BILLINGS, Mont. – Looking to finish the season strong, the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team carries a three-match unbeaten streak into its final games of the 2021 season this weekend on the road.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-7-3, 2-4-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) play at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday evening with a 6 p.m. kickoff, before closing the season on Saturday with a 2 p.m. kickoff against Saint Martin's University. Live coverage for this weekend's conference matches can be found online here.
 
"The last two games of the season will not be easy," said MSUB head coach Thomas Chameraud. "We will have to be focused like we have been in the last three games. We want to finish as high as we can in the GNAC, and leave the seniors on a great note. We still have a lot to play for, and the last games have shown us that they are 100 percent committed for the rest of the season."
 
SATURDAY'S GAME RELOCATED: Due to unplayable conditions at Saint Martin's home field, Saturday's match will be played at Black Hills High School in Tumwater, Wash. The game was originally scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Pacific, but has been moved to a 2 p.m. kickoff time. Live video will not be available for Saturday's game – live statistics will be available online here.
 
MSUB had a productive weekend to close out its 2021 home schedule, picking up a hard-fought, 1-1 double-overtime draw against Western Washington University last Thursday, before a landmark 3-0 shutout win over Simon Fraser University last Saturday. Adding in the team's 1-1 double-overtime draw against first-place Seattle Pacific on Oct. 30, the Yellowjackets are unbeaten in the second half of conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets lost to Northwest Nazarene 2-1 on Oct. 9 in the first meeting of the year between the teams, a result that came two days after a triumphant 3-0 win over Saint Martin's earlier this fall.
 
BATTISTOTTI HONORED AFTER BIG WEEK: Fifth-year senior captain Luca Battistotti was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week, after carrying the Yellowjackets to just one goal conceded against two of the top three teams in the conference. Battistotti played the full 110 minutes on Thursday, and helped keep MSUB organized in the back and fight for a draw despite being down for a player for more than 80 minutes after an early red card. The senior then led the team to its third shutout of the year and just the third in program history against SFU, as MSUB beat the perennial power for the second time in school history.
 
Battistotti, who earned his first-career player of the week honor, moved into a tie for third place in school history with 71 career games played. The school record is 72, held jointly by Greg McKeever (2004-07) and Chris Andre (2007-10).
 
MSUB Men's Soccer Career Games Played Leaders (as of Nov. 3, 2021)

Rank	Player	Games	Career
1	Greg McKeever	72	2004-07
	Chris Andre	72	2007-10
3	Brian Huskey	71	2005-08
	Luca Battistotti	71	2017-21
5	Sam Charles	70	2006-09
	Cameron Lee	70	2012-15
7	Jess Spann	69	2002-05
	Joshua Hernandez	69	2004-07
	Kyle Emerick	69	2011-14
10	Dave Austin	68	1997-01

 
YILMAZ HAS 4TH MULTI-GOAL GAME: Two of MSUB's three goals scored on Saturday came off the foot of Halil Yilmaz, who upped his team-leading total to 11 goals with his fourth multi-goal performance of the season. It is the most multi-goal games by a Yellowjacket since Ricardo Palomino had six multi-goal performances during the 2015 campaign.
 
Entering the final week of the season, Yilmaz ranks second in the conference in goals with 11, and trails Seattle Pacific's Alex Mejia by three goals. The frontrunner for GNAC Newcomer of the Year has notched a pair of hat tricks and earned the GNAC Player of the Week after the opening weekend of the season.
 
GNAC Men's Soccer Goals Scored Leaders (as of Nov. 10, 2021)

Rank	Player	Goals	School
1	Alex Mejia	14	Seattle Pacific
2	Halil Yilmaz	11	MSU Billings
3	Jason Fairhurst	7	Saint Martin's
4	Alden Massey	6	Seattle Pacific
	Drew Farnsworth	6	Western Washington
6	Alex Whiting	5	Western Washington
	Travis Swallow	5	Seattle Pacific
	Gilbert De La Luz	5	Western Washington
9	Brody Thomas	4	Simon Fraser
	Lukas Juodkunaitis	4	Northwest Nazarene
	Sebastian Cotrau	4	Northwest Nazarene
	Judah Johnston	4	Seattle Pacific

PUTU TOP ASSIST MAN AFTER BIG WEEK: Senior midfielder Marvin Putu had a productive offensive week as well, scoring his first goal in an MSUB uniform in the draw against Western Washington before providing two assists in the win over Simon Fraser. Putu's double assist upped his season total to seven, a mark that leads all players in the conference.
 
