BILLINGS, Mont. – With the final two matches of the 2021 regular season on tap this week, the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team is in the hunt for a berth into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.
 
The Yellowjackets (7-7-3, 4-6-2 GNAC) enter the week tied for fifth place in the conference standings with 14 points to match Western Oregon University. Simon Fraser University occupies the fourth and final playoff spot with 16 points, as the Yellowjackets have two points to make up in order to get into the four-team tournament scheduled for Nov. 11-13 at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. The tournament-host Vikings, Seattle Pacific Falcons, and Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks have clinched the first three playoff spots.
 
"It has been a big goal for this program for a long time, and for us this year too," goalkeeper Clare Keenan said on the team's postseason hopes. "I know Stephen really believes in us as a team that has a lot of talent. It's exciting to know that we have a young team, but we have the potential right now to be getting into the playoffs."
 
The Yellowjackets will need to find points on the road, while receiving help from afar during the final matches of the regular season this week. MSUB plays at Northwest Nazarene (9-3-3, 7-3-2) on Thursday night at 6 p.m., before traveling to Central Washington University (4-12, 3-9) for a noon kickoff on Saturday. Live coverage for both games can be found online here. "We know that NNU on Thursday is going to be a really difficult game, and we are going to need everyone to show up and perform at their best to get a result there," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "I know our team is capable of that. We feel like we have had a lot of games this year where we have performed well for the majority of the game, but this game on Thursday is one where everyone has to be dialed in."
 
MSUB holds the tiebreaker over Western Oregon, which opens the week against No. 14 Western Washington Thursday before playing at Simon Fraser in the regular-season finale Saturday. The 'Jackets will have to match the Wolves' results this weekend, while finishing one point ahead of Simon Fraser in order to make the tournament as SFU holds the tiebreaker over MSUB. SFU plays at Saint Martin's on Thursday before hosting the Wolves on Saturday. "Everyone is honing in on these games this week," said Keenan. "Everyone is focusing on executing in the critical moments, like we have been talking about all season, in these last two games."
 
It will be the second straight pressure-packed week for MSUB, which faced a pair of must-win games and delivered in the home finale last week. The Yellowjackets knocked off Western Oregon 2-1 last Thursday before topping Saint Martin's 2-1 on Saturday to keep pace in the conference standings and give themselves a chance entering the final week of the regular season. "There was pressure on us last week, and we knew that," Cavallo commented on last week's must-win matches. "With this week coming up we are going to rely on our seniors again to help us go forward. Last week we were able to put in four goals in two matches, and we know on the road trip this week we have got to find ways to score."
 
The 'Jackets will also be looking for their first road wins of the year, as the team is 0-5-2 in games played away from Yellowjacket Field. MSUB defeated Central Washington 2-1 on Sept. 25, and fell to Northwest Nazarene 1-0 on Oct. 14 in the previous meetings against this week's opponents. "The entire team came in last week and worked leading up to those two games," Keenan said on last week's victories. "It really shows how many people want this, no matter where you are in the team."
 
GUNTER THE GNAC POTW: The team's biggest contribution last week came from senior captain Haylee Gunter, who scored three of the Yellowjackets' four goals including both game-winners. Gunter was rewarded with her first-career GNAC Player of the Week honor, and the second of the season for the 'Jackets. "Haylee got hurt in the first game of the season, and has been working really hard to get back," Cavallo said. "I know she has been really hard on herself about not finding the net, but she has shown that she is capable of playing full 90s. We have used her at midfield and forward, and for her to get three goals last week we feel like she is really finding her groove at the most important time of the season."
 
Gunter has played in 54 matches with 47 starts since the outset of her career in the fall of 2018, while scoring nine goals and adding two assists for 20 career points. Four of her nine career goals have counted as game-winners. "From the moment you meet Haylee and see her on the field, you know she is someone who works," Keenan said. "She has been so reliable in that the entire time I have known her. I know it must have been hard for her starting off the season with an injury, but the way she has come back from that and has stepped up to be a leader has been huge."
 
PALMER A FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR FRONTRUNNER: True freshman Liberty Palmer scored her team-leading fifth goal of the year in the win over Western Oregon, as she continued to elevate her case for the GNAC Freshman of the Year award. Entering the final week of play, Palmer leads all freshmen in the conference in goals scored and is tied for sixth overall in the league. Palmer's 48 shots and average of 2.82 shots per game ranks her fourth in the league as well.
 
