BILLINGS, Mont. – Wrapping up a three-game home stand this week, the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team hosts a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches at Yellowjacket Field.
 
On Thursday, MSUB will welcome Saint Martin's University (4-6, 0-5 GNAC) and on Saturday Seattle Pacific University (7-2-1, 3-1 GNAC) will be in town. Both matches will be part of doubleheaders with the MSUB men's soccer team, with Thursday's game set for 4 p.m. and Saturday's contest scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff. Live video and live statistics will be available for both matches online through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal here.
 
"We have been training hard this week to prepare for Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "We have eight matches to go in league, and the quality of our team has always been there. We are still learning how to win at this level, and I really believe in the group. The first three matches weren't easy, and we still have a lot of tough matches down the road, but we are trying to take advantage of each opportunity to get better."
 
The Yellowjackets (4-4-1, 1-3 GNAC) earned their first conference victory last week, defeating Northwest Nazarene University 2-1 at home last Thursday. The victory snapped a three-match losing skid, and it was the team's second come-from-behind win of the year.
 
HOMECOMING WEEKEND AT MSUB: This weekend's games will be part of Homecoming Weekend at MSUB, which is a campus-wide event running October 5-7. Other campus events during the weekend include the MSUB Mile on Saturday morning at 9 a.m., and MSUB Evening at the Zoo on Saturday from 3-7 p.m. For a full list of Homecoming Weekend events and more information, visit www.msubillings.edu/homecoming.
 
MSUB KICKS CANCER: Saturday's match will mark the annual MSUB Kicks Cancer afternoon at Yellowjacket Field, as both Yellowjacket teams show support for the fight against cancer. Players will warm up wearing pink, and proceeds from the event will go towards the American Cancer Society. "Giving back to the local American Cancer Society branch is a huge part of the game, but more than the financial aspect is just the awareness," Cavallo said. "Cancer has affected so many people, and it is a match where we can go out and do something a little bit bigger than just play a game of soccer."
 
TEVASEU CONTINUING TO CREATE IN ATTACKING ROLE: Thriving in her role as an attacking presence out of the midfield, junior Claire Tevaseu is tied for the team lead with seven points through nine games this fall. She had her third assist of the year last week against NNU, with a clever heel-flick pass into the goal box to set up the game-winning goal by freshman Julia Keller. Overall Tevaseu has had a goal or an assist in four of the team's nine games, with one of her finishes counting as a game-winner.
 
KELLER BACK ON THE SCORE SHEET: After a hot start to her collegiate career, Keller broke out of a cold stretch last week as she netted the winning strike against the Nighthawks. It was her team-leading third goal of the season, as she is tied with Tevaseu for the team lead with seven points. Keller has placed more than half of her 23 shots on target, as she leads the squad with 12 shots on goal and ranks second in total attempts.
 
GUNTER EFFECTIVE IN STARTING ROLE: Since assuming her starting position in MSUB's midfield unit, freshman Haylee Gunter has been helping create chances offensively on a regular basis. It was her pass to Tevaseu from the midfield that ultimately led to Keller's big goal last week, and she has averaged 65 minutes per game in the five matches she has been in the starting 11. "It has been really awesome," Gunter commented on her role in the midfield. "I'm just really happy I get to be a part of it every game. We have been really working on attacking, so we are going to be ready to score some goals."
 
VERVAIR HANDLING SHIFT TO MIDFIELD WELL: After starting all 17 matches at outside back as a freshman in 2017, Hallie Vervair has adapted well to a new role in the central midfield for the 'Jackets this fall. Vervair has seen time in all nine games, including making four starts, and has been a key player in front of the Yellowjackets' back line. "It's definitely different switching from outside back to holding mid, but it has been a really good transition," said Vervair. "I have a lot of really good girls around me who are helping to make it easier. It was a big confidence booster for us (last week), and when we came back from having a goal scored on us it showed a lot of character."
 
IACOLUCCI A STAPLE IN THE MIDFIELD: Junior Alexa Iacolucci leads the team among midfielders with 692 minutes played (76.9 per game) and has started all nine contests. The lefty has found the net twice this fall, bringing her career goal total to seven and point total to 18 midway through her third season.
 
WHERE THERE'S A GOAL THERE'S AN ASSIST: The Yellowjackets have had an assist on all eight of their goals that have come during the run of play, with 10 total helpers on the season. Aside from three set-piece finishes and an opponent's own goal, the 'Jackets have found the net through creative play and combining in the attacking third.
 
Saint Martin's University Saints
Thursday, October 4 – 4 PM – Yellowjacket Field
2018 Record: 4-6, 0-5 GNAC
Head Coach: Heather Cato, 2nd season
2017 Record: 2-14-1, 2-9-1 GNAC (8th place)
 
The Saints enter Thursday's game in Billings on a five-match losing skid, a stretch that dates back to September 15 during which the team has been out-scored 19-2. SMU is still in search of its first GNAC victory, and will play at home against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday after its game against MSUB.
 
Though the Saints have found the net 14 times in their 10 games, they have struggled defensively with 25 goals allowed. Kiersten Madsen is SMU's top attacking player, as she has scored five goals and added a pair of assists for 12 points. Shea McKnight (3 goals) and Kylee Sarchett (2 goals) are the other Saints to have scored multiple times this fall.
 
Defensively, junior Rose Robbins is the lone player to have started all 10 games on the back line and she leads the team with 821 minutes. Sarchett and Madsen join Robbins as the three players on the roster to have started every match.
 
