2004 Men’s Soccer Wrap Up
Winning Streaks Elude Jackets in ‘04

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings men’s soccer team posted six wins for the third-straight year in 2004, finishing 6-12-0.  The Yellowjackets were unable to put together back-to-back wins at any point of the season.

MSU Billings kicked off the season with a 1-0 win against Humboldt State at the Chico State tournament.  Junior Jesse Spann (Rock Springs, WY) set a school record for the fastest goal to start at game when he found the net just 1:30 into the game.  The Yellowjackets finished the tournament with a closely played 2-0 loss to second-ranked Chico State to finish the opening weekend 1-1. 

The Yellowjackets opened their second tournament of the year with a win the following weekend.  MSU Billings held on to beat Vanguard, 4-3, in the first game of the Westminster College tournament.  Senior Thomas Pertuit (Billings, MT) scored all four goals for the Yellowjackets to tie the school single game record.  The Yellowjackets were unable to gain any momentum from the win, however, losing to host Westminster and Newman over the next two days to fall to 2-3.

MSU Billings kicked off the start of classes with a September 6 home match against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.  The Yellowjackets took a 3-0 lead behind a pair of goals from senior Brian Palmer (Laramie, WY) and held on for a 3-2 win to even their record at 3-3. 

Five straight road games made winning consecutive games a tall task.  The Jackets started the three week road swing with a 5-1 loss at Division I Gonzaga.  Following a 2-1 win at University of Mary that left them at the .500 mark again, MSU Billings dropped three straight to Seattle, Western Washington, and Seattle Pacific.

The promise of five straight home games to start October gave the 4-7 Yellowjackets confidence that they could get back to .500.  They hit a bump in the road in the first game of the home stand, losing 3-1 to Colorado School of Mines.  MSUB bounced back the following day with a 3-0 shutout of Westminster to end a four-game losing streak.  Pertuit scored two of the three goals.

Looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season, the Yellowjackets hosted Si Tanka and Grand Canyon in a three team tournament the following weekend.  A pair of narrow losses ended any hopes of a winning season, dropping MSU Billings to 5-10.

The Yellowjackets wrapped up the home portion of their schedule on a high note, shutting out Mary 2-0 on October 14.  Palmer scored both goals in the game, his fifth and sixth for the season.  Palmer finished second on the team for goals and second for points with 14.

MSU Billings concluded the season on the road in mid-October with losses at Colorado Springs and Metro State.  The Yellowjackets managed just one goal in the two losses and finished the season by being outscored a combined 44-24 by their opponents.

Pertuit capped a solid career by scoring a team-best 11 goals with three assists for 25 points.  He is second in the career school record book for goals and points and first for assists.  He scored 59 points in four seasons on 23 goals and 13 assists.

Senior goalkeeper Kyle Bales

2004 Yellowjacket Team Single Game Records
9 points vs. Vanguard (7^th in school history)
4 goals vs. Vanguard (t-6^th)
3 goals vs. Colorado Springs (t-8^th)
3 goals vs. Westminster (t-8^th)
13 saves vs. Grand Canyon (t-5^th)

2004 Yellowjacket Team Single Season Records
1.33 goals per game (4^th in school history)
24 goals (4^th)
2.44 goals against average (3^rd)
6.00 saves per game (4^th)
108 saves (3^rd)
3 shutouts (1^st)
6 wins (t-2^nd)

2004 Individual Single Game Records
8 points vs. Vanguard – Thomas Pertuit (t-1^st in school history)
4 points vs. Mary – Brian Palmer (t-9^th)
4 points vs. Westminster – Thomas Pertuit (t-9^th)
4 points vs. Colorado Springs – Brian Palmer (t-9^th)
4 goals vs. Vanguard – Thomas Pertuit (t-1^st)
2 goals vs. Mary – Brian Palmer (t-7^th)
2 goals vs. Westminster – Thomas Pertuit (t-7^th)
2 goals vs. Colorado Springs – Brian Palmer (t-7^th)
13 saves vs. Grand Canyon – Kyle Bales (t-4^th)
9 saves vs. Colorado Springs – (t-14^th)
goal at 1:30 vs. Humboldt State – Jesse Spann (1^st fastest goal to start a game)
goal at 6:24 vs. Mary – Brian Palmer (5^th)
Consecutive goals in 1:01 span – Brian Palmer (5^th)

2004 Individual Single Season Records
1.38 points per game – Thomas Pertuit (4^th in school history)
0.87 points per game – Brian Palmer (9^th)
25 points – Thomas Pertuit (2^nd)
14 points – Brian Palmer (9^th)
3 assists – Thomas Pertuit (t-6^th)
0.61 goals per game – Thomas Pertuit (4^th)
0.38 goals per game – Brian Palmer (t-8^th)
11 goals – Thomas Pertuit (t-2^nd)
6 goals – Brian Palmer (t-7^th)
3 consecutive games with a goal – Thomas Pertuit (t-1^st)
2 consecutive games with a goal – Thomas Pertuit (t-3^rd)
6.27 saves per game – Kyle Bales (3^rd)
4.75 saves per game – Jess Feldtman (6^th)
69 saves – Kyle Bales (4^th)
38 saves – Jess Feldtman (8^th)
2.29 goals against average – Kyle Bales (3^rd)
2.67 goals against average – Jess Feldtman (5^th)
2 solo shutouts – Kyle Bales (2^nd)
 

2004 Individual Career Records
0.91 points per game – Thomas Pertuit (3^rd)
0.44 points per game – Kyle Bales (8^th)
0.41 points per game – Robbie Thimm (9^th)
0.34 points per game – Brian Palmer (t-10^th)
59 points – Thomas Pertuit (2^nd)
20 points – Brian Palmer (7^th)
0.35 goals per game – Thomas Pertuit (t-2^nd)
23 goals – Thomas Pertuit (2^nd)
9 goals – Brian Palmer (7^th)
0.28 assists per game – Robbie Thimm (1^st)
0.20 assists per game – Thomas Pertuit (3^rd)
0.19 assists per game – Dustin Kono (4^th)
13 assists – Thomas Pertuit (1^st)
5 assists – Robbie Thimm (t-3^rd)
4 assists – Dustin Kono (t-6^th)
4 assists – Brian Palmer (t-6^th)
6.27 saves per game – Kyle Bales (2^nd)
4.57 saves per game – Jess Feldtman (6^th)
87 saves – Jess Feldtman (4^th)
69 saves – Kyle Bales (6^th)
1.79 goals against average – Jess Feldtman (2^nd)
2.29 goals against average – Kyle Bales (4^th)