Men’s Soccer Preview: Jackets, New Coach Begin Building for Future

BILLINGS, MT – After three straight six win seasons and an off-season coaching change, the Montana State-Billings men’s soccer team will look to lay the groundwork for the future in 2005.  New head coach Dan McNally began practice on Monday with a host of new players and an eye on blending the old with the new.

“I’m very happy with the way camp has started,” said McNally between practices this week.  “I feel I brought in a good mix of freshmen and returning players.  The chemistry between them looks good at this point.  I’m looking for two or three freshmen to pressure the returning players for starting positions.” 

“I think once the team gels, we’ll have a solid season.  Right now the most pleasing aspects of camp have been the commitment to working hard and the positive attitude of all the players toward what we’re trying to achieve.  I’ve very happy with the way the players have responded to me as a new coach.  It made me feel at home right away.  Everyone has responded well to my coaching and my philosophy.”

The Yellowjackets were 6-12-0 last season and failed to win back-to-back games at any point along the way.  Gone from that team is most of the offensive punch—graduating players accounted for 18 of the 24 goals scored.  The biggest loss to graduation was Thomas Pertuit, who scored 11 goals and added three assists for a team-high 25 points.  Pertuit, one of the most productive offensive players in the history of the program, will remain with the team this season as an assistant coach.

With 2005 being a transition year offensively, McNally plans to build the team’s foundation around the defense and a disciplined approach.  The Jackets were outscored by 20 goals in 2004, a stat that McNally will try to change this season.

“I feel personally that in order to turn the program around, it’s essential to create a defensive philosophy and an understanding of what we’re trying to achieve on defense,” said McNally.  “We’ll pick the best system to fit the players we have.  I consider myself to be a flexible coach.  This year I want to be strong and resolute defensively and creative and counter attacking on offense.”

While shoring up the defense is the top priority on the field, McNally is also working on an attitude adjustment focused on confidence.  In the past three seasons, the Yellowjackets have been 6-11-0, 6-9-1, and 6-12-0. 

“One thing I’m very much trying to achieve is to create a positive team spirit and a positive attitude,” McNally said.  “The players need to believe that we can have success rather than accepting mediocrity.  One thing that is very important for the players to understand is that we’re building a new men’s soccer program, and it will take time and patience.  The rewards will be there at the end.”

McNally won’t be able to ease into his first season as a head collegiate coach.  The Jackets’ 18-game schedule doesn’t appear to have any guaranteed wins, and there are a number of dates with top Division II programs.  MSU Billings has a pair of tune up games before the regular season kicks off.  The Jackets will play an alumni game on August 13 and an exhibition game against North Idaho College on August 20.

The Yellowjackets will lace up against two solid Midwest Region teams to open the season on the last weekend of August.  They play at Metro State on August 26 and at Colorado School of Mines on August 28.  Those teams finished second and third respectively in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last year.  Win or lose, McNally believes that the Yellowjackets can establish a tone for the rest of the season during the opening weekend.

“I’m looking forward to the opening exhibition game against North Idaho,” he said.  “It will be a great opportunity for me to assess the squad in a realistic game situation.  Our first games at Metro and Colorado Mines is a very, very important start.  I feel we need to make a good start to give us a base for the season even though they are two very difficult games.”

The Yellowjackets’ first seven games—and 13 of their 18 for the season—will be on the road.  Following the season opener in Colorado they will drive to Salt Lake City for the Westminster College Tournament.  MSUB plays three games in as many days in Salt Lake before driving to Bismarck for a pair of games the following weekend.

The Jackets open their short home schedule on September 21 when they host University of the Incarnate Word.  McNally and company could have drawn an easier home opener.  The Cardinals finished last season ranked fifth in the nation and should be among the elite in NCAA Division II once again this year.

“I feel we have a strong schedule,” said McNally.  “Overall it’s a very testing schedule.  If we can come through it with success it will be a credit to the program.  Obviously it’s tough to have as many road games as we do and not many home games.”

Following the game against Incarnate Word, the second half of the Yellowjackets’ schedule will be broken into three segments.  They have a three-game swing to Texas at the end of September.  There they will face Trinity University and Heartland Conference foes St. Edward’s and St. Mary’s.  MSUB returns from Texas for a four-game home stand to start October.  In a span of nine days, the Yellowjackets will host Colorado Christian, Dallas Baptist, Regis, and Colorado State-Pueblo.  The season will wrap up in mid-October with three games in Phoenix.

With another challenging schedule and a large number of freshmen, McNally will rely on a handful of returning players to get the ball rolling early in the season.  Said McNally, “Jesse Spann, Victor Sarget, Patrick Boltz, and Josh Hernandez are our four leaders right now.  I’ll expect those four to provide leadership on and off the field.”

Team captains Spann (Sr., Rock Springs, WY) and Sargent (Jr., Billings, MT) have been with the team since they were freshmen.  Both are midfielders and will be expected to provide scoring.  Defenders Boltz (Sr., Kaneohe, HI) and Hernandez (So., Palmdale, CA) will shoulder the load of anchoring the defense while the Yellowjacket attack develops. 

MSU Billings has two veteran goalkeepers returning.  Jess Feldtman (Sr., Lander, WY) was last year’s starter before going down in midseason with a leg injury.  He posted a 2.67 goals against average in eight games.  Returning after a year away from the game is Yacine Zerizef (Sr., Casper, WY).  Two years ago he had a 1.43 GAA in four games.

Of the 26 players on the roster during training camp, 13 of them are newcomers to the program.  McNally has just two weeks remaining to prepare for the season opener, but after the first week of camp all indications are that the Jackets are off to a good start.

“I definitely sense that during the preseason we will establish leaders on the field that will replace the players we lost,” said McNally.  “We’ll miss Thomas Pertuit on the field, but he’ll be an asset as an assistant.  I look at it as an opportunity for freshmen and returning players to establish themselves at this level because they’ll get opportunities to play right away.”

2005 Men’s Soccer Schedule
8/13 – Alumni Game
8/20 – North Idaho College (exhibition)
8/26 – at Metropolitan State
8/28 – at Colorado School of Mines
9/2 – vs. Cal State-Monterey Bay (in Salt Lake City)
9/3 – vs. Colorado-Colorado Springs (in Salt Lake City)
9/4 – at Westminster College
9/10 – vs. University of Sioux Falls (in Bismarck)
9/11 – at University of Mary
9/21 – Incarnate Word
9/23 – at Trinity
9/25 – at St. Edward’s
9/27 – at St. Mary’s
10/1 – Colorado Christian
10/5 – Dallas Baptist
10/8 – Regis
10/9 – Colorado State-Pueblo
10/14 – at Embry-Riddle
10/15 – vs. Humboldt State (in Phoenix)
10/17 – at Grand Canyon