MSUB men's soccer 2015 season review

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, November 18, 2015 MSUB men’s soccer 2015 season review

Completing its first winning season since 2012, MSUB’s men’s soccer team finishes the 2015 season with a record of 8-64 in fourth place in the GNAC. BILLINGS, Mont. – For the first time since the 2012 season, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team turned in a winning record and finished the Great Northwest Athletic Conference campaign in fourth place.

The Yellowjackets ended their season with a record of 8-6-4 overall, and were one game over .500 in GNAC games at 65-3.

“I am very happy with the season,” commented third-year head coach Alex Balog. “If you compare where we came from in 2013 the incline has been incredibly steep, not just in our record but in the caliber of young men we are bringing in.

Their performance in the classroom, commitment to serving this community, and commitment to overall excellence are some things that are just at a different level from where the program was a few years ago.”

Under Balog’s direction, the ‘Jackets went from a 3-10-5 season in 2013 to a 6-9-3 mark overall last year before breaking through with a winning record this season.

Fueling the turn-around for MSUB was a significant increase in offensive output, as the Yellowjackets led the GNAC in goals (35), goals per game (1.94), and ranked second in points (98), and assists (28). MSUB combined the top offense in the conference with a strong defensive unit, which ranked fourth in goals allowed (24), goals-against average (1.27), and shutouts (5).

“After last season, we set out to find a real goal scorer,” Balog said. “We wanted to find just one difference maker, and we knew we had to be patient in finding him.”

Balog and the ‘Jackets knew they had found that player in sophomore transfer Ricardo Palomino, but they could not have projected that he would lead the GNAC in goals and be a first-team all-conference pick while sharing the Newcomer of the Year award.

In just one season, Palomino has already etched his name into MSUB’s record books, as his 16 goals were the fourth-most in a single season behind only former NCAA Division II Player of the Year Sam Charles.

Palomino had six multi-goal games, including a four-goal performance against South Dakota School of Mines on Sept. 13, and a heroic hat trick against Concordia on Oct. 17 that erased a 2-0 halftime deficit and pushed MSUB to an improbable victory.

Palomino also had a pair of assists on the season, finishing with a GNACbest 34 points. As of Nov. 18 his total goals ranked No. 12 in all of Division II and his total points ranked No. 18. He was twice picked as the GNAC Player of the Week throughout the season.

“We looked at a number of players, but we only offered our last scholarship when we were convinced we had a guy who would help make us successful on the field,” Balog said. “Bringing Ricardo in was very Sam Butterworth (7) and Niklas Schregel (4) congratulate Palomino after his second of three goals important, but there was much against Concordia on Oct. 17. more that worked out for us than bringing in a goal scorer. It was a real team effort, and making our guys believe that they were better than our opponents was an important factor for us.”

While Palomino stole headlines, MSUB’s offense was also fueled by the emergence of junior Julian Toenges. In his second year with the Yellowjackets, Toenges turned in the second-most assists in the GNAC (10) and earned secondteam all-conference honors.

Toenges finished the year with 16 points, starting all 18 matches and playing 1,448 minutes as a midfielder. His best individual performance came in the form of three assists and a goal against South Dakota Mines, and he completed the year with three goals.

Junior Julian Toenges.

“To have Julian understand and believe in the fact that he can be a dominant winger in our conference was huge,” Balog said.

Four more graduating seniors played key roles as midfielders, as veteran leadership was one of the key factors for MSUB this season. Starting 10 games and playing in all 18 was Fernando Perez, who scored a pair of goals including a crucial game-winner in a 1-0 triumph at home over Northwest Nazarene University on Oct. 15. “If I had to pick a player of the season, Fernando’s is probably the first name that comes to mind,” Balog said. “He is a guy we would have liked to have for four years, because he is a true warrior. He was one of our most consistent players, and never crumbled under pressure.”

Daragh Kavanagh, Guido Riffeser, and David Loeung also put in quality minutes each contributing to MSUB’s offensive output in different ways. Kavanagh scored his first career goal at home against Seattle Pacific on Oct. 10, while Riffeser had an assist to Palomino in the Yellowjackets’ home match against Saint Martin’s.

“Daragh is a player who is able to recognize his spot on the team and who pushes the players around him to be better,” Balog commented. “He definitely contributed to Senior Fernando Perez. our season and went out with a bang. Guido is very well respected by the players and coaches, and is a guy who has made a very positive contribution to the program as well. During his one semester here he became a real Yellowjacket.”

Loeung began the season as one of MSUB’s brightest offensive talents, until a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Through eight games, Loeung had three goals and a pair of assists, totaling eight points in 536 minutes.

“David started the season off unbelievably well, as his junior year had been somewhat rocky,” said Balog. “He impacted play on and off the field. The David who we got back in August is someone who I’d like to work with again.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Yellowjackets were anchored by a back line of upperclassmen playing in front of junior goalkeeper Tom Lohmann.

Leading the way as team captain was four-year starter Cameron Lee, who started 17 matches and played 1,537 minutes as a center back. In his four-year career, Lee started 68 games and played in 70, logging more than 6,000 minutes. He was an honorable mention all-conference pick this season, and also currently serves as MSUB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president.

“Cameron is a truly unbelievable leader,” Balog said. “On the field he is the first to go into battle, and off the field he is a guy our team leans very heavily on. His positive attitude and never-say-die mentality are some things that are going to be remembered in this program for a long time.”

