Montana State University Billings Athletics

Career Resume

Megan (Plank) Holden was a member of the Yellowjacket women's soccer team from 2003-06.  She is the fourth member of the women's soccer program to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  She is the all-time leader in career saves at MSU Billings with 336 career saves. She is the all-time leader in shutouts with 23.  Holden is a member of the 2006 women's soccer team that only allowed 16 goals in the season. 

She started 71 games in her career, playing 6,376:53 minutes which is first all-time at MSUB. She is the all-time leader in career goal against average with a .95 career GAA. She is tied for first in shut-outs (10) in a season, and tied for first in wins in a season amongst goal keepers with 13 (2006).  She was also named to the Third Team NSCAA Scholar All-Region in 2006. Holden was a First Team All-Heartland Conference Selection in 2005 and 2006. 

Holden received her Bachelor degree in chemistry from Montana State University Billings in 2007 before going on to complete her doctorate in biochemistry from Loma Linda University in 2013. 

Megan Plank talks.

Constantly.

She continually gives directions during a match. And if things get a little boring, Plank will sing a little song to keep her interest.

Aggressive by nature, Plank would much rather be chasing down the ball herself.

But she can't. As goalkeeper for the Montana State-Billings women's soccer team, she has bigger responsibilities.

"I yell at others players to do it," she said with a big smile.

Only one thing silences Plank.

"I can't stand losing," she continued. "My teammates know not to talk to me after a loss. Even my parents know to wait until the next day to call me."

Plank's parents haven't had to wait much during her stellar four-year career with the Yellowjackets.

Entering today's crucial game against St. Edward's, Plank holds every goalkeeping record in the history of the MSU-B program.

She will be in the net again as the Yellowjackets (13-5-1) try to keep their dream of making the NCAA tournament alive. Only the top four ranked teams in the region qualify for the post-season. MSU-B is ranked fifth this week.

"It's been great to watch the program progress," said Plank, who came to MSU-B from Phoenix, Ariz. "From just wanting to be a .500 team to trying to make the NCAA tournament. It's been fun to see how much work we all put into this team."

It's no coincidence that transformation came with Plank tending goal. The Yellowjackets have posted three consecutive winning seasons and Plank as been chosen team MVP his first three years in Billings. She is contending to make it four straight.

"Megan has the most competitive edge on the team," said Don Trentham, the MSU-B head coach who first spotted Plank playing at a Thanksgiving tournament in Dallas, Texas. "She thrives in competitive situations.

"Bottom-line, Megan is a winner."

Shorter than most goalkeepers, the 5-foot-3 Plank overcomes with quickness, a strong vertical jump and strong hands. She rarely loses a battle at the net.

But sometimes pays for it.

"I got kicked in the face against St. Mary's last week," Plank shrugged. "I grabbed the ball and she wanted to kick it."

Plank holds the career records for goal keeping wins (41), saves (323) and career shutouts (23). She posted four consecutive shut outs this season and last year went a school-record 411:53 without allowing a goal.

"That shows the whole team is working together," Plank said firmly about her records. "I don't do that by myself."

This season, her goals against average is a stingy .071.

"She is very technically sound," Trentham said. "She demands perfection from herself and she demands perfection from her teammates."

To keep the MSU-B defense moving, Plank is continually calling out alignments and assignments during the match.

"I try to put everyone in position, so I can tell where the ball is coming from. Or I'll call out who should get the ball when two teammates are going for it at the same time," she said.

"I have a tendency to yell louder and a little rougher when things are not going so well," Plank finished with another smile.

Plank skied and did some snowboarding while growing up in Phoenix, but it was in Billings where she saw snow actually fall from the sky.

"It was like, 'Hey, it really does come down in snowflakes,' " she said. "It was like minus 14 degrees when I came for my visit. I came here any way.

"I knew Montana was close to Canada and knew about Yellowstone National Park. I saw how close the team was. Everybody seemed to be really good friends and I wanted to be part of that."

A chemistry major with a 3.48 GPA, Plank earned the starting goal keeper job as a freshman. She could move into the top 15 of all-time for NCAA Division II women's soccer for minutes played.

"What I like about chemistry is you can take anything and bring it down to one atom," she said. "In chemistry, one little thing can make a huge difference."

Like today. One win could mean another milestone for MSU-B women's soccer.

"This is a chance to win our last home game," Plank said. "The fun part has been being with my teammates and being part of the process in building this program.'

Now that's something to talk about.