BILLINGS, Mont. – Two road matches are on the calendar for the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team this week, as the Yellowjackets travel to Minot, North Dakota.
 
MSUB (1-0) plays a neutral-site contest against the University of Mary on Saturday evening at 7 p.m., before facing a quick turnaround with a 10 a.m. kickoff against host Minot State University on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Live video for this weekend's matches will be available online here, and live statistics will be available online here. "We are excited, especially to get our first two Division II matchups," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "We know Mary and Minot really well, and we know they are going to be two really intense and tough games. The two games back-to-back will test us, but we have strong depth to be able to manage what is coming our way."
 
The Yellowjackets are coming off a decisive 3-0 victory over Rocky Mountain College last Friday, as they opened their 2021 spring season on a positive note. "It was great to get back on the field, and of course getting a win under our belt really builds confidence for our whole team overall," said junior Lexie Bloyder. "I was happy to be playing with a lot of new girls, and that was great for us to be able to figure each other out."
 
This weekend marks the midpoint of a season-opening four-game road stretch, as the Yellowjackets will play next week at University of Montana before making their home debut on March 13 against Black Hills State. Saturday will be the first of two meetings with Minot State, as the Beavers will make a return trip to Yellowjacket Field for a match on April 3.
 
GERTSCH GETS IT DONE IN DEBUT: Freshman center back Hailee Gertsch was the team's standout performer in last Friday's shutout win, helping anchor the back line and playing a key role in preventing the Bears from finding the back of the net. Gertsch played 60 solid minutes in her first-ever college game, and her biggest moment came with 10 minutes to go in the match when she made a last-second clearance off the goal line to help preserve the shutout.
 
ROE, CAMERON ON SCORE SHEET: Freshmen Jordan Roe and Ashley Cameron each made their presence known in Friday's win, making it onto the stat sheet in their first-ever game as Yellowjackets. Roe scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 14th minute, while tying for the team lead with three shots in the match. Cameron meanwhile provided her first collegiate assist in the 79th minute, helping the 'Jackets seal the 3-0 win.
 
GOCKLEY, MEYER SCORE: Junior Lindsey Meyer provided the brace in Friday's victory, while sophomore Ally Gockley finished the assist from Cameron as the duo joined Roe to give the 'Jackets three different goal scorers in the match. Meyer's goal was the second of her MSUB career, and it came just after halftime on an assist from Emily Gaines in the 49th minute. Gockley meanwhile recorded her first collegiate goal, after seeing time in 11 matches as a freshman last season.
 
COLLECTIVE EFFORT: A total of 23 players saw time in Friday's win against Rocky, with each of them playing a minimum of 24 minutes in the game. Among the group, 13 freshmen made their collegiate debut and 16 total players made their first-ever appearance in an MSUB uniform. "I love the new girls, and they have brought so much to our team," Bloyder said on the Yellowjackets' new faces. "Having that extra semester to prepare and gel with each other has really helped too. They're really stepping up, and I'm just grateful to be their teammate."
 
"We have talked about the depth of the team before, and we really feel that this spring is going to be a great chance to give everyone an opportunity to showcase their skills," Cavallo said. "We want to make sure that players who have earned the minutes are getting out there and getting a solid chance to prove themselves. We also had really good energy from the bench, which helped us in our last game."
 
University of Mary Marauders
Saturday, February 27, 2021 – 7 PM (at Minot, ND)
 
The Marauders own a 1-1 record this spring, trouncing Black Hills State 6-1 on Feb. 6 before enduring a 3-1 setback against Minot State on Feb. 13. Saturday's match is the last one on UM's schedule for nearly a month, as the team is not set to play again until a March 21 affair at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
 
Minot State University Beavers
Sunday, February 28, 2021 – 10 AM
 
Minot State is 2-0 on the season, beating Black Hills State 2-0 on Feb. 5 before its sound 3-1 win over Mary on Feb. 13. The Beavers also played an exhibition game against NCAA D1 University of North Dakota, losing 3-1 on Jan. 30. After Sunday's game against the 'Jackets, Minot State will next play a pair of matches in Mankato, Minnesota, against Upper Iowa University on March 5 and Concordia University-St. Paul on March 7.