BILLINGS, Mont. – The final non-conference match of the 2021 season awaits the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team, which looks to bounce back against South Dakota School of Mines on Wednesday afternoon in Rapid City, S.D.
 
Kickoff against the Hardrockers is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, with live video available online here and live statistics available online here. "Our mindset is a bounce back mentality," said senior midfielder Brad Lowes. "We had a couple of bad results in our previous couple of games, so we are looking to get a much-needed win and hopefully have a better performance."

Wednesday's contest will be the final tune up before the Yellowjackets jump into their 10-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule, which will begin with a road match against No. 11 Seattle Pacific University on Oct. 2 in the Emerald City. "We expect a reaction from the team against South Dakota Mines," said MSUB head coach Thomas Chameraud. "I know the players are tired, but we need to push through it and make sure we get a result on the road. That is the priority so we can make sure we have some confidence before we go into GNAC play."
 
MSUB (1-3-1) will look to rebuild confidence after suffering a pair of defeats in last week's road trip to Nampa, Idaho. The 'Jackets played No. 16 Colorado Mesa University toe-to-toe in a 2-1 defeat, before a tough 3-0 setback at the hands of Westminster College. "All of us as a team set high expectations for each other, and we need to push each other to make sure we meet those," Lowes said. "It's about showing our character. We know the system that Thomas wants us to play, and we have practiced it a lot. It's just about having confidence."
 
"The guys played at a very high level against Colorado Mesa in the second half, and that is what we are capable of," Chameraud said. "We just have to show it every day. There are no easy games in our division, and Wednesday will not be an easy game."
 
SHAFER SCORES FIRST OF SEASON: Junior forward Austin Shafer netted his first goal of the 2021 season, as he evened the score at 1-1 against Colorado Mesa in the team's first match last week. It was Shafer's fifth career goal, and it gave him at least one goal scored in each of the four seasons he has played at MSUB.
 
KJØLNER CONTINUES EFFECTIVE WING PLAY: Freshman Mathias Kjølner returned to the pitch effectively last week, and contributed his first assist of the season. Kjølner has filled an important role on the left flank, and he supplied a dangerous cross into the box that Shafer put away to temporarily pull the 'Jackets even with the Mavericks. Overall on the season Kjølner has started four matches and is averaging 66.5 minutes per game this fall.
 
LOWES A LEADER IN THE MIDFIELD: Second-year midfielder Brad Lowes has started all five matches this season, and his 392 minutes played rank fourth among all MSUB field players. The Yellowjackets have relied on his presence in a leadership role as he has played his way into becoming one of the team's key starters. "Brad is a great guy to have around, and he brings a lot of positive energy to the field," Chameraud said. "He is very loud and communicates a lot with his teammates, and he is also very outgoing off the field. He definitely plays a big role on our team."
 
RAMIREZ MAKES MOST OF 1ST START: Junior midfielder Edgar Ramirez took advantage of his first start of the season, and was the team's top performer in the defeat against Westminster. Ramirez led the squad by placing all three of the shots he took on target, and saw a season-high 73 minutes of action against the Griffins.
 
MAXWELL, THORNBERRY STEADY PRESENCE ON BACK LINE: Junior Bryan Maxwell and sophomore Tybalt Thornberry have provided the team with consistency on the defensive unit, with each joining Lowes and Halil Yilmaz to form the quartet of 'Jackets to have started all five matches this season. Maxwell's 461 minutes played and average of 92.2 minutes per game are most among any field player, while Thornberry is averaging 67.6 minutes of effective contributions through the early stages of the season.
 
South Dakota School of Mines Hardrockers
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 – Rapid City, South Dakota
2021 Record: 1-2-1
Head Coach: Ryan Thompson (1st season)
2020 Record: 1-5
 
South Dakota Mines won its opening game of the 2021 season 2-1 over St. Cloud State, but has gone winless in its last three matches since then. The Hardrockers were able to play six matches during the coronavirus-shortened 2021 spring season, after going 3-13-1 in 2019 during their last full season on the pitch.
 
George Martinez is the team's biggest threat up top, as he has already scored four goals and added an assist for nine points through the team's first four matches of the year. Philip Leano, Hayden Jaramillo, and Bennan Lamoreaux have each also found the net for first-year head coach Ryan Thompson.
 
Tyler Ring has played all 380 minutes in goal, making 23 saves and holding a 2.13 goals-against average so far this fall.
 
The Series: The Yellowjackets are undefeated all-time against the Hardrockers, owning a 7-0-1 record dating back to the first meeting in 2012. MSUB is 1-0-1 all-time in road matches.
 
Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets strolled to a 4-0 triumph in the last meeting between the teams, on Sept. 15, 2019.