BILLINGS, Mont. – With only five games remaining, the Yellowjacket women's soccer team is in fifth place, sitting just one game behind conference foe Central Washington University to qualify for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament.
 
The GNAC takes the top four teams to the annual conference tournament, hosted by Seattle Pacific University at Interbay Stadiumin 2019. With the Yellowjacket's owning a 3-1-1 record at Yellowjack Field and only one home game remaining against a team with a road record above .500 (Seattle Pacific), they posess a legitimate shot to nail down a strong showing in their final homestand of the year.
 
A sweep would present the 'Jackets with the best opportunity to qualify for the GNAC tournament, which hasn't been done since an 0-4 loss to Western Washington in 2015. Up first is Saint Martin's University (2-9-2, 0-6 GNAC, 2-3 home, 0-6-1 away, 0-0-1 neutral) on Thursday at 12:30 p.m MST, followed by Saturday's contest against second-place SPU (8-5, 6-1 GNAC, 4-1 home, 4-2 away, 0-2 neutral) at 12:00 p.m. MST. On top of the much anticipated homestand, this weekend also includes both Senior Day and MSUB's annual 'Jackets kick cancer day on Saturday.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets had a tough weekend in Oregon and went 0-2, losing 1-3 to Western Oregon University (6-4-3, 3-2-2 GNAC, 5-1-1 home, 1-3-2 road, 0-0 neutral) and 1-2 to Concordia University (Oregon), both of whom have been stingy opponents at home. Kiley Sandow scored the lone goal for the 'Jackets against WOU while Amanda Hemmen scored her first goal of the season against CU.
 
Head coach Stephen Cavallo was proud of his team for their effort and for improving on their last road trip, "I am proud of the team for battling through the entire 90-minutes and scrapping until the last whistle to try and get back into the game," Cavallo said. "We had a poor start to the second half and conceded two goals during that time. We have to maintain a better focus level in those moments."

Looking forward to this weekend, Cavallo acknowledges the importance of this homestand both in the GNAC standings, as well as on a personal note for his players nearing the end of their Yellowjacket career as well. "This week serves as our senior day preparation. I want more than anything for the team to help deliver two strong performances in honor of this great senior class. They've been through a lot during their time here at MSUB but I am so grateful for everything they've brought to this program. Saturday's game against SPU has us up against one of the toughest teams in the conference and the West Region. We know we will need to be clicking on all cylinders to get a good result against them."

 
Scouting Saint Martin's University
Thursday, October 24 – 12:30 p.m. – Yellowjacket Field – Billings, Montana
2019 Record 2-9-2, 0-6 GNAC, 2-3 home, 0-6-1 away, 0-0-1 neutral
2018 Record 5-12-1, 1-10-1 GNAC, 2-7-1 home, 2-5-0 away, 1-0 neutral
Head Coach: Heather Cato (3rd Season)
 
SMU has struggled so far this year and will be looking to get back on track against the Yellowjackets on Thursday. SMU (2-9-2) has lost seven games in a row while still searching for their first conference win of 2019, sporting an 0-6 record in GNAC play. Their slow start can be blamed in large part to their 8-33 goal differential.
 
The Saints are averaging a mere 0.62 goals per game while allowing an average of 2.54 goals per game. Although a high number of saves is usually an indication of poor defensive play, one of SMU's lone brightspots Ali Campigotto ranks third among GNAC goalkeepers with 42 saves (6.00 avg/G) which presents a significant challenge for the Yellowjacket offense.

Cavallo reiterated that his team will not be overlooking the Saints, "They've gotten the better of us here in Billings over the last two seasons. We will enter this match with the right mentality and look to improve our position in the standings with a good result against them."
 
Scouting Seattle Pacific University
Saturday, October 26 – 12:00 p.m. – Yellowjacket Field – Billings, Montana
2019 Record 8-5, 6-1 GNAC, 4-1 home, 4-2 away, 0-2 neutral
2018 Record 12-6-2, 8-3-1 GNAC, 7-2 home, 5-4-2 away, 1-1 neutral
Head Coach: Arby Busey (5^th Season)
 
SPU has been hot of late and will look to continue their three-game winning streak on Saturday against the 'Jackets. They have played well in 2019 (8-5, 6-1 GNAC), and have only lost one game in conference play while taking pride in winning at home (4-1) and on the road (4-2). SPU will look to lean on their strong offense (1.62 Avg/G) and defense (0.76 GA Avg) against the Jackets on Saturday.
 
MSUB will undoubtedly have their hands full with SPU's well balanced attack. However, chances are good for the game to be a low scoring affair. While the 'Jackets are near the middle of the GNAC in most defensive categories, they have played much better defense at home, giving up a mere three goals in six games so far this year.