BILLINGS, Mont. – The final berth into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championships is still up for grabs, and with one game remaining on its regular-season schedule, Montana State University Billings is looking to punch its ticket for the second year in-a-row and third time in the last four seasons overall.
 
The Yellowjackets are currently in fourth place in the conference standings with 16 points, holding an overall record of 7-6-2 and a mark of 5-5-1 in GNAC play. The 'Jackets will host Central Washington University on Senior Day Saturday, with a noon kickoff scheduled at Yellowjacket Field.
 
MSUB's four graduating seniors – Katlyn Lokay, Teegan Koster, Ashely Marra, and Elizabeth Howard – will each be honored during a pregame ceremony. A Senior Day Special on Halloween will feature admission of $1 for all ages seventh grade and up, and free admission for ages sixth grade and below. Candy will be handed out at the ticket booth while supplies last for early Trick-Or-Treaters.
 
Competing with MSUB for the fourth and final spot in the GNAC Championships are Simon Fraser University and Central Washington, which are tied for fifth place with 13 points apiece. The final weekend of the regular season will determine which of the three teams will join No. 1 seed Western Washington University, No. 2 seed Concordia University, and No. 3 seed Seattle Pacific University at the 2015 GNAC Women's Soccer Championships running Nov. 5-7 at Terry Fox Field in Burnaby, B.C. hosted by Simon Fraser.
 
"It has come down to the last game of the season, but I am very happy with and proud of this team," head coach Wojtek Krakowiak said. "We do have a lot of new players and I am glad they were able to experience and see how tough the GNAC is. This team has shown a lot of character and has not given up. We are going to leave everything on the field, and this is a game we need to win in order to get into the GNAC tournament."
 
"The only thing in our control is getting a win on Saturday," said Howard. "We are playing Central Washington which is a physical, strong team. We have enough motivation to be able to win on Saturday. The rest of our fate is out of our hands, but primarily we need go get our business done on Saturday which is a win."
 
"It's our last chance to make it or break it, so my message to the team is to give one hundred percent and leave it all out on the field," Lokay said. "We have to take care of what we can control and just go with the rest."
 
The Yellowjackets split a pair of road matches last week, most recently defeating Western Oregon in shutout fashion 1-0 to remain in the hunt for a playoff berth. The win on Saturday came after a tough 1-0 double-overtime loss at Concordia on Thursday as the 'Jackets came up just short against the Cavaliers.
 

GOALS RUN IN THE FAMILY: The younger sister of former MSUB scoring standout Heidi Greenback, junior Brittney Greenback found the back of the net for the first time in her career as she supplied the game-winner against the Wolves. Collecting a combination ball from Dariann Oaks and Dana Lubieniecki in the 37th minute, Greenback tucked a shot into the upper corner of the goal to put the 'Jackets ahead late in the first half and ultimately push the contest in her team's favor.
 
Greenback's older sister Heidi, whose career spanned 2010-13, is No. 4 in MSUB history with 29 goals scored in 74 games with the 'Jackets. Though Brittney Greenback plays a more defensive role as a holding midfielder, she broke through Saturday in a crucial moment for her team.
 
"It was an awesome strike by Brittney, and I don't think the goalie had a chance to make a save," Krakowiak said. "I was extremely happy for Brittney because it's her first collegiate goal, and it was pure quality and technique on that shot."
 
LUBIENIECKI ASSITING ON, OFF THE BALL: While Lubieniecki earned an assist on the stat sheet on Greenback's goal, her role as a captain in the midfield has been crucial all season long. Lubieniecki has played every minute over the last three matches, and is averaging 89.7 minutes per game while starting all 15 matches this year.
 
Displaying versatility, Lubieniecki has scored a pair of goals and has taken several of the team's corner kicks throughout the season, while placing seven of her 16 shot attempts on the year on target.
 
"Dana has been playing 90 (minutes) almost every game," Krakowiak said. "She deserves a lot of credit as well."
 
LOKAY CLIMBS TO FOURTH IN CAREER MINUTES: Playing all 194 minutes last week, Lokay moved up the MSUB career minutes played chart to fourth place. Lokay will play her final home game on Saturday, after a four-year career as a starter in the program.
 
