BILLINGS, Mont. – With three games remaining on the 2015 schedule, the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team is in the hunt in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings in fifth place with 13 points.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-5-2, 4-4-1 GNAC) are tied for fourth place with Simon Fraser University, and are on the road this weekend against conference opponents Concordia University (Ore.) and Western Oregon University. The 'Jackets and Cavaliers are scheduled for a 3 p.m. Mountain time kickoff on Thursday at Tuominen Yard in Portland, Ore., while Saturday's match against the Wolves is set for 1 p.m. Mountain at the WOU Soccer Field in Monmouth, Ore.
 
MSUB will look to gain ground in the conference table, as the top four teams during the regular season earn a berth into the GNAC Championships, which are scheduled for Nov. 5-7 at Terry Fox Field in Burnaby, British Columbia.
 
"We are definitely looking forward to this week, as these are two really important games for us," said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. "We are definitely ready for the challenge."
 
The Yellowjackets recently snapped a three-game losing skid with a 2-0 triumph over Saint Martin's University on Saturday, as MSUB earned its fourth shutout of the season.
 
The victory came after a 1-0 loss against Seattle Pacific on Thursday, as the 'Jackets split their two matches last week. Both of this week's matches will feature live video and statistics, available through MSUB's Stretch Internet portal here.
 
WRIGHT, GRIGLIO CONSISTENT UP TOP: Pulling into a tie for the team high in goals last week was freshman Alycia Wright, who scored her fifth of the season against the Saints. Wright tucked away a far-post finish in the 11th minute on a through ball from Lindsay Lucore, as she and Jessica Spang are now together atop MSUB's goals leaders.
 
Fellow freshman Bailey Griglio also found the net, banging a shot from 25 yards out off of the crossbar and into the net for her third goal of the season. Griglio gathered a drop pass from Spang just outside the box on the right side, and looked on as her strike dipped down just low enough and grazed the bottom of the bar before bouncing in.
 
The two freshmen have combined for eight of MSUB's 17 goals on the year, and Wright leads the team with three game-winners.
 
"Bailey has an incredible attacking mindset, and Alycia's finesse is incredible too," senior Elizabeth Howard said of the two freshmen. "Having a little bit of reliability up top is really nice. Knowing they are not going to falter in front of goal and panic is really good to see from two freshmen."
 
IZZI WITHIN INCHES: Lining up a 25-yard free kick from the left side of the field, Howard almost made it a 3-0 game with 15 minutes to play on Saturday. The senior struck the ball well and placed it on frame, but SMU's goalkeeper just managed to get a fingertip to it and nudge it into the crossbar.
 
It was Howard's eighth shot on target of the year, as she has scored once and provided an assist while starting all 13 matches and totaling 1,104 minutes for MSUB.
 

DEFENSE HOLDS STRONG: The Yellowjacket back line did well to protect freshman goalkeeper Chloe Hopps on Saturday, as MSUB did not allow a shot on goal and gave up just four total on the match against the Saints.
 
Sarah Coghlan played the entire match for the fourth game in-a-row, and she has played eight complete games so far in her first collegiate season as an outside back. Lucore played 90 minutes for the second time this year, and her assist on Wright's goal was her first point of the year.
 
Freshman Kienna Ogden also contributed in both matches, starting against Seattle Pacific and playing north of 30 minutes in both games last week.
 
Center backs Kari Kastelic and Katlyn Lokay each played all 180 minutes last week, keeping their season-long minutes played streaks alive. Lokay moved into sixth place in the MSUB record books, becoming just the seventh player ever to surpass 6,000 minutes played in her four seasons at MSUB with 6,044 and counting.
 
 

MSUB Women's Soccer – Career Minutes Played Leaders

 

Rank	Name	Minutes	Years
1.	Jennifer Larsen	6,569	2009-12
2.	Jaucelyn Richter	6,403	2009-12
3.	Megan Plank	6,377	2003-06
4.	Mandy Ploskanka	6,107	2005-08
5.	Carly Valentine	6,100	2007-10
6.	Katlyn Lokay	6,044	2012-15
7.	Ally Stroup	6,006	2003-06
8.	Kari Foreman	5,998	2007-10
9.	Sam Boehm	5,976	2006, 2008-10
10.	Abby Bennett	5,869	2004-07

 
HOPPS EARNS THIRD SHUTOUT: Hopps was kept on her toes on Thursday against Seattle Pacific, making four saves to keep the deficit at just one goal throughout the match. Protected well by her back line on Saturday, Hopps faced just four shots total and picked up her third shutout of the year.
 
