BILLINGS, Mont. – The 2010 NCAA Division-II women's soccer playoff picture is starting to take shape and Montana State Billings is in prime position to fill one of the six available slots with just three home games remaining on the schedule, hosting Western Washington and Simon Fraser this week.
The Yellowjackets, currently ranked seventh in the NCAA west region poll released earlier today and sixth in the unofficial National Soccer Coaches Association of America west region poll, enter the week with a 10-4-1 record overall and a 7-4 record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Jackets earned a split last week, going 1-1 with a 2-1 loss at Saint Martin's and earned a 2-0 shutout at Western Oregon.
MSUB currently sits second in the GNAC standings, seven points behind Seattle Pacific, and one point ahead of Western Washington and Simon Fraser in third. The Yellowjackets play host to the Vikings on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m., then entertain the Clan on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Jackets will finish the regular season the following Saturday, hosting Northwest Nazarene at 12:30 p.m. on senior day.
The Yellowjackets loss at Saint Martin's was the second of the season to the Saints as SMU defeated MSUB 3-2 on Oct. 2, in Billings. The Jackets fell behind early and were unable to score the equalizer after Carly Valentine (Vancouver, WA) punched in her third goal of the season early in the second half.
The Jackets managed to bounce back on Saturday and keep their playoff hopes alive with an impressive 2-0 victory at Western Oregon. Freshman Heidi Greenback (Woodinville, WA) erupted for a pair of goals, while sophomore Jaucelyn Richter (Billings, MT) earned a pair of assists in the match.
Greenback scored in the 69th and 81st minutes to lift the Yellowjackets. The goals were her fifth and sixth goals of the season. Richter's assists were her third and fourth of the season, while sophomore Kristen Kastelic (Phoenix, AZ) had her first assist of the season on the second goal.
With her two goals, Greenback took over the team lead in scoring, tallying 15 points with six goals and three assists on the year. Senior Kari Foreman (Lakewood, CO) has five goals and three assists for 13 points, and sophomore Jennifer Larsen (Mesa, AZ) has gathered five goals and an assist for 11 points on the season.
Richter shares the team lead for assists with freshman Whitney Siler (Monroe, WA) as both have four on the year. Samantha Sandau (Billings, MT) is tied with Greenback and Foreman with three assists each.
As a team, MSUB has outscored opponents 27-16 this season and have outshot opponents 162-133 in total shots and 103-66 in shots on goal, a testament to the improved play by the Yellowjackets defense. The Jackets are shooting .636 on goal this season and have held opponents to .496 shooting on goal.
Freshman Sabrina Grandke-Bawab (Kirkland, WA) continues her top-notch play between the posts, recording five of the six shutouts this season for MSUB. She has recorded a 0.88 goals-against average and has made 39 saves for a .780 save percentage. Grandke-Bawab carries a 7-2-1 record into the week.
Western Washington (9-3-3, 6-3-2) is 1-2-2 in their last five matches and is coming off a 1-1 tie against Central Washington and 3-2 loss to Seattle Pacific last week. The Yellowjackets defeated WWU for the first time in program history in Bellingham back on Sept. 25.
The Vikings are led by Claire Morgan and Molly Shannon, combining for 11 goals, nine assists and 31 points. The Vikings took a big hit with the loss of Megan Chapin to a foot injury.
WWU is shooting .496 on goal this season and are holding opponents to .453 shooting. The Vikings have outscored opponents 26-9 and have nine shutouts this season.
Simon Fraser visits Billings with a 7-4-2 record overall and a 6-3-2 record in the conference. The Clan has won three of their last four, splitting last week with a loss to Seattle Pacific and a 3-0 win over Central Washington.
Lia Marinig leads the Clan with five goals and 10 points. Eight other players have scored for SFU, but none are in double-digit points. SFU has scored 17 goals and held opponents to just eight this season and the opposition is shooting just .073 on goal.
The Yellowjackts are seeking their first postseason appearance in program history this season. Not since the 2006 season have the Yellowjackets seen an opportunity like this. The Jackets secured their first winning season since 2006 last week.
All MSUB home soccer matches can be viewed via web stream through msubsports.com or by clicking visiting clicking here.