In goal, Sara Christensen and Ali Koehler have alternated games, with the former starting four and the latter six. Christensen got the nod in the team's most recent game, a 2-1 loss to Hawaii Hilo on Tuesday, while Koehler started the last GNAC contest, a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Concordia University on September 29.
 
The Series: MSUB is 12-7-2 all-time against SMU and has a mark of 6-4 in home games. The 'Jackets have lost just twice in the last 11 games, but both defeats came in the last two seasons.
 
Last Time Out: The teams split last season's series, with MSUB winning 4-1 on the road on October 19, 2017 and SMU claiming a 2-0 win in Billings on October 7, 2017. Sophomore Amanda Grimshaw had a goal in the road win, while Iacolucci had a goal and an assist last fall in the match.

Date	Location	H/A/N	Result	Score
9-16-07	Billings, MT	H	W	6-2
10-19-07	Lacey, WA	A	L	2-0
10-2-08	Billings, MT	H	W (OT)	3-2
10-25-08	Lacey, WA	A	W (OT)	2-1
9-26-09	Lacey, WA	A	W	3-2
10-29-09	Billings, MT	H	L	3-0
10-2-10	Billings, MT	H	L	3-2
10-21-10	Lacey, WA	A	L	2-1
9-15-11	Billings, MT	A	W	3-1
10-15-11	Billings, MT	H	L (OT)	1-0
9-20-12	Billings, MT	H	W	1-0
10-27-12	Lacey, WA	A	T (2 OT)	1-1
10-3-13	Lacey, WA	A	W	2-1
10-12-13	Billings, MT	H	W	2-1
9-20-14	Lacey, WA	A	T (2 OT)	1-1
10-23-14	Billings, MT	H	W	2-0
10-3-15	Lacey, WA	A	W	4-1
10-17-15	Billings, MT	H	W	2-0
10-20-16	Lacey, WA	A	L	1-0
10-7-17	Billings, MT	H	L	2-0
10-19-17	Lacey, WA	A	W	4-1

Seattle Pacific University Falcons
Saturday, October 6 – 12:30 PM – Yellowjacket Field
2018 Record: 7-2-1, 3-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Arby Busey, 4th season
2017 Record: 10-7, 8-4 GNAC (4th place)
 
The Falcons are off to a strong start in GNAC play, winning three of their first four matches and out-scoring the opposition 9-3. Most recently, SPU suffered a 2-1 overtime defeat against Simon Fraser before rallying to beat Northwest Nazarene 2-1 in its two matches last week. The Falcons will square off against No. 18 Western Washington in a prime-time match Thursday under the lights in Bellingham, Washington, before Saturday's afternoon affair in Billings.
 
SPU's Sophia Chilczuk is tied for the GNAC lead with 14 points, as she leads the conference with seven goals in her first 10 games of the year. She is the leader among nine different Falcon goal scorers, which has resulted in a stellar goal margin of 19-5 for SPU.
 
Megan Moore leads the squad with five assists, and has also scored a goal while starting all 10 games. Sydnee Smith (4 assists) and Julia DeVere (3 assists) are other top facilitators for the SPU offense.
 
Defenders Asia Cayetano and Megan Nielsen have started all 10 matches, with the former ranking second on the team with 848 minutes played.
 
Riley Travis has started the majority of the matches in goal for SPU, with 28 saves and a goals-against average of 0.54 to rank third in the GNAC.
 
The Series: MSUB is 4-19-2 all-time against SPU, and is 2-8 in games at Yellowjacket Field. MSUB's last win over the Falcons was on September 27, 2014, as SPU has held the upper hand over the past three seasons.
 
Last Time Out: The Falcons picked up a 3-0 win in Seattle in the only meeting between the teams last fall, coming on October 21, 2017.

Date	Location	H/A/N	Result	Score
9-15-03	Seattle, WA	A	L	5-0
9-22-04	Seattle, WA	A	L	3-0
9-27-07	Seattle, WA	A	L	1-0
10-27-07	Billings, MT	H	L	2-0
9-27-08	Billings, MT	H	L	3-0
11-8-08	Seattle, WA	A	L	3-0
10-21-09	Seattle, WA	A	L	4-0
11-5-09	Billings, MT	H	L (OT)	3-2
9-16-10	Seattle, WA	A	L	3-0 (SPU #19)
10-16-10	Billings, MT	H	L (OT)	2-1 (SPU #14)
11-13-10	Seattle, WA	A	L	2-0 (SPU #9)
9-29-11	Seattle, WA	A	W	1-0 (SPU #14)
10-29-11	Billings, MT	H	L	2-1
9-13-12	Billings, MT	H	W	2-1
10-13-12	Seattle, WA	A	L	3-0
11-1-12	Tukwila, WA	N	W	1-0 (SPU #22, GNAC Championships)
9-26-13	Seattle, WA	A	L	2-1 (SPU #25)
10-19-13	Billings, MT	H	L	3-0 (SPU #23)
9-27-14	Billings, MT	H	W	2-1
10-9-14	Seattle, WA	A	T (2 OT)	0-0
11-6-14	Tukwila, WA	N	L	1-0 (GNAC Championships)
10-15-15	Billings, MT	H	L	1-0 (SPU #19)
10-13-16	Billings, MT	H	L	1-0
10-22-16	Seattle, WA	A	T (2 OT)	3-3
10-21-17	Seattle, WA	A	L	3-0