Yellowjacket Soccer Team Begins Tough Road Trip Friday (Sept. 18, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – The MSU Billings men’s soccer team will take its 5-2-1 record on the road for its toughest test of the season this weekend.  The Yellowjackets will face three Far West Region opponents in the span of four days, including the region’s eighth-ranked team.

The Yellowjackets are just two wins off the school record at the midpoint of the season, but are a combined 0-10 against the three opponents they face this weekend.  MSUB will face Seattle Pacific on Friday, Seattle University on Sunday, and Western Washington on Monday. 

SPU is 1-4-1 overall and will be playing its first home game of the season when the Jackets visit Friday.  The Falcons tied Simon Fraser, ranked 21^st in NAIA, on Wednesday.  Seattle is ranked No. 8 in the Far West Region and has a 5-2-0 record.  Western Washington is just 1-5-1 entering Thursday’s game at Humboldt State.

The Yellowjackets are led offensively by Billings native Thomas Pertuit, a junior midfielder who has scored eight goals and 19 points.  He single-handedly lifted the Yellowjackets to a 3-2 win over Morningside last weekend with three goals, and added another goal in the Jackets’ 3-2 double OT victory over Mary.  The only other Yellowjacket with more than one goal on the season is Victor Sargent, another Billings Senior HS product.  Sargent has scored two goals and handed out two assists for six points.  Robbie Thimm (Sr., Park City, UT) is tied with Pertuit for the team lead in assists with three.

Head Coach Doug Seigle has utilized three goalkeepers so far, with Jess Feldtman (So., Lander, WY) leading the trio with 321 minutes and 11 saves.  Yacine Zerizef (So., Casper, WY) has logged 300 minutes and made 11 saves.  Zerizef leads the team with a 1.20 goals-against average.  Kevin Petritz (Jr., Butte, MT) has been in net for 150 minutes and has made six saves.

The Yellowjackets are averaging 1.98 goals per game while holding their opponents to just 1.52 goals per game.  They have out-shot their opponents 118 to 76 and have held four of their eight opponents to fewer than two goals.