BILLINGS, Mont. – The top-ranked team in NCAA Division II men's soccer took care of business at Yellowjacket Field on Saturday, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to hand host Montana State University Billings a 2-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference defeat on Senior Day.
 
The Yellowjackets battled valiantly throughout their final match of the season, but the Clan broke through in the end while completing their 12th shutout of the season. Dzenan Bezdrob scored his fourth goal of the year in the 76th minute, and Marcello Polisi contributed his third in the 81st minute to help SFU move to 17-1 overall and 11-1 in conference play. The Clan overcame their first loss of the year on Thursday – a 2-1 defeat at Western Washington – and capped their third straight GNAC title with a win.
 
MSUB finished the season with a record of 7-10-2 overall, and went 4-7-1 in GNAC play. "This is always a very emotional day, and is one that I look forward to but also kind of dread," said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. "It is a bittersweet day, because some of these guys have put illustrious careers together. They are going to be sorely missed on the field, but at the same time the growth they have gone through in their careers is a lot of fun to watch."
 
"Today was a very special day, and I am sad to leave my teammates because it was three amazing years," senior captain Guillaume Kremer said. "I just tried to lift the level in my role as a leader during my time here."
 
The Clan held an 11-6 advantage in shots on the day, and had a handful of near misses early on in the match. Perhaps the closest SFU came to scoring came 20 minutes in when Rahid Raheim beat a defender and created space on the left side of the goal box. He curled a soft, right-footed shot and watched as it glanced off the inside of the far goal post.
 
Ludvig Rhodin had one save in his final career game, pushing his four-year total to 275 between three years at the University of Mary and this fall at MSUB. He came up with a key play late in the opening half, bursting off his line and sliding to grab a through ball by Connor Glennon before a pair of forwards could reach it. "I am so grateful for Coach Alex taking me here," said Rhodin. "I couldn't have asked for a better last year. I have made friends who I will never forget."
 
The 'Jackets defended SFU's three first-half corner kicks well, with center back Samuele Folla making his presence known by winning key aerial balls inside the box.
 
The game continued to carry a balanced flow early on in the second half, and the 'Jackets came close to taking the lead with 18 minutes left. Kremer elected to play a corner kick on the ground towards the top of the box, where fellow senior Dana Kowachek awaited unmarked. He drilled a low, one-time attempt on the ground, but it skipped just wide of the left post before MSUB's Andres Perez could redirect it towards the net.
 
SFU's first goal came on a cross from Jeff Cadman in the right corner, with Bezdrob running into the box fresh after being subbed onto the field. His first touch after re-entering counted as the game-winning goal, as he got to the ball just before Rhodin and found the back of the net.
 
Polisi's brother and GNAC-leading scorer Matteo Polisi set up the second and final goal, flicking a pass to his brother on the left side of the field. Marcello did the rest, whipping past two defenders before crushing an unstoppable shot inside the far-upper corner of the net from the top of the box.
 
Kowachek led all Yellowjackets with three shots in the game, but MSUB couldn't get an attempt on target as SFU goalkeeper Luciano Trasolini wasn't troubled in his 11th shutout of the year. "I learned a lot here and enjoyed my time with these guys," Kowachek said. "Off the field we were really close this year, and it was just a lot of fun."
 
Kremer, Kowachek, and Adam Hepburn each played a full 90 minutes in the final match of their careers. "It has been a good four years, and I was just trying not to let the emotions get the best of me while I was still on the field," Hepburn said. "We have a lot of young talent this year, and I am excited to see what the program does in the next couple of years."
 
"It has been a hell of a journey, and when I transferred here I didn't know what to expect," said senior Ricardo Palomino, who was absent from the field of play on Saturday. "It went beyond all of my expectations, and I am so grateful for the team and the coaches. I couldn't have asked for more."
 
THE BUZZ: Kowachek was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 1-21-3 all-time against SFU and is 1-7-2 in games played in Billings.
 
SENIOR DAY CEREMONY: Rhodin, Kremer, Hepburn, Kowachek, and Ricardo Palomino were honored in a ceremony before the match. Palomino finished his career No. 2 in MSUB history with 27 career goals and No. 5 in points with 60. Kremer was in the top-10 in the categories of goals (14), assists (16), and points (44) in his three-year career. Rhodin finished the season with 72 saves, the ninth-highest total in MSUB single-season history. Kowachek led the team in scoring with seven goals and three assists, for a total of 17 points. Hepburn started 31 games and played in 62 in his career, logging upwards of 3,400 minutes in the midfield.

Date	Location	H/A/N	Result	Score
9-12-98	Arcata, CA	N	L	4-0
9-18-99	Spokane, WA	N	L	5-1
10-16-99	Burnaby, BC	A	L	3-0
10-1-00	Salt Lake City, UT	N	L	7-0
9-29-02	Burnaby, BC	A	L	7-2
10-6-07	Burnaby, BC	A	L	2-0
9-12-08	Billings, MT	H	L	1-0
9-23-10	Burnaby, BC	A	L	3-1
10-30-10	Billings, MT	H	L	2-1
9-22-11	Billings, MT	H	L	4-1
10-22-11	Burnaby, BC	A	L	1-0
9-13-12	Burnaby, BC	A	L	2-0 (SFU #12)
10-20-12	Billings, MT	H	T (2 OT)	0-0 (SFU #3)
9-19-13	Billings, MT	H	L	2-1 (SFU #1)
10-26-13	Burnaby, BC	A	L	7-0 (SFU #3)
9-25-14	Burnaby, BC	A	T (2 OT)	3-3
10-24-14	Billings, MT	H	L	3-1
9-26-15	Billings, MT	H	T (2 OT)	1-1
10-22-15	Burnaby, BC	A	L	1-0
10-8-16	Billings, MT	H	L	1-0 (SFU #2)
10-27-16	Burnaby, BC	A	L	4-0 (SFU #3)
10-7-17	Burnaby, BC	A	L	1-0 (SFU #22)
10-26-17	Billings, MT	H	W	2-1 (SFU #9)
9-20-18	Burnaby, BC	A	L	4-0 (SFU #3)
11-3-18	Billings, MT	H	L	2-0 (SFU #1)