Yellowjacket Soccer Teams Home for Futbol Frenzy this Weekend (Sept. 29, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings men’s and women’s soccer teams return home from three-game West Coast swings to host the second annual Futbol Frenzy Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.  Both days will feature men/women double-headers with the women’s games kicking off at noon followed by the men’s games at 2:30 p.m. each day.  There will also be a barbeque at Sunday’s games from noon to 3:00 p.m.  The barbeque is free to MSU Billings students and just $3 for the general public.

The Lady Jackets will try to snap a three-game losing skid against University of Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday before facing Northern State University on Sunday.  After starting the season with a school-record seven-game unbeaten streak, MSU Billings dropped three-straight games in Washington—two of which were to nationally ranked teams—to fall to 6-3-1. 

The Yellowjackets were outscored 7-0 on the Washington trip after scoring 24 goals in their first seven games of the season.  A contributing factor to the scoreless streak was the loss of key midfielder Stephanie Clark (Sr., Tualatin, OR) for the season with an injury.  Clark had a goal and two assists in eight games this season and was third on the team for total shots with 24.  She was injured just 10 minutes into the first game of the trip.

During their scoring spree early in the season, the Yellowjackets relied on a balanced attack.  Margot Merrill-Johnson (Sr., MF, Salt Lake City) leads the team with five goals.  She also has two assists for a team-best 12 points.  Sophomores Alyssa Wolfer (F, Longmont, CO) and Ally Taylor (MF, Ojai, CA) each have 11 points on four goals and three assists. 

Head coach Don Trentham will likely replace Clark—his “quarterback” in the center midfield—with one or more underclassmen.  Brittney Sandau (Fr., MF, Billings, MT) has been a valuable outside mid with two goals and three assists.  Abby Bennett (Fr., MF, Livingston, MT) has been effective off the bench with three goals.  Kelsey Vinnedge (So., MF, Great Falls, MT) has two goals and an assist from the outside.  Amy Stephens (Fr., MF, Colorado Springs, CO) has added a goal and two assists off the bench. 

Goalkeeper Megan Plank (So., Phoenix, AZ) has played all 939:06 in goal for the Yellowjackets this season.  (Wolfer was in goal on Monday for a penalty shot against Western Washington, but since the shot was successful, no time elapsed off the clock.)  Plank has allowed 13 goals for a 1.25 goals against average.  She has 55 saves with a .809 save percentage.

Minnesota-Crookston is 2-7-0 with wins over Mayville State and Saginaw Valley.  While they only average 1.0 goals per game, the Golden Eagles are only allowing 1.8 goals against.  Christie Chappell has scored six of the team’s nine goals.  Goalkeepers Rachel LaFond and Katie Leonard have split time in goal and have a combined 1.78 goals against average with 57 saves.

Northern State is ranked tenth in the most recent NSCAA Central Region poll.  The Wolves are 7-3-0 after blowout wins against Si Tanka and Mayville State last week.  Liz Malatesta was the Northern Sun Conference player of the week after handing out five assists in the two wins.  Defenders Lissa Heaviland and Linsey Bottiger were the conference’s defensive players of the week.  Melissa Gamble and Larissa Strychun have each scored seven goals for the season.  Malatesta has 10 assists.

The Yellowjacket men will also be trying to rebound from a three-game losing streak after Tuesday’s defeat at eighteenth-ranked Seattle Pacific.  They will host Colorado School of Mines on Saturday and Westminster College on Sunday.  Colorado-Mines and Westminster will meet in a neutral site game on Friday.

MSU Billings was outscored 13-2 on the trip to Washington, which included losses at Seattle and Western Washington.  Thomas Pertuit (Sr., MF, Billings, MT) scored the team’s only goal in a 3-1 loss at Western Washington Monday.  He leads the team with eight goals and 18 points.  Only two other Yellowjackets have scored more than one goal.  Brian Palmer (Sr., F, Laramie, WY) has three goals and two assists.  Jesse Spann (Jr., MF, Rock Springs, WY) has two goals.

Kyle Bales (Sr., MF/GK, Cody, WY) has played the last four and a half games in goal for the Yellowjackets after starting keeper Jess Feldtman (Jr., Lander, WY) was injured against Gonzaga two weeks ago.  Bales has allowed 14 goals for a 3.11 goals against average while making 25 saves.  Feldtman, who may be available to return this weekend, has a 2.77 goals against average in seven games with 34 saves. 

Colorado School of Mines is 4-2-2 entering this weekend.  The Orediggers played eleventh-ranked Fort Lewis to a 1-1 draw on Sunday.  They have won primarily with defense, allowing just 0.9 goals per game.  Goalkeeper Kevin Galloway has a 0.92 goals against average in 681 minutes.  Rafael Ribeiro leads the team with three goals and six points.  Three other players have two goals apiece.

Westminster College is 4-3-1 with one of those wins coming against the Yellowjackets in September in Salt Lake.  The Griffins have lost their last two games, falling to Holy Names College and Southern Nazarene last week.  No season stats are available for the Griffins.  Travis Nicolaides scored two goals against the Yellowjackets on September 3, including the tying goal and the game winner with just 10 minutes to play.