FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, October 18, 2016 MSUB women’s soccer set for final road trip of regular season
Playing its final two road matches of the regular season this week, MSUB’s women’s soccer team remains in the hunt for a berth in the GNAC Championships. BILLINGS, Mont. – Preparing for its final road trip of the regular season this week, the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team will travel to Washington to face a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents. The Yellowjackets (3-8-2, 3-4-1 GNAC) will challenge Saint Martin’s University on Thursday at 3 p.m. Mountain time in Lacey, Wash., before taking on Seattle Pacific University on Saturday at 2 p.m. Mountain time in Seattle. Both matches will feature live statistics only, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. The conference standings remain crowded entering the final stretch of the regular season, with six teams still in contention to earn one of the four berths into the GNAC Championships. The Yellowjackets are currently in sixth place with 10 points, and are within two points of Simon Fraser and four points of fourth-place Concordia.
Saint Martin’s is currently tied for seventh place with three points, while Seattle Pacific occupies the third-place spot with 17 points. Last week, the Yellowjackets endured a pair of setbacks at home, falling to Seattle Pacific 1-0 on Thursday and coming up just short in a 2-1 loss to Central Washington on Saturday. MSUB is 2-4 in road matches this season. STRONG SENIOR SEASON CONTINUES FOR LUBIENIECKI: Scoring her team’s only goal last week, senior Dana Lubieniecki continues to build on her best season yet as a Yellowjacket. Again displaying her precision on the ball, Lubieniecki curled a shot from a tough angle inside the box off of the far goal post and into the back of the net against Central Washington. The strong finish helped get MSUB back into the game, but the team could not find an equalizer in the narrow loss. It was Lubieniecki’s fifth goal of the year, and the eighth of her four-year career at MSUB. She is tied for sixth in the GNAC in goals, and has added a pair of assists to rank seventh in the conference with a dozen points.
Senior Dana Lubieniecki leads the team with five goals this season.
BUILDING FROM THE BACK: The Yellowjackets’ lone goal started with the defensive unit, as freshman center back Amanda Hemmen won the ball and calmly connected a pair of passes through the midfield. Bailey Griglio and Sarah Farris each had a touch on the ball before Lubieniecki carried it into the box and finished. “We have really been focusing on build-ups, and starting from the back instead of just getting the ball over the top,” Farris commented on the scoring play. “We had really good possession at that point, and Dana hit the ball right on the back post. It was a really good goal by us.”
Though it didn’t result in a goal, it was similar pressure from the back from Kalin Sandow that helped create other offensive chances for the ‘Jackets last week. The freshman outside back won several challenges in the defensive third, that helped push the ball forward into MSUB’s attacking unit. Keeping the defense anchored at center back, senior captain Kari Kastelic continued her streak of playing every minute with two more complete game efforts last week. She has been joined by Sandow and Courteney Shovlin on the outside, and Hemmen in the center with junior Kylee Wolfe slotting in as well. SEVEN STOPS FOR DELGADILLO: Facing 27 total shots in the two games last week, sophomore Lili Delgadillo made seven key saves to keep her team in both matches. She now ranks third in the GNAC with 67 total saves on the season, and is averaging 5.15 saves per match. “Lili has been very consistent this year, being loud in the back, communicating, and making some great saves,” said fellow sophomore Jordan Devoto. “Just her presence back there has made a difference, and her being loud back there has helped keep us in games.” WARREN LOOKING TO SCORE: Senior Hayley Warren impacted the Yellowjackets’ offense against Seattle Pacific, taking a season-high three shots. Warren scored in each of her first two games of the season after missing time with an injury, and has started the last six matches at forward for the ‘Jackets.
TEAM STATS: MSUB has conceded 22 goals on the season while scoring 12 times, for an average just under one goal per game at 0.92. The team is averaging 9.5 shots per game and holds a shots-on-goal percentage of 47.6. The ‘Jackets tend to rally late in games, with 10 of their 12 goals coming in the second half or overtime. Thursday, October 20 – at Saint Martin’s University Saints – 3 PM MTN SMU Soccer Field | Lacey, WA 2016 Record: 2-11-1, 1-7 GNAC Head Coach: Rob Walker, 10th season 2015 Record: 3-14, 1-11 GNAC (8th) The Saints have lost three straight matches and seven of their last eight overall. The team lost to Simon Fraser at home 4-0, before playing Central Washington tough in a 3-2 road loss in last week’s games. Thursday’s meeting will be the first of the season between SMU and MSUB, as the Saints are the lone GNAC team the Yellowjackets have yet to play. Senior Hannah Frakes leads the team offensively, with four goals scored and an assist for nine total points. Three years after winning GNAC Freshman of the Year honors, Kelli Bannerman has started all 14 matches and has scored three of the Saints’ 12 goals so far in her senior campaign. Seniors Sara Massee and Taylor Gersch have been the key players defensively for SMU, with each starting all 14 matches and playing upwards of 1,200 minutes. Freshman Rose Robbins has contributed right away as well, starting all 14 games in her first season. In goal, Ali Koehler has started every match and has recorded 35 saves in 1,058 minutes. She holds a goals-against average of 3.15 and has notched one shutout this season. The Series: MSUB leads the all-time series against SMU with a record of 11-5-2. The Yellowjackets have won the last three matches between the two teams. Last Time Out: MSUB won both games between the teams last season, including a 2-0 win at home on Oct. 17 and a 4-1 triumph on the road on Oct. 1. Griglio scored all three of her goals last year against SMU, Alycia Wright scored once in both games, and Lubieniecki contributed a goal in the road win. Saturday, October 22 – at Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 2 PM MTN Interbay Stadium | Seattle 2016 Record: 8-2-3, 5-1-2 GNAC Head Coach: Arby Busey, 2nd season 2015 Record: 14-5-2, 7-3-2 GNAC (3rd) The Falcons are coming off of a 3-0 win over Simon Fraser last Saturday, after holding off MSUB in a 1-0 result in Billings last Thursday. SPU is now undefeated over its last five matches, and in nine of its last 10 games overall. The Falcons will host No. 1 Western Washington on Thursday evening before Saturday’s match against the ‘Jackets.
Hannah Huesers scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season on Saturday, and she is tied for most goals in the conference this season. Maddie Krauss has scored three goals and added three assists for SPU, which has out-scored the opposition 21-8 this season. Senior Emma Holm continues to be a staple defensively, having started all 13 matches. Maddie Sjothun, Brooke Lancaster, and Kaytlin Willis are the other field players to have started every match, with the latter two each scoring a goal. Molly Stinson picked up her third and fourth shutouts of the year last week, and holds a goals-against average of 0.59 overall. She has made 61 saves in 1,228 minutes in 13 starts. The Series: The Falcons improved to 18-4-1 all-time against the Yellowjackets and have now won the last three games between the teams. Last Time Out: The first career goal by Haley Ayers proved to be the deciding factor in last week’s meeting, as SPU scored in the 78th minute and shut down MSUB offensively.
--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--