Billings, Mont. – Montana State Billings men's and women's soccer teams will be hosting the annual “MSUB Kicks Cancer” event this Thursday as they take on Western Washington University in a double-header format. The Yellowjacket women will promptly kick off at 1:00 p.m., followed by the men's contest at 3:30 p.m.
 
MSUB Kicks Cancer is an event where the soccer programs signify breast cancer awareness and research, while also celebrating breast cancer survivors. The MSUB Athletic Training Organization (JATO) will be selling pink t-shirts on campus and at the game to raise money for Eva, a local organization providing mammograms for women over the age of 40 that do not have insurance.
 
“The teams will wear the JATO pink t-shirts during the pre-game warm ups to show our support for breast cancer awareness,” stated head men's soccer coach Dan McNally. “I think our university and athletic department do a fantastic job in raising awareness for breast cancer and it's nice that we get the opportunity to help out on Thursday as well.”
 
 
Women's Soccer
 
MSUB women's team tied last year's win total of 11, when they defeated Central Washington University on Thursday, Oct. 11 in a 2-0 shutout. The Yellowjackets are currently 11-3 overall and third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 7-3. In the October 16 NSCAA/Continental Tire west region poll, MSUB holds the No. 6 ranking.
 
Juniors Heidi Greenback and Whitney Siler turned in great performances last weekend and earned Red Lion GNAC Player-of-the-Week honorable mention honors. Against Central Washington, Greenback scored two goals to bring her season total to seven. Siler continues to be a solid member of the backline. She made her eighth and ninth starts of the season over the weekend and helped MSUB record their seventh shutout on the year with a 2-0 victory over the Wildcats.
 
Thursday's game will be a key matchup for the Jackets as Western Washington is not only first in the GNAC standings, they are also the No. 25 team nationally and No. 3 team in the west region according to the most recent NSCAA/Continental Tire polls.
 
The Vikings, 12-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play, defeated the Yellowjackets in their first meeting on the Vikings home turf. In order to change the result at Yellowjacket Field, MSUB will need to play great defense. Western Washington has six players with three or more goals.
 
“Western Washington is a great team,” stated head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. “They have quality players all over the field and are very disciplined and well coached. While we lost in the first meeting, there were several things we did well in the match. We know we will have to bring our "A" game in order to beat them.”
 
 
Men's Soccer
 
The men's team has recently finished a grueling stretch where they played 10 of their 12 games on the road. This past weekend the men lost a tough match to the No. 9 nationally ranked Seattle Pacific Falcons. While the Jackets out played Seattle Pacific in the first half, outshooting their counterpart 8-5, a strong second half by the Falcons was the deciding factor.
 
Despite a heart breaking loss, MSUB effectively struck back against Saint Martin's and defeated the Saints 3-1. The Yellowjackets are currently 7-4-1 overall and fourth in the GNAC at 4-4-1.
 
Thomas Chameraud scored two key goals in the Saint Martin's match and earned Red Lion GNAC Player-of-the-Week honorable mention honors for his play. On the season he has scored three goals and registered six assists to lead the Jackets with 12 total points.
 
Landon Horst, Legofi Crawford and Thomas Sheets also have three goals on the year.
 
After battling through the toughest part of their schedule, the Yellowjackets will play their next six games at home. Five of the scheduled matches will be against GNAC opponents. First up for MSUB will be Western Washington who currently is 5-6-2 overall and fifth in the conference with a 3-4-3 GNAC record. In the Sept. 15 match, the Vikings edged out MSUB 2-1.
 
If the Jackets want to change the outcome of Thursday's contest they will need to put together great efforts offensively and defensively. Western Washington has three players with a minimum of four goals on the year, and their defense has also played well on the season helping attribute for 50 saves.
 
“WWU beat us 2-1 earlier in the season so we know they are a good team with some excellent individual players,” McNally said. “It's always a hard game against them and I'm sure Thursday will be a big test for us.”
 
With only five conference games left, every match will be extremely important into getting into post season play.
 
Yellowjacket fans are encouraged to pack the stands at Yellowjacket Field sporting pink shirts to support MSUB soccer and the breast cancer awareness. The MSUB Kicks Cancer event starts at 1:00 p.m.