GNAC Men's Soccer Assists Leaders (as of Nov. 10, 2021)

Rank	Player	Assists	School
1	Marvin Putu	7	MSU Billings
2	Tyler Speer	5	Seattle Pacific
3	Titus Grant	4	Seattle Pacific
	Jeremie Briquet	4	MSU Billings
	Jimmy Koufidakis	4	Northwest Nazarene
	Aidan Thrall	4	Seattle Pacific
	Jason Fairhurst	4	Saint Martin's
	Nik Reierson	4	Seattle Pacific
9	7 With	3	--

LOWES NETS FIRST MSUB GOAL: Playing in his final match at Yellowjacket Field on Saturday, senior midfielder Brad Lowes tucked home the first goal of his MSUB career to give the 'Jackets a 2-0 lead over SFU. The reliable Lowes has started every match this season and has been an instrumental part of the team's midfield shape and possession throughout the fall season.
 
CONNOR AN EFFECTIVE TRAPP IN NET: Freshman goalkeeper Connor Trapp led all players in the GNAC with nine saves over the weekend, helping the Yellowjackets to the shutout win over SFU. Trapp made six important stops against Simon Fraser, several of which came on powerful strikes from point-blank range.
 

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Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks
Thursday, November 11 – 6 PM – NNU Soccer Field – Nampa, Idaho
2021 Record: 6-8, 3-5 GNAC
Head Coach: John Powell, 1st season
2019 Record: 7-11, 3-9 GNAC (7th place)
First Meeting: NNU 2, MSUB 1 (Oct. 9 at Billings)
 
The Nighthawks have not won since their 2-1 comeback triumph over MSUB on Oct. 9, as they enter the week on a four-game losing skid. Last week NNU lost 1-0 at the hands of Western Washington before a 2-1 defeat against Saint Martin's. After Thursday's game against MSUB, the Nighthawks close the year hosting Seattle Pacific University on Saturday.
 
Lukas Juodkunaitis and Sebastian Cotrau lead the team with four goals apiece, while Nils Knosala has found the net three times. Brandon Parsio and Lorenzo Valentini are the two NNU field players to have started all 14 matches this season, while Sawyer Price has played every minute in goal. Price holds a 1.62 goals-against average with 54 saves and three shutouts.
 
The Series: MSUB is 14-16-2 all-time against NNU and has a 4-6-2 record in road matches at Nampa, Idaho. MSUB has won two straight games at NNU dating back to the 2018 campaign.
 
Last Time Out: The Nighthawks shocked the 'Jackets with two goals in the final six minutes to swipe away three points in Billings one month ago. Yilmaz had a top-class free-kick strike in the 2-1 defeat.
 

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Saint Martin's University Saints
Saturday, November 13 – 2 PM – Black Hills High School – Tumwater, Washington
2021 Record: 3-12, 2-6 GNAC
Head Coach: Rob Walker, 15th season
2019 Record: 9-8-2, 4-7-1 GNAC (5th place)
First Meeting: MSUB 3, SMU 0 (Oct. 7 at Billings)
 
The Saints won their lone match last week, topping Northwest Nazarene 2-1 to kick off their season-closing three-game home stand. Before hosting the Yellowjackets on Saturday, SMU welcomes Seattle Pacific on Thursday afternoon.
 
Jason Fairhurst claimed GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and is the team's leading scorer with seven goals this season. Fairhurst has started all 15 matches, and is the lone Saint with more than two goals this season.
 
Stephen Murray and Arjun Gill have each started 14 matches as mainstays for SMU, while Hunter Askland has made 14 starts in goal. Askland has made 59 saves this season and has a 3.24 goals-against average.
 
The Series: MSUB is 15-10-2 all-time against Saint Martin's and is 6-6-1 in road matches against the Saints. SMU has won four of the last six matches between the teams dating back to the 2017 campaign.
 
Last Time Out: The 'Jackets rolled to a dominant 3-0 victory at home, using a pair of goals from Yilmaz and a last-second finish from senior Paul Cuevas to claim three points last month.