GNAC Women's Soccer Freshman Goals Scored Leaders (as of Nov. 3, 2021)

Rank	Player	Team	Goals
1	Liberty Palmer	MSU Billings	5
2	Lilly Nowatzke	Western Oregon	4
3	Jada Foster	Western Oregon	3
	Piper Matson	Western Oregon	3
	Casey Park	Central Washington	3
	Alyssa Talkington	Western Oregon	3
7	Kate Cartier	Simon Fraser	2
	Raegan Mackenzie	Simon Fraser	2
	Jordan Roe	MSU Billings	2

ROE CHIPS IN ANOTHER ASSIST: Second-year freshman Jordan Roe is tied for second on the team with seven points this fall, and chipped in her third assist of the season to match Maddie Smith for most helpers on the team. Roe has played in 16 of 17 matches while adding a pair of goals including one game-winner.
 
TORRES CONTRIBUTES FIRST ASSIST: Sophomore transfer Sydney Torres notched her first assist in a Yellowjacket uniform, sending a cross into the box that Gunter finished for the game-winner against Saint Martin's. Torres is tied with Roe for the second-most points on the team with seven.
 
GERTSCHES CONTINUE STELLAR PLAY: Freshman twins Taylor Gertsch and Hailee Gertsch continued their season-long stretch of excellence last week, each playing a key role in the victories. Hailee helped anchor the defensive unit to its first back-to-back league wins of the year, while Taylor was sound defensively in the midfield and also was at the genesis of Gunter's first goal in the SMU match.
 
KEENAN, SALLVIN EACH GET IT DONE IN NET: Keenan and sophomore goalkeeper Tuva Sallvin each recorded a win in goal last week, with Keenan making six saves against the Wolves and Sallvin following with three saves against the Saints. Keenan ranks third in the conference with 69 saves this season, while Sallvin is 4-0 and holds a 0.48 goals-against average.
 

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Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks
Thursday, November 4, 2021 – 6 PM – NNU Soccer Field – Nampa, Idaho
2021 Record: 9-3-3, 7-3-2 GNAC
Head Coach: Mary Ybarguen, 8th season
2019 Record: 6-10-2, 3-7-2 GNAC (7th place)
First Meeting: NNU 1, MSUB 0 (Oct. 14 at Billings)
 
The Nighthawks clinched their GNAC Championships berth with a dramatic, 2-1 victory over No. 18 Western Washington at home last Thursday before settling for a 0-0, double-overtime draw against Simon Fraser last Saturday. NNU has gone unbeaten in its last eight matches, and will close the season against first-place Seattle Pacific on Saturday after Thursday's match against the 'Jackets.
 
Madison Grande shared Player of the Week honors with Gunter, after scoring both goals in the upset of Western Washington. The sophomore leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with seven finishes this year, and one assist for 15 total points.
 
Veteran head coach Mary Ybarguen has relied on consistency in her starting lineup this fall, with eight Nighthawks having started all 15 matches. Alexis Montoya leads the GNAC with 90 saves, and has posted seven shutouts to go along with a 0.75 goals-against average in net.
 
The Series: MSUB is 19-11-2 all-time against NNU and holds a record of 7-8-2 in road matches against the Nighthawks. NNU has won three straight and four of the last five in the series.
 
Last Time Out: Makayla Roggow scored the game's only goal in the 37th minute, and the Nighthawks walked out of Billings with a 1-0 victory on Oct. 14.
 

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Central Washington University Wildcats
Saturday, November 6, 2021 – 12 PM – Tomlinson Stadium – Ellensburg, Washington
2021 Record: 4-12, 3-9 GNAC
Head Coach: Emmy Koflanovich, 1st season
2019 Record: 8-9-1, 6-5-1 GNAC
First Meeting: MSUB 2, CWU 1 (Sept. 25 at Billings)
 
The Wildcats did the 'Jackets a favor with a 2-0 win over Simon Fraser last week, before falling 6-0 at the hands of Western Washington. CWU will play at Seattle Pacific on Thursday before closing its campaign on Saturday against the Yellowjackets.
 
Sydney Lowe leads CWU in scoring with four goals while Makinzie Packwood has three goals and a team-leading five assists. Nine different CWU players have found the back of the net this fall and the team has scored 18 times in 16 matches.
 
Paige Devine is the lone Wildcat to have started all 16 games, while Liz Canton and Megan Fox have split the minutes in goal.
 
The Series: MSUB is 13-16-1 all-time against CWU and is 4-9-1 in matches played in Ellensburg. MSUB has won back-to-back games against CWU.
 
Last Time Out: Palmer scored in the 17th minute and Roe added the game-winner in the 80th minute, which was enough to withstand an 82nd-minute strike from CWU's Sophia Keenan.