BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings men's soccer 2010 season gets underway Saturday evening at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Ariz. The Yellowjackets and the 'Lopes square-off at 8:15 p.m. Pacific time at the GCU Soccer Field. MSUB then faces Dixie State Monday in a neutral site contest at Grand Canyon at 6 p.m. Pacific time.
The Yellowjackets are coming off their school-record third consecutive 10-plus win season as they went 11-5-2 in 2009. The Jackets finished 3-3-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play and return six starters and 14 letterwinners from a year ago.
A total of 11 new faces highlight the roster in 2010, adding depth to the squad to help offset the loss of five seniors from 2009. 2009 senior, Sam Charles, became the first Yellowjacket and first GNAC men's soccer student-athlete to be named the Ron Lenz Daktronics Division II National Player of the Year in 2009. Charles scored a national season-high 24 goals as a senior and was named GNAC Player of the Year for the second time. He finished his historic career breaking multiple school and conference records with 69 goals, 18 assists and 156 points – all school records.
Back for the Yellowjackets this season is forward Chris Andre (Billings, MT, Senior HS) who led the GNAC in assists with 10 and was sixth in points per game. In addition, honorable mention selection from 2009, Garion Holian (Missoula, MT, Hellgate HS), also returns, as do defender Kyle Moriarty ( Bozeman, MT, Bozeman HS) and goalkeeper Matt Mitchell (Thornton, CO, Northglenn HS).
Holian scored six goals in his sophomore year and one assist and Mitchell finished second in the league in goals against average at a 1.20 clip.
Included in the new faces for the 2010 season are Billings natives Justin Enger (Billings, MT, West HS) and Tyler Currence (Billings, MT, Creighton University). Currence redshirted last season at Division I and perennial power Creighton University. Enger played at West High School where he helped lead the Bears to two state titles.
Grand Canyon was selected to win the Pacific West Conference by the league's coaches. The 'Lopes won the league crown a year ago and have the reigning Player and Freshman of the Year in forward Kyle Ciliento who was chose as the 2010 PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. GCU's Ben Paneccasio has been chosen at the preseason goalkeeper of the year.
GCU finished 2009 with a 14-3-3 record and an 11-1-2 mark in conference play. Ciliento scored 23 goals, one behind Charles to lead the team. No other GCU player had more than three goals. Paneccasio boasted a 0.49 goals against average in 20 games with 19 starts. He allowed just 10 goals on the year and made 43 saves. Paneccasio went 12-3-2 with 12 shutouts.
Grand Canyon owns a 2-0 record all-time versus the Yellowjackets. GCU won a 2-1 decision in Billings on Oct. 10, 2004, and won the return trip Oct. 17, 2005, with a 1-0 decision in Phoenix.
Dixie State enters the season after 6-11-1 record in 2009 and a 4-10 conference mark. The Red Storm is picked fifth in the 2010 Preseason PacWest Coaches' Poll. DSC's Jordan Roylance earned All-PacWest Preseason honors after earning first team all-conference honors in 2009. He posted 23 points on 11 goals and one assist. He finish the year ranked third in goals and fourth in points.
MSUB leads the all-time series with Dixie State 1-0 in a 4-3 double-overtime victory Aug. 29, 2008, in Salt Lake City. An own goal on a deflected shot from 35 yards out gave MSUB the victory in the 104th minute. The Jackets tied the game on a Jarred Weisen goal off an assist from Kyle Moriarty in the 88th minute forcing overtime.
The Yellowjackets then return home for the 2010 home-opener Fri., Sept. 10, at 5 p.m. versus Colorado Christian. The game will be web streamed on Penn Atlantic.
