Lady Jackets Place Three on All-Conference Team (11/8/05)
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BILLINGS, MT – Three Montana State-Billings women’s soccer players were named to the Heartland Conference All-Conference Team that was announced Tuesday.  The Yellowjackets were 11-5-2 overall in 2005, their first season in the Heartland Conference. 

Junior Ally Stroup

The Yellowjackets’ top two scorers and goalkeeper each were selected to the all-conference team in voting by the league’s coaches.  Representing MSU Billings on the 15-member team were midfielder Ally Stroup (Jr., Ojai, CA), forward Brittney Sandau (So., Billings, MT), and goalkeeper Megan Plank (Jr., Phoenix, AZ).  In addition to the three all-conference selections, the Jackets’ Mandy Ploskonka (Fr., Federal Way, WA) was named the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year.

Stroup steadily climbed the ranks in the MSU Billings school record book during her junior campaign.  She led the Yellowjackets with nine goals, seven assists, and 25 points.  Her first point next season will tie her with Margot Merrill-Johnson as the all-time leading scorer in

Sophomore Brittney Sandau

 school history.   For her career she is third in school history for goals scored (24), first for assists (22) and tied for second for points (70).  She is also second in school history with eight career game winning goals; four of her game winners came this year.

Sandau joined Stroup as the team’s leading goal scorer this season with nine goals.  She added one assist for 19 points.  Sandau came within one game of tying the school record for consecutive games with a goal this year, scoring a goal in each of the first four games of the season.  For her career Sandau has 12 goals, seven assists, and 31 points.  She already ranks fourth in school history for career goals scored.

Plank, a three-year starter, had another stellar

Junior Megan Plank

season in goal for the Yellowjackets.  She allowed just 16 goals in 1575 minutes for a 0.91 goals against average, a new school single season record.  Plank owns most of the school record book for goalkeeping.  She is the career leader for saves (255), goals against average (1.02), victories (28), and shutouts (5).

Ploskonka had a standout freshman season with four goals, three assists and 11 points.  She was third on the team behind Stroup and Sandau for goals scored and led all Heartland Conference freshmen for total points. 

Freshman Mandy Ploskonka

Conference champion Incarnate Word placed five players on the all-conference team, the most of any team.  The Cardinals’ Barbar Butts was named the Heartland Conference MVP after leading the league in goals and points with 17 and 39 respectively.  Incarnate Word’s Tina Patterson was selected as the conference Coach of the Year, her fourth such honor since 1999.

ALL-HEARTLAND WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

Pos.         Player                                  School
F             Barbara Butts                        Incarnate Word
F             Brittney Sandau                     MSU Billings
F             Kyle Hyslop                           St. Mary’s
F             Angelica Sandoval                  Dallas Baptist
MF           Amber Cole                           Incarnate Word
MF           Ally Stroup                            MSU Billings
MF           Kristin Gascoyne                    St. Edward’s
MF           Deann Lopez                         St. Mary’s
D             Cara Carlucci                         Incarnate Word
D             Deanna Pyatte                       Incarnate Word
D             Kennie Boxill                          St. Mary’s
D             Andrea Spillers                       Dallas Baptist
GK           Amy Menegaz                        Incarnate Word
GK           Megan Plank                          MSU Billings

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: Barbara Butts, Incarnate Word
Freshman of the Year: Mandy Ploskonka, Montana State - Billings
Coach of the Year: Tina Patterson, Incarnate Word