BILLINGS, Mont. – Having gone undefeated in its last three matches, the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team carries momentum into a pair of weekend contests against Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents Northwest Nazarene University and No. 22 Western Washington University.
 
MSUB moved into the top-10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America West Region poll, showing up at No. 7 after a pair of victories last week.
 
The Yellowjackets will square off against the Crusaders at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Yellowjacket Field, before taking on nationally-ranked Western Washington on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will feature live video and statistics via www.msubsports.com.
 
Saturday's match is part of a women's-men's Futbol Frenzy doubleheader, and free chili and soft drinks will be served at the games while supplies last.
 
Most recently defeating Seattle Pacific 2-1 in dramatic, comeback fashion, MSUB will look to preserve its perfect 2-0 mark at home with its games this weekend. The 'Jackets also downed Central Washington last Thursday 1-0, obtaining their first conference victory in the shutout.
 
Overall on the season, MSUB is 4-1-1, including 2-1-1 in GNAC action. The 'Jackets are currently tied for second place in the conference standings, and are tied for a conference-best two-game winning streak.
 
Junior Alisa Sagdahl is MSUB's leading scorer with two goals and an assist this season, and she ranks third in the conference in shots per game with 3.83 and fifth in total shots with 23 on the season. Both of Sagdahl's goals have been game-winners, tying her for tops in the conference in that category with four other players.
 
Yellowjacket goalkeeper Krystal Daniels has been strong between the pipes, ranking third in the GNAC in goals-against average at 0.80 and fourth in save percentage at .762. On the season Daniels has made 16 saves and has logged a pair of shutouts.
 
In front of Daniels, MSUB features a back line that has been remarkably consistent all season and has limited opponents to 6.83 shots per game and just 3.67 shots on goal per game. Seniors Jennifer Johnson and Jessie Mancilla, and sophomores Haley McFarlane and Kari Kastelic have each started all six games and have played all 560 minutes this season on defense for MSUB. The quartet has also contributed to MSUB's offensive effort, as Kastelic and McFarlane each have a goal and Johnson has supplied an assist on the season.
 
Overall, MSUB's attack has been widely balanced, with 10 different players having contributed at least one point this season.
 
Most recently, Amanda Perri found the net for the first time this season, with a well-composed finish past the oncoming Seattle Pacific goalkeeper for the game-winning goal in the Yellowjackets' 2-1 win on Saturday. Dana Lubieniecki was credited with her first assist of the season on the play, leading Perri with a perfect through ball to set up the goal.
 
Katlyn Lokay also scored her first goal of the season in Saturday's win, helping fuel the comeback with an outstanding finish inside the far post to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Preceding the heroics by Lokay and Perri, senior Agen Heffernan stepped up for MSUB against Central Washington on Thursday. Collecting the ball at the top of the box, Heffernan fired a perfectly-placed shot past the outstretched CWU goalkeeper to record the game-winner against the Wildcats.
 
Helping spark the Yellowjackets' attack has been senior Chelsea Shuman, who has started five games and is second on the team in shots with 14.
 
Freshman Jessica Spang was picked as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 8-14, after scoring her first career goal and adding an assist in a 2-0 victory over the University of Sioux Falls.
 
Junior Elizabeth Howard also has an assist for the 'Jackets this season, starting four games for MSUB in the midfield.
 
As a team, the Yellowjackets rank No. 2 in the conference in goals allowed with just five on the season, an average of 0.83 per match. MSUB has outshot opponents 81-41 on the season, placing just more than half of those (42) on target for a shots-on-goal percentage of .519.
 
The 'Jackets have also won twice as many corner kicks as their opponents with 31 on the season while allowing just 14.
 
Thursday, October 2 – 3:30 p.m. – Yellowjacket Field
Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders
2014 Record: 2-3-3, 1-2-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Mary Trigg, 2nd season
2013 GNAC Finish: 7th (2-12-3, 1-10-3 GNAC)
 
Through just eight games so far this season, Northwest Nazarene has already scored 33 percent more goals than it did during the entire 2013 season. The Crusaders have found the net a dozen times, and the team ranks in the top half of the conference in almost every major offensive category.
 
NNU is third in the GNAC in shots (104), points (37), goals (12), and goals per game (1.50). The Crusaders' 13 assists are tied for the most in the conference, and individually Lexi Fesenbek leads the conference with seven on the season.
 
Similar to the Yellowjackets, NNU's offense has featured a variety of different scorers, with eight different players posting points this season. Tied for fourth among conference leaders, Nicole Nsa is leading the team with three goals already this season thanks in part to a team-high 25 shots. Laura Seymour, Sarah Blum and Ashley Cook-Cox have each found the net twice, and Sarah Jenkins, Lacey Strickler and Fesenbek have also each scored.
 
Defensively, Kayla Williams, Mabinty Kanu, Makena Dandley and McCrea Nirider have each stared all eight games. Williams has also provided an assist and has taken seven shots for NNU this season.
 
Defensively NNU falls towards the middle of the conference, allowing a GNAC-fifth best 1.69 goals per game. NNU goalkeeper Daniele Ortiz has been tested often this season, making a conference-high 54 saves so far in 2014. The freshman has logged one shutout and has played all 800 minutes so far this year.
 
The Series: MSUB holds an overall 13-4-2 series advantage against the Crusaders, and the Yellowjackets won the last meeting between the two teams on Nov. 2, 2013, 1-0. The 'Jackets have not lost in their past nine games against NNU, posting an 8-0-1 record dating back to September of 2009. Last season, MSUB defeated NNU 1-0 at home in the final game of the season on Nov. 2, after a 1-1 double-overtime draw against the Crusaders in Nampa, Idaho on Oct. 10.
 
'Jackets Look to Strike Again: Four current MSUB players have previously recorded points against the Crusaders, with Sagdahl leading the way. The junior has scored once and provided two assists for MSUB in the team's history against NNU. Johnson has also scored against the Crusaders, and Perri and Lokay each have an assist in their careers against NNU.
 
Saturday, October 4 – 1 p.m. – Yellowjacket Field – FUTBOL FRENZY
No. 22 Western Washington University Vikings
2014 Record: 7-0-1, 3-0-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Travis Connell, 12th season
2013 GNAC Finish: 1st (20-2-1, 13-1-0 GNAC, NCAA Final Four)
 
Coming off of the best season in program history, Western Washington has already started strong in 2014 after last season's NCAA Division II Final Four appearance. The Vikings are undefeated so far and have allowed just two goals this season.
 
Leading the way have been Jessica Bertucci and 2013 first-team all-GNAC pick Catherine Miles, who have each scored three goals this season. Sophomores Anna DeWeirdt and Elisa Aylward have also each scored twice for WWU this season, with the former also contributing a pair of assists for six points.
 
Reigning GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-American Brianna Jones has scored twice and provided an assist for the Vikings, and was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 22-28.
 
Freshman Emily Webster has also seen significant playing time in 2014, scoring once and chipping in three assists during her debut collegiate campaign.
 
An all-region selection a season ago, Kim Cooper has started all eight games as a central piece in WWU's midfield. Defensively, Katherine Miccile, Chelsea Jackson, and Delanee Nilles have joined Jones in anchoring the back line in all eight games this season.
 
Goalkeeper Ashley Haden has totaled 26 saves this season, posting a GNAC-best goals-against average of 0.24 with five shutouts so far.
 
On the season, the Vikings lead the GNAC in shots with 149, and are second in points (38), goals (13), and goals per game (1.62).
 
The Series: The Yellowjackets are 3-13-2 all time against Western Washington, and the Vikings have won the last five meetings between the two.