Lady Jackets Face Three Regional Opponents (8/24/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team will quickly be introduced to its new region this weekend when they play three regional opponents on the road.  The Yellowjackets—who moved from the Far West to the Midwest Region after joining the Heartland Conference—play three games in the span of five days starting Friday in Colorado.

Coming off the best season in school history, the Jackets will be tested early with three regional opponents.  They play at Colorado State-Pueblo on August 26, at Fort Lewis on August 28, and at Mesa State on August 30.  Those three teams have been picked to finish 3-4-5 in the competitive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, right behind defending National Champion Metro State and nationally-ranked Regis University.

Colorado State-Pueblo finished third in the RMAC last year with a 9-7-4 overall record.  The Thunderwolves graduated just one player from last year’s squad and return 10 starters, including Preseason All-RMAC players Brenda Baker and Angela Russell.  Russell led the team with 11 goals and 24 points last season.  The Jackets are 0-1 all time against the T-Wolves, losing in the program’s second season in 1997.

Fort Lewis was just 5-7-8 overall last year, but finished fourth in the RMAC with a 4-4-6 conference mark.  The Skyhawks return Preseason All-RMAC midfielder Becky Gilmore, who had four goals and five assists in 2004.  The Yellowjackets are 0-4 all time against Fort Lewis, but the teams haven’t met since 2001.

Mesa State had a down year in 2004, finishing 5-13-2 overall and 4-8-2 in the conference.  Top scorer Lauren Sell returns after netting three goals last year.  MSU Billings is 1-6 all time against the Mavericks, winning 2-1 in Billings last year.

MSU Billings tuned up for the season opener with an exhibition game against North Idaho College last Saturday.  The Yellowjackets won 5-0 behind five first half goals.  Alyssa Wolfer (Jr., Longmont, CO) scored three times in the first 15:25. 

Despite some significant losses to graduation, the Jackets return several players from last year’s 12-4-3 team that finished ranked tenth in the Far West Region.  Lost to graduation are Margot Merrill-Johnson and her team-leading 11 goals.  However, Ally Stroup (Jr., Ojai, CA) and Wolfer combined to score 14 goals in 2004.  Stroup will likely be chasing Merrill-Johnson’s all-time school scoring record over the next two seasons.  Sophomores Abby Bennett (Livingston, MT) and Brittney Sandau (Billings, MT) each netted three goals last year and should be big contributors.  Also returning is goalkeeper Megan Plank (Jr., Phoenix, AZ), who set numerous school records as a sophomore and earned her second team MVP award in as many years.

The Yellowjackets follow the three-game road swing to Colorado with the Fourth Annual MSU Billings Cup over Labor Day weekend.  They will host St. Mary’s (TX) and Adams State (CO) in a three team tournament that runs September 3-5.