Hopps ranks fourth in the GNAC in goals-against average at 0.96, and her 37 total saves on the year are tied for sixth-most.
 
OTHER TEAM NOTES: Junior midfielder Dana Lubieniecki has also started every match this season, and played 90 minutes Saturday after 81 on Thursday…senior Teegan Koster has started the last five matches for MSUB, and she placed her lone shot against Saint Martin's on target…junior Brittney Greenback remained among team leaders in shots this season, as she is one of three players to top 20 attempts with 22.
 
As a team, MSUB's goals-against average of 0.95 is fourth-best in the GNAC and its four shutouts are fifth-most.
 
Thursday, October 22 – Concordia University Cavaliers – 3 p.m. Mountain
2015 Record: 9-2-2, 6-1-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Grant Landy, 19th season
2014 Record: 18-2-2, 7-1-1 CCC
 
Currently in second place in the GNAC during its debut season in the conference, Concordia has won two matches in-a-row and has just one loss in its last nine games overall dating back to the start of conference play.
 
CU defeated Simon Fraser 2-0 at home on Thursday, before handing Western Oregon a 2-0 loss on Saturday last week.
 
The Cavaliers' only conference loss of the season came on the road against Seattle Pacific, as CU fell 3-1 on Oct. 8 in Seattle.
 
The Yellowjackets battled the Cavs to a scoreless double-overtime draw in Billings on Sept. 26, with CU holding an 18-11 edge in shots against the 'Jackets.
 
Sydney Van Steenberge leads the team with four goals, and she and Shannon McMahon are tied for the team lead in points with nine. McMahon's three assists are the most on the squad, and Karlie Hurley also has three goals for CU.
 
Defender Ana Delgadillo and midfielders Kayla Braunthal and McKayla Madison have been the Cavaliers' rocks this season, each starting all 13 matches and playing upwards of 800 minutes.
 
In goal, Olivia Brock has started 11 matches, picking up seven shutouts and holding a goals-against average of 0.45.
 
The Series: Thursday's game will be the second-ever between the teams, with the draw earlier this year marking the first time CU and MSUB met.
 
Last Time Out: Greenback and Hayley Warren tied for the team high with three shots apiece, and Hopps had four saves in the net for MSUB.
 

Saturday, October 24 – Western Oregon University Wolves – 1 p.m. MTN
2015 Record: 6-6-1, 2-5-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Steve Ancheta, 5th season
2014 Record: 6-8-4, 4-6-4 GNAC
 
The Wolves have lost three of their last four matches, the lone win during that span coming in the form of a 2-0 result on the road against Saint Martin's.
 
WOU was most recently defeated 2-0 in Portland against the Cavaliers, and will host Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before welcoming the 'Jackets on Saturday.
 
Vicky Cruz Rosales and Makana Pundyke are tied for the team lead in goals with five apiece, as the Wolves have outscored opponents 20-15 on the year. Defender Dana Goularte and midfielder Mariah Konyn are the lone Wolves to have played more than 1,000 minutes on the season, and the latter has a goal and an assist to her name.
 
Allison Sprecher scored one of her three goals on the season in Billings, temporarily giving WOU a 1-0 advantage before MSUB's comeback effort.
 
In goal, Lindsey Mabinuori and Nicole Tejada have split time, combining for four shutouts and a team goals-against average of 1.12.
 
The Series: Now even down the middle, each team has won eight matches and there have been two draws in the 18 historic meetings between MSUB and WOU. The 'Jackets have won the last two games, most recently thanks to a pair of goals by Spang the last time the teams met.
 
Last Time Out: Warren assisted Spang twice as the 'Jackets scored in the 49th and 65th minutes to complete a comeback victory at home.