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SEATTLE – In a hard fought battle, the Montana State Billings women's soccer team concluded their historic 2010 season with a 2-0 loss to No.9 Seattle Pacific Saturday afternoon at Seattle Pacific's Interbay Stadium.
A goal by Kelsey Jenkins in the 35th minute off a free kick gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead and proved to be the game winner. A goal off a penalty kick late in the second half gave SPU the final goal in the match.
“I thought it was important that we didn't give up the first goal today,” said head coach Don Trentham. “It was a great goal by Kelsey (Jenkins). It was just a great finish. I don't think our keeper could have done anything about it. We had a great game on Thursday. Having to turn around on Saturday and do it against one of the best teams in the country, we knew it would be tough. We were tired in the second half and playing a heck of a team."
The Yellowjackets finish their 2010 season with a 13-6-1 record, tying the school record for the most wins by a Yellowjacket team since 2006. It was the programs first trip to the NCAA Tournament in its 15 year history, and produced the programs most successful season with a second place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, a win at the NCAA Tournament, and seven all-conference award winners.
Seattle Pacific, the number one seed in the west region, improved to 16-1-2 on the year. They now move on to play the winner of BYU-Hawaii and UC San Diego for the west region title at the super regional, hosted by a team in the south central region.
In a physical first half, the Falcons had an early opportunity as they brought the ball down the pitch and a through ball into the box found the feet of Jenkins, but she mishandled the touch and it rolled harmlessly into the arms of Sabrina Grandke-Bawab (Kirkland, WA).
The Jackets made their first threat 15 minutes into the match as Jaucelyn Richter (Billings, MT) took a cross down the left side and took a shot just inside the box. The ball went past a diving Maddie Dickinson and just missed the inside of the far post by a couple of feet.
Jenkins took another strike in the 17th minute from the top of the 18 yard box, but Grandke-Bawab made one of her three saves on the day to keep the score tied.
The best shot of the first half for the Jackets came at 21:20 when Kari Foreman sent a fabulous through ball into a striding Richter, but Dickinson came off her post and slid into the shot to make the save.
"Even when the game was 0-0, I think Jaucelyn (Richter) got in behind, and Maddie (Dickinson) made a great save,” Trentham continued. “That shows why she is the Defensive Player of the Year in our conference. When it was 1-0, Carly (Valentine) got in, made a good shot and Maddie was there to cover it. They made some saves and scored their chances, and we didn't."
Hannah Masson again had a chance in the 29th minute for the Falcons when she received a cross in the box and sent the header just over the cross bar.
Jenkins finally broke through for the Falcons at 34:03. A foul by the Jackets set up the ensuing free kick from about 23 yards out. Jenkins stepped to the ball and placed it just inside the upper right corner for her sixth goal of the season.
The Falcons had a 5-2 advantage in the first half in total shots and a 3-1 advantage in shots on goal. SPU managed to keep the Yellowjackets from recording a corner kick while taking two. Grandke-Bawab made two save in the half.
The second half stayed quiet until a pair of free kicks by the Falcons threatened the Yellowjackets. Grandke-Bawab came out in the 60th minute and the ball deflected off her punch to Kendall Thoreson. She dribbled in and tapped in the ball, but the goal was called off for offside.
The Jackets made a run at the goal later in the half when Carly Valentine (Vancouver, WA) made a great play up to Jennifer Larsen (Mesa, AZ), but Dickinson stepped in front of the cross to avoid any threat.
Perhaps the best attempt by the Yellowajackets during the match was when Valentine got around a Falcon defender in the 80th minute and put an absolutely perfect shot on goal. As the ball bent toward the right post, Dickinson dove to her right and corralled the ball.
The Falcons outshot the Yellowjackets 12-5 for the match and took five shots on the goal, while the Jackets attempted three. SPU also held a 4-1 edge in corner kicks, and both keepers recorded three saves.
The Falcons put the game away in the 83rd minute when Whitney Siler was called for a tackle just inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick. The Falcons' Brandi Hamre took the PK and put it just past a diving Grandke-Bawab in the lower right corner.
"As a program, I think we've been working hard for 15 years and my nine years here to get to the NCAA tournament,” Trentham finished. “A lot of players and coaches and administrators played a part in getting us here. It was exciting for us to win that first game. We worked 15 years to get into the tournament, and sometimes, it takes another five years to win their first game. As I told the players, they have nothing to put their heads down about. A fantastic group of players took big steps here to get to this tournament. It has been a great season for us. We're headed in the right direction, and we'll use this as momentum going into next season.”
The Yellowjackets will return to Billings and take time off before getting back to work for the spring season. The Jackets lose six successful seniors as this was the winningest senior class in program history. With the talent returning for next season, the Jackets will surely be expected to contend for the GNAC title and another berth into the tournament.
