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Lady Jackets Roll On with Third Win
(8/27/06)
Box
Score
Coach Trentham post game audio
PORTALES, NM – The Montana
State-Billings women’s soccer team wrapped up a near-perfect
season opening weekend with a 3-1 win at Eastern New Mexico on
Sunday. The Yellowjackets played three road games in the span
of four days, jumpstarting the season with a 3-0 record. Two of
the three wins were shutouts, and all three were against
in-region teams. It was the first time a Lady Yellowjacket team
has gone 3-0 on a three-game road trip. Their previous best was
1-1-1.
“To start out 3-0 on the road
is a great start to the season,” said Yellowjacket head coach
Don Trentham. “I think the team did very well on this road
trip, but I think the leadership of our senior captains was
tremendous, off the field and on the field.
Megan Plank had two shutouts and allowed one goal;
Ally
Stroup had three goals and an assist. That’s pretty good
captain leadership.”
The Yellowjackets dominated
from the start on Sunday, shaking off any weariness from the
long trip and putting together their best offensive performance
of the season. MSU Billings scored twice in the first 22
minutes and out-shot the Zias 19-4 in the game.
Stroup (Ojai, CA) scored her
second goal of the season just 12:55 into the contest after
taking a through pass from
Brittney Sandau (Billings, MT). Stroup broke the career
school record for points on Thursday with a goal against
Colorado School of Mines; that goal was also assisted by Sandau.
Sandau netted her first goal
of the year a little less than 10 minutes after Stroup opened
the scoring. After taking a pass from
Mandy Ploskonka (Federal Way, WA), Sandau dribbled through
the box and beat Zias goalkeeper Stephanie Sanchez for a 2-0
MSUB lead that would last until halftime.
The Zias finally broke through
at 52:09 when Kimberley Anaya took a through pass from Amy
Wilcox and found the net to cut the deficit to 2-1. It was the
first goal that Plank (Phoenix, AZ) has allowed in three games,
ending a shutout streak of 241:20. Through the first three
games of the season Plank has a 0.32 goals against average. Her
two saves on Sunday gave her 16 for the weekend.
The Jackets received an
insurance goal in the 66th minute when Stroup scored
her second goal of the game and third of the season. She scored
after
Sara Gress (Boise, ID) touched an indirect free kick to
Abby Bennett (Livingston, MT), who found Stroup in front of
the net.
“In my opinion, after two
average offensive games to start the year, I thought the offense
played great today,” said Trentham. “We made a couple
adjustments and they worked out really well for us. Our defense
is playing pretty well right now, but we’ve been putting
pressure on them, winning 1-0 and 1-0 in the first two games.
Today it was nice to get a two-goal lead in the first 22 minutes
of the game.”
The Yellowjackets make the
long trip back from New Mexico on Monday to get ready to host
the fifth annual MSU Billings Cup next weekend. The Jackets
will face University of Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday and
University of Mary on Sunday. University of Great Falls will
also participate in the tournament, facing UTPB and Mary. |