Another four-year starter along the back line was Sam Butterworth, who started 16 matches and had three assists on the year. A constant threat both defensively and

Senior Cameron Lee.

offensively along the left side of the field, Butterworth played in 67 matches in his four seasons and finished his stellar career with 5,825 minutes played.

“Sam is a great character, and a very good player,” Balog said. “He has been one of the better left backs in the GNAC over the last four years, and he is a guy who never gave up or stopped fighting.”

Joining Lee and Butterworth were juniors Tom Saltwell and Garret Robinson, who each helped anchor the defensive unit. Robinson led all field players with 1,539 minutes this season, starting all 18 matches and contributing an assist.

In his third season as a starter, Saltwell played 1,231 minutes through 15 games and patrolled the defensive third with Lee in the center of the field.

Senior Sam Butterworth.

being injured.

Filling in the center of the field defensively as midfielders for the majority of the year were Rhys Lambert and Niklas Schregel. Lambert served as team captain and scored a pair of goals in 1,174 minutes. For Schregel, a promising sophomore season was cut short after 13 games as a significant knee injury ended the year. He had scored two goals and played upwards of 900 minutes as a holding mid before

“That right there is the spine of the team for 2016,” Balog commented on his returners in the midfield and on defense.

“Defensively bringing back Tom and Garret, and in the midfield Rhys and Julian, as seniors those guys will want to go out in good fashion. All of those returners are guys who contributed and are on the same page with us in terms of the direction of the program.”

Standing as the rock behind MSUB’s defense, Lohmann was picked as an honorable mention all-conference goalkeeper after recording five shutouts and holding a goals-against average of 1.16 on the year. He made 55 saves while starting all 18 games, and even contributed an assist offensively as he proved his effectiveness as a distributor.

“Tom played a season that was a lot better and more consistent than last year’s,” Balog said. “In my eyes there is no doubt that he is the best keeper in the GNAC, and he keeps us in games with his hands, feet, and brain. I am looking forward to him pushing himself to a new and higher level next year.”

Several newcomers and younger players got their first taste of action with MSUB, as the nucleus of talent within the program runs deep. Junior striker Thiago Novis played a big role in MSUB’s offensive scheme, scoring four goals and adding a pair of assists in his first year after transferring from Fresno Pacific University. Novis earned GNAC Player of the Week honors during the final week of the regular season, as he scored twice in MSUB’s final match against the University of Mary.

“Bringing Ricardo in was very important, but I think if you look at Thiao who played so much better in the second half than the first you see another player

Junior Tom Lohmann.

who deserves credit,” Balog said, as Novis battled an early-season injury before finishing the year strong. “We are looking for him to have another consistent season for us next year, and we know he is going to want to hit the ground running in the fall.”

In their second season in the program, sophomores Jorge Paez, Strom Nuernberger, Eli Williams, and Joe Scott each contributed as well. Paez scored and had two assists, while playing in all 18 games and starting nine.

Williams and Nuernberger each had roles filling in as outside backs, with Williams starting two games and Nuernberger starting one throughout the season.

In goal, Scott saw action in four matches and totaled 74 minutes behind Lohmann.

Freshman Jacob Richter played a vital role offensively, as he had three assists and scored his first collegiate goal on the final day of the season at home.

Adam Hepburn also made his way onto the scoring sheet with an assist on the year, playing primarily as a midfielder.

Filling in as defenders, Anthony Morrell and Chris Box each also saw action.

Morrell started a pair of games and played in a dozen overall.

“We have a number of players who have tasted some success and who now know what the GNAC is about,” Balog said. “They have experienced what it Freshman Jacob Richter. feels like to be playing for something until the end of the season, and I know these younger guys are going to give it their all going forward. They owe it to themselves and to the program, and to the guys who have laid the foundation for the success we are having right now.”

TRIBUTE TO TREVOR Throughout the Yellowjackets’ season, the team played with the memory of fallen teammate Trevor Wildberger in their hearts. Wildberger had committed to MSUB as a goalkeeper, before passing away in August after a battle with cancer.

The Yellowjackets honored Wildberger and his family during a pregame ceremony on MSUB Kicks Cancer Day on Oct. 17, during which TEAM Impact team member Sebastien Easton performed the ceremonial kickoff prior to the match.

The ‘Jackets also compiled a tribute video to Wildberger and his family, sharing condolences and thoughts about what he meant to the program.

RECORD-BOOK REARRANGEMENT Through 54 career matches, Balog’s record as head coach improved to 17-25-12 (.426), and he has gone 15-19-8 (.452) in GNAC matches over three seasons. The Yellowjackets were honored as the GNAC Team of the Week after defeating Northwest Nazarene and Concordia at home on Oct. 15-17, and remained in contention for a GNAC title until the final two weeks of the regular season.

MSUB’s five goals in a game – scored on three different occasions – tied for the sixth-best in program history. Overall on the season, MSUB’s 35 goals were the fifth-most in Yellowjacket history, while its 28 assists and 98 total points were each fourth-most.

Novis’s goal 19 seconds into the match against Saint Martin’s on Oct. 10 tied for second-fastest in MSUB history, and the 50 seconds in between goals by Palomino and Loeung at University of Mary on Sept. 19 was the third-fastest time between consecutive goals.

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