Lady Jackets Shut Out St. Cloud State to Start Unbeaten (Aug. 29, 2004)
Box Score

ST. CLOUD, MN – The Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team shutout St. Cloud State, 4-0, on Sunday to improve to 2-0 to start the season.  Alyssa Wolfer’s two goals led the Yellowjackets, who extended their school-record road winning streak to four games.

Wolfer (So, F, Longmont, CO) opened the scoring at in the fourteenth minute with the first goal of her college career.  She was assisted by Margot Merrill-Johnson (Sr., MF, Salt Lake City).  Merrill-Johnson found the net in the thirtieth minute to give MSU Billings a 2-0 advantage that it carried into halftime.  Merrill-Johnson’s three points give her 42 for her career, second-best in school history.

“The first half was the best I’ve seen us play in my time here,” said third year head coach Don Trentham.  “We played exactly the type of soccer we talked about all preseason.  It was fun to watch.  We had a balanced attack, and I think they (St. Cloud) had trouble adjusting.”

Wolfer tallied her second goal of the game at 48:17 to move MSU Billings ahead 3-0.  Kelsey Vinnedge (So., MF, Great Falls, MT) had the assist after scoring her first collegiate goal in Friday’s win over Bemidji State.  Former West High standout Brittney Sandau (Fr., MF, Billings, MT) netted her first collegiate goal in the seventieth minute to put the game out of reach.

The Yellowjackets dominated the game on both ends of the field.  Goalkeeper Megan Plank (So., GK, Phoenix, AZ) recorded her first shutout and second victory of the season, making three saves.  The MSU Billings defense helped her cause by keeping the ball on the St. Cloud State half of the field for much of the contest.  The Yellowjackets out shot the Huskies 25-9 in the game, including 16-4 in the first half.  Eleven of the Jackets’ shots were on goal, led by three from Merrill-Johnson.  Wolfer, Sandau and Ally Taylor (So., MF, Ojai, CA) each had two shots on goal.

“Alyssa had a strong weekend, and Brittney was really effective on the right side,” said Trentham of the two players who were seeing their first action at their respective positions.  Wolfer played the entire 2003 season as a backup goalkeeper, and Sandau is a true freshman.

“We came out fired up and ready to play,” added Trentham.  “We are very pleased to be 2-0.  It was a great start to the season.  Now we have to get ready for our own tournament next weekend with two good teams coming to town.”

The Yellowjackets open the home schedule with the Third Annual MSU Billings Cup Sponsored by Thrifty Car Rental next weekend when they host North Dakota and Mesa State.  MSU Billings will take on North Dakota at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 4.  UND and Mesa State will meet on Sunday, and the Yellowjackets will take on Mesa State to wrap up the tournament at 1:00 p.m. on Labor Day.