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.	Katlyn Lokay	6,238	2012-15
5.	Mandy Ploskanka	6,107	2005-08
6.	Carly Valentine	6,100	2007-10
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 HANDLES GLOVES IN GOAL: Earning her fourth shutout of the season Saturday, freshman goalkeeper Chloe Hopps lowered her goals-against average to 0.88 which ranks fourth in the conference. In her first collegiate season, Hopps has started 13 matches and made 45 saves while allowing a dozen goals on 145 shots faced in 1,230 minutes.
 
DEFENSIVE BALANCE: Complementing the steady leadership of Lokay and junior captain Kari Kastelic on the back line have been freshmen Sarah Coghlan and Kienna Ogden and junior Lindsay Lucore. Kastelic and Lokay have each played every minute of the season as center backs, with Coghlan, Ogden, and Lucore filling the two roles of outside backs.
 
As of late, Coghlan has played every minute the last six matches and is averaging 87.6 minutes per match in her first collegiate season. The Billings Senior High School graduate also has an assist on the season, and has placed five of her eight shots on target as she has been an offensive threat as well.
 
Lucore played a full 90 minutes against the Saints, and is averaging 49.9 minutes in her first season in the program. Ogden has started 10 matches and has played in all 15, averaging 66.3 minutes.
 
YOUNG GUNS UP TOP: Thirteen of MSUB's 18 goals this season have been scored by underclassmen, as sophomore Jessica Spang and freshmen Alycia Wright and Bailey Griglio have fueled the Yellowjackets' offense.
 
Spang and Wright lead the team with five goals apiece, and the former is also the team's assist leader with five on the season. Following Wright's lead as a true freshman, Griglio has found the net three times in her first season in the program, and has placed 10 of her 15 shots on target.
 
Overall, the trio of forwards has taken 75 shots, 40 of which have been on frame for an outstanding shots-on-goal percentage of 53.3 percent.
 

KOSTER CONTINUES STARTING ROLE: Slotting in as an attacking midfielder, Koster has started the last seven matches for the 'Jackets and averaged 71.3 minutes over that time span. She also contributed her first assist of the season against Northwest Nazarene, and has had at least one shot in each of her last three matches.
 
HOWARD A CORNERSTONE: In just two seasons with the 'Jackets, Howard has had a tremendous impact and has started all 15 matches after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury. One of MSUB's rocks as a holding midfielder, Howard has taken 43 of the team's 49 corner kicks on the season, and has scored once and provided an assist.
 
OAKS EARNING MINUTES: Oaks has seen time in seven of MSUB's last eight matches, averaging 19.5 minutes off of the bench for the 'Jackets in the attacking third. In her most recent appearance, she picked up her first collegiate point as she helped deliver the ball to Greenback on the game-winner against the Wolves.
 
As a team MSUB remained in the upper half of the GNAC defensively, allowing the fourth-fewest goals (14) and holding the fourth-best goals-against average (0.88).
 
Saturday, October 31 – Central Washington University Wildcats – Noon – SENIOR DAY
2015 Record: 6-8-1, 4-5-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Michael Farrand, 16th season
 
Making a late surge into contention for a GNAC berth, the Wildcats have earned points in four of their last five matches to pull within striking distance of MSUB in the standings with 13 points.
 
CWU is coming off of a 5-2 home win over Simon Fraser on Saturday, after battling nationally-ranked Seattle Pacific to a 1-1 double-overtime draw last Thursday.
 
The Wildcats will host Concordia University on Thursday before traveling to Billings for the only regular-season meeting with MSUB.
 
Outscoring opponents 26-22 this season, CWU is being led by Whitney Lowe and Cassie Ripley who have five goals apiece. Reilly Retz (4 goals), Mackenzie Nolte (3 goals) and Kaysha Darcy (2 goals) have each also scored multiple times, and Nolte is the team's assist leader with six on the year.
 
Sydney Williams and Amanda White have split time in the net for the Wildcats, with White starting eight games and Williams starting six. Williams has started the last six matches for CWU.
 
The Series: MSUB will try to pull the alltime series with CWU even, as the Wildcats currently hold an 11-10 advantage with one draw in the 22 historic meetings.
 
Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets won both matches last season, with a 2-1 victory on the road on Oct. 11 in Ellensburg, Wash., after a 1-0 shutout win at home on Sept. 25. Lokay scored in the road victory last year, and Lubieniecki had an assist.