22).

Upcoming Opponents

In the all-time series with MSUB, the Wildcats have had the upper hand in six of seven meetings.  The Yellowjackets' only win against CWU was a 5-1 blowout in Billings in 2004. 

Kelsey Penn leads Central with seven goals, including two game winners.  She ranks

fourth in the conference for goals and goals per game.  Kaycie Hutchins and Chelsea Lovin have each found the net three times.  Two of Hutchins' three goals have been game winners.  Goalkeepers Amber Easterbrook and Aneesa Gonzales have split time in goal.  Easterbrook is 5-2-0 with a 0.67 goals against average.  Gonzales is 1-4-2 with a 1.63 GAA.

All-time Series:  CWU leads series 6-1-0
Last Meeting:  CWU def. MSUB 3-0 on Sept. 22, 2007 in Ellensburg

Western Washington University

MSU Billings is still in search of its first win against WWU.  The Jackets had the Vikings on the ropes in Bellingham on Sept. 20, but they gave up the tying goal with just 49 seconds left in regulation and settled for a 2-2 draw.

Claire Morgan and Amanda Font each enter the week with four goals on the season.  All four of Font's goals have been game winners.  Morgan ranks third in the GNAC with seven assists.  Keeper Teresa Fish has played all 1202 minutes in goal this season and has a 0.75 GAA, fourth-best in the GNAC.  Her 52 saves rank third in the league.

All-time Series:  WWU leads series 3-0-1
Last Meeting:  The teams played to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 20, 2007 in Bellingham

The Stats

Click HERE for current MSU Billings 2007 season statistics

The Standings

2007 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Standings
(Through games of Oct. 61, 2007)

The GNAC Stats Leaders

Click HERE for GNAC Stats Leaders

The Polls

Trentham attended Columbia College (Missouri) and played for head coach Dan Hogan, who is now head coach at University of Southern Indiana.  At Columbia he was part of an NAIA program that was consistently ranked in the top-20, won two conference tournament championships and twice advanced to the regional tournament.  In his senior year, the team finished 17-5 and was ranked ninth in the nation.

It was during his playing days at Columbia when Trentham began coaching.  He was head coach of two teams for the Columbia Pride Soccer Club and was assistant camp director for Columbia College Soccer Camps during the summer.  In 1998 the Missouri Youth Soccer Association honored Trentham as the Boys’ Coach of the Year.

Trentham began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Florida where he had the chance to work two seasons with one of the finest soccer tacticians in the country – David Gregson.  At Embry-Riddle he assisted in guiding the team to a #16 NAIA National Ranking in the final poll of 1999 season, two NAIA Regional Tournament appearances and a Florida Sun Conference regular season championship.

"I've been very fortunate to have played for and coached with two great people," says Trentham.  "Much of what I learned about the game came from Coach Hogan and David Gregson.  Had it not been for those guys, I don't know if I'd be coaching today."

Aside from his head coaching duties with the team at MSU Billings, Trentham also plays an active role in developing players throughout the state and the region.  Over the past two years he has served as the u13 and u14 girls head coach for the Magic City Soccer Club, guiding each team he has coached to Montana State Championships.  In the past he has also coached in the Olympic Development Program serving as the ODP girl's head coach for Montana, as well as an ODP staff coach for Region IV.  Furthermore, he holds many camps, clinics, tournaments, and leagues during the course of the year for both adult and youth players throughout the state.

Trentham earned his bachelor of arts in education from Columbia College and a master's of education in sport management from East Stroudsburg University.  He holds an "A" license from the United States Soccer Federation, as well as an Advanced National license from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. 

Ally Stroup, Assistant Coach

The 2007 season will be Stroup’s first as the Yellowjackets’ women’s assistant soccer coach.  She is a 2007 graduate from MSU Billings, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology with a minor in coaching and graduating cum laude.  

“Ally is a great addition to the coaching staff here at MSUB,” said Director of Soccer and Head Women’s Coach Don Trentham.  “She had a terrific career and a major impact here as a player, and I am confident she will have as big an impact, if not bigger, on our program as a coach.  She knows the game very well and has a tremendous passion for MSUB soccer, and it will be exciting to see her pass on her knowledge and passion to the players in the program.”

As a player, Stroup was a four year starter and two-time captain for the Yellowjackets.  Her freshmen season she was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-West Region Second Team.  As a junior, she received the following honors: MSU Billings Most Valuable Student-Athlete, Heartland All-Conference Team, Scholar-Athlete by her teammates, and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Second Team.  For her senior season, she received the following honors:  ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Second Team, Dakrtonics All-Midwest Region Team, Scholar-Athlete and MVP by her teammates, NSCAA/adidas College Scholar All-West Region Team, NSCAA/adidas Women’s Soccer Scholar All-America College Division First Team. 

At one point during her senior season, the team was ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region and ranked nationally in the top 10.  Stroup finished her MSU Billings career as the school record holder for career goals, assists, points, game winning goals, and games started. 

Stroup plans to begin her Masters of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at MSU Billings in the spring of 2008.  She is married to Garret Stroup, a 2006 graduate of MSU Billings.