Jacket Men Fall to Sioux Falls in Bismarck (9/10/05)
Box Score

BISMARCK, ND – The final 20 minutes of the game again proved to be the Achilles’ heel for the Montana State-Billings men’s soccer team Saturday as the Yellowjackets dropped a 5-3 neutral site game to University of Sioux Falls.  The Yellowjackets led 3-1 with just 22 minutes to play, but gave up four unanswered goals to drop their season record to 1-5-0.

“Everybody is very disappointed today,” said Yellowjacket head coach Dan McNally.  “For the first time this season we let ourselves down.  Our defending in the last 28 minutes of the game wasn’t good enough to succeed at this level.  The positive out of the performance was we looked dangerous in attack.  We scored three goals, and Dustin Kono has now scored in four consecutive games.”

Kono, a senior from Aberdeen, SD, broke the school record for consecutive games with at least one goal when he found the net in the 53^rd minute to give MSU Billings a 2-1 advantage.  Sioux Falls scored the first goal of the game in the 20^th minute before the Jackets tied the game on a penalty kick in the 31^st minute.  Jesse Spann (Sr., Rock Springs, WY) converted his second PK in the last two games to send the game into a 1-1 halftime tie.

The Yellowjackets appeared to break the game open early in the second half with a pair of goals in the span of three minutes.  Kono’s goal in the 53^rd minute was assisted by Nick Slanina (Fr., Rapid City, SD) and Marcus Riley (Sr., Kalispell, MT).  In the 56^th minute, Slanina scored his first collegiate goal to give the Jackets a 3-1 lead. 

The wheels fell off at that point for the Yellowjacket defense.  Sioux Falls tallied goals in the 68^th minute, 75^th minute, 84^th minute, and 88^th minute.  The Cougars out-shot the Yellowjackets 19-9 in the game with four more shots on goal.  Yellowjacket goalkeeper Jess Feldtman (Sr., Lander, WY) made five saves. 

MSU Billings will try to rebound on Sunday when the Jackets face University of Mary.  Following Sunday’s game, MSU Billings next plays on September 21 when it hosts Heartland Conference opponent University of the Incarnate Word.

“Tomorrow’s game against Mary is very important for us,” said McNally.  “We need to respond in a positive manner and defend as we can.”