BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Men's Soccer team hosts Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Seattle Pacific University in their final home game of the season.  
 
The past week has been a bit of a rough patch for the Yellowjacket men's soccer team with nail-biting losses to #24 Simon Fraser (9-4-1, 6-3-1 GNAC), and #19 Western Washington (12-3-1, 9-0-1 GNAC). Nevertheless, the 'Jackets feel optimistic about their last game of the season.
 
"Last trip for us was difficult with two tight losses but there is positive to take away from those two games," said head coach Thomas Chameraud. "We have a big desire to compete and win every game which is very important to us. We could have easily given up against WWU after being a goal down and a man down, but we fought until the last whistle and created some opportunities to score. We need to do a better job on set pieces defensively and offensively. It has been our weakness this season, and it is time for us to be solid on set plays for the last game of the season."
 
The 'Jackets will be up against rival Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, November 14 at Yellowjacket Field, 2:00 p.m. MST. MSUB (8-8-2, 5-5-1 GNAC) have been very competitive this season and currently sit one win ahead of their 2018 finish, both in conference games and overall.
 
There is still a lot to play for, as a win would mean sole possession of 3^rd place in the GNAC, which hasn't happened since 2007 when the 'Jackets took 2^nd. A win would also mean the first winning season since 2016. The team plays well on their home turf (4-3-1) and will look to end their season on a high note in Billings on Thursday.
 
"There is a lot to play for and we expect our players to compete and give everything that they have left in the tank in order to achieve those goals," continued Chameraud. "We need to send our seniors Nacho, Liam, Christian on a very good note. We didn't perform well on their senior day so it will be an opportunity to redeem ourselves and we owe it to them."
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets played stingy defense against a very reputable opponent in #19 Western Washington but ended up losing the game 0-1 on a cold night at Harrington Field in Bellingham, WA. The Vikings were in control for the majority of the game, demonstrating why they are so highly touted for their defense.
 
They completed the entire game without surrendering a single shot on goal, taking pressure off the offense as one goal ended up being the deciding factor. In fact, if it wasn't for an impressive performance by Jacket goalkeeper Jessy Martin (5 saves), the game could have easily gotten out of hand in a hurry.
 
Despite the tough losses as of late, the 'Jackets are looking forward to their final game of the season against SPU. "Our last game of the season is coming up against SPU, a team on the rise," commented Chameraud. "We'll have to prepare for that game well in order to finish the season on a good note.
 
The 'Jackets will be looking to continue their strong defensive output while emphasizing better execution on set plays on both sides of the ball, which has been one of the toughest areas of emphasis for the team this year.
 
The 'Jackets have scored 22 goals while allowing 20 so far this year.
 
Scouting Seattle Pacific University
Thursday, October 13 – 2:00 p.m. – Yellowjacket Field – Billings, Montana
2019 Record 5-9-1, 4-6-0 GNAC, 3-5-1 home, 2-4 away, 0-0 neutral
2018 Record 8-11, 4-8 GNAC, 5-4 home, 3-7 away, 0-0 neutral
Head Coach: Mark Collings (12^th Season)
 
Seattle Pacific is currently in a three-way tie for 4^th place in the GNAC. A win would put them in position for a 3^rd place finish. SPU has played better of late beating both Simon Fraser (9-4-1, 6-3-1 GNAC) and Saint Martin's (9-7-2, 4-6-1 GNAC).
 
The majority of their success has been as a result of increased offensive output, having scored 12 goals in their last five games. SPU is 3^rd in the GNAC in goals scored (25) and assists (25).

However, they have given up 34 goals this season, only Saint Martin's has given up more with 35. With the 'Jackets strong defensive (3^rd in the GNAC), two scores should be enough to end the season on a high note.

Live stats and video will be available at msubsports.com