Lady Jackets Post Second Shutout (8/26/06)
Box Score
Megan Plank post game audio

PORTALES, NM – Jelisa Guy scored her first collegiate goal in the 99^th minute Saturday to give the Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team a 1-0 overtime victory over Fort Lewis College.  Guy, a freshman midfielder from Kalispell, MT, took a through pass from Ally Stroup (Ojai, CA) and beat Skyhawks goalkeeper Bree Baker with 49 seconds remaining in the first overtime period.

The victory was the second consecutive 1-0 victory for the Yellowjackets to start the season.  Fort Lewis dropped to 0-2 on the year after losing Thursday to Eastern New Mexico. 

“I don’t think we had our best game today,” said Yellowjacket head coach Don Trentham.  “It wasn’t one of our best efforts, but I’ll credit Fort Lewis with that.  They’re a really good team, and it’s because of them that we didn’t have our best effort.  I told the team after the game, when you don’t play your best and find a way to win, that’s a good sign.  We haven’t played our best game yet, and we’re 2-0 on the road and haven’t been scored on.  I think that’s positive.”

The game was almost a carbon copy of last year’s meeting between the Skyhawks and Yellowjackets, only in reverse.  Last year the Yellowjackets out-shot the Skyhawks 28-9 but had to settle for a tie.  This year it was Fort Lewis that dominated the stat sheet, out-shooting the Jackets 15-5, including 10-2 in shots on goal.

The story of the game was Yellowjacket goalkeeper Megan Plank (Phoenix, AZ), who made 10 saves to earn her school-record fifteenth shutout of her career.  Plank is also the current Yellowjacket school record holder for career victories and saves, now with 30 wins and 269 saves.

“Megan Plank played awesome today and is the reason we won,” said Trentham.  “She stopped a couple point blank shots and came up big for us.  It’s also exciting for a freshman to score her first collegiate goal to win the game.”

Guy, last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year in Montana at Flathead High School, played a little over half the game Saturday.  She took just one shot all day, but it turned out to be the difference maker.  Stroup had two of the Jackets’ five shots and recorded her school-record 23^rd career assist.

The Yellowjackets will wrap up their three-game road swing against Eastern New Mexico on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Portales.  The Zias are also 2-0-0 after defeating Fort Lewis and Embry Riddle to start the season.

“We have another tough game tomorrow,” said Trentham.  “Eastern New Mexico is 2-0 as well.  I had a chance to watch them play before our game today, and they’re a good team.  For us it will be the third game on the road, and we’re playing a good team at their home.  We’re going to have to play well to win.  It’s going to take a big effort from us.”

Following Sunday’s game at ENMU, the Yellowjackets return home to open the home schedule with the MSU Billings Cup on September 2 and 3.  Participating in the tournament will be University of Texas-Permian Basin, University of Mary, and University of Great Falls.