Yellowjackets Blank East Stroudsburg for MSU Billings Cup (August 30, 2003) 

BILLINGS, MT – After Labor Day weekend a year ago, the MSU Billings women’s soccer team was 0-2 and had been outscored 9-1.  Courtesy of a 2-0 victory over East Stroudsburg on Sunday, the Yellowjackets are 1-0-1 and haven’t allowed a goal in 2003.  The Jackets kept their own trophy at home this year after emerging as the only unbeaten team in the 2003 MSU Billings Cup Sponsored by Thrifty Car Rental.

“Obviously the big thing with us is that we’ve improved defensively, big time,” said head coach Don Trentham.  “To have two shutouts in the first two games is pretty impressive.  The biggest change between now and last year is the attitude of the seven returners.  They put in the work last year to get better and mentored the freshmen in the preseason.  They have the attitude that they’re going to make the program respectable.”

The Yellowjackets put together two respectable performances this weekend, earning a 0-0 tie with St. Cloud State before their two goal victory over ESU in the MSU Billings Cup championship game.  Freshman Megan Plank (Phoenix, AZ) was in goal for all 210 scoreless minutes of the weekend, earning tournament MVP honors.  Plank replaced injured Alyssa Wolfer as the starter in midweek and recorded 15 saves for the weekend, including seven on Sunday.

“For Megan to be announced the starter on Wednesday, her performance was big,” said Trentham.  “We knew she would do a good job.  With our team, our defense is good enough that we’re only going to give up a couple good looks per game.  Now we have keepers who can make some big saves.  That’s something we didn’t have last year.”

Margot Merrill-Johnson (Jr., Salt Lake City) gave Plank the only goal she would need in the 29^th minute when she headed in Ally Taylor’s (Fr., Ojai, CA) corner kick to put the Yellowjackets ahead 1-0.  Taylor had a hand in both Jacket goals.  Early in the second half, she took the ball in the middle of the field and weaved through the Warrior defense to beat ESU goalkeeper Lindsay Vandergrift one-on-one to the left side of the net in the 53^rd minute.  Plank and the Yellowjacket defenders did the rest, shutting down the Warriors for the remainder of the half.

“Our back four of Candy Cherry (Jr., Missoula, MT), Heidi Robertson (Sr., Great Falls, MT), Stacy Dix (Fr., Grand Junction, CO) and Stephanie Clark (Jr., Tualatin, OR) played very well this weekend,” said Trentham.  “In a region like ours, you’re going to have to be defensively strong to do well.  Offensively we’re not clicking yet, but there are signs that it’s coming together. Ally showed she could play at this level with an assist and a goal today in just her second collegiate game.”

“As pleased as I am with the weekend,” Trentham added, “we’ve got a big game on Saturday with a regional opponent.  We’re coming to a stretch where we play four Far West Region games against four good opponents.  It’s nice to be unbeaten at this point in the season, but our real test will be the upcoming regional opponents.  This program has never beaten a team in the Far West Region, and that is our next goal.”

The Yellowjackets host Northwest Nazarene next Saturday.  They are 0-3 all time against the Crusaders and 0-19 against West Region teams.  Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field.