BILLINGS, Mont. – On the eve of their regular season kickoff, the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team looks a bit different than it did heading into last season.
 
Growing your roster from 17 to 30 will do that.
 
"Last year was kind of a blessing in disguise, to have such a small team," said MSUB head coach Aaron Champenoy, who enters his second year in charge of the program. "It really allowed us to dig into the culture piece. It was a good way for us to set the foundation for things moving forward. And we've already seen a huge improvement coming into this year. We've had the chance to get our first full recruiting class and add that talent to the culture we worked so hard to build last year. We've added some more talent and depth, which has translated onto the training pitch, with a much more competitive environment."
 
The Yellowjackets kick off their regular season with a pair of home games this Friday and Saturday. They open the 2023 campaign with a match against South Dakota Mines on Friday at 7 PM, before matching up against Carroll College the following day, again at 7 PM. It will mark the first regular season action on the newly improved Yellowjacket Field, which was outfitted with new turf and lights over the summer.
 
"The lights and new turf really add to the experience of our student-athletes," said Champenoy. "It gives them a great place to play, and a place they're proud to call home. Hopefully we're able to get even more fans this season with the addition of night games and give both the players and the fans an excellent experience."
 
The Jackets are coming off a season in which they finished 5-9-3 overall, with a 3-6-3 record in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, placing them fifth in the conference with 12 points. MSUB scored 23 goals in the 2022 season, for an average of 1.35 per game, while allowing 32 goals for an average of 1.88 per game.
 
The Yellowjackets face a few key departures from last season. Assist leader and First-Team All-GNAC selection Jeremie Briquet is gone, as is Bryan Maxwell, who captained the squad and played in all 17 games last season. But many of the core pieces from last season return for another go around. Senior midfielder Callum Bryan returns for another season coming off an All-GNAC honorable mention campaign. Bryan scored a team high five goals in 2022, adding three assists. Alongside him is Bjarne Fedkenhauer, who grabbed four assists in 16 games this past season, and Ryan Hanley, who scored four goals from out wide last year.
 
"Cal (Bryan) is the kind of guy you want in your team," Champenoy stated. "He's the type of player who comes into training and is never outworked. He'll drive our hardworking culture, and as a senior, he's holding nothing back. I thought Bjarne was one of the best freshmen in the league last year, and I'm expecting him to take another step forward this year. Ryan is a crafty player, he has no fear going 1 vs 1 with guys, and is dangerous when he cuts inside."
 
In the back, MSUB returns three of its four starting defenders from last season. Jack Jarrett and Guillermo Gonzalez both featured in every game in 2022, with Kolja Thomas played in 14 games.
 
"Kolja is a special player," said Champenoy. "He's been one of our best players in preseason on both sides of the field. He's a versatile complete center back, who adds a scoring threat on the other side, and he's just getting into his grove. I think he has the potential to be one of the best players in the league. Guillermo is another talented player, who's really composed on the ball, the combination of those in the backline is special. Jack is a hardworking, blue-collar kid, my kind of defender, he's gritty and will get stuck into challenges, but he isn't afraid to get forward either. Those three guys coming back brings some good consistency to our back line, it's a very cohesive group."
 
The Jackets also have last year's starting goalkeeper Jeremi Campagnolo back for another campaign. Campagnolo played in 16 games in 2022, saving 54 shots and keeping two shutouts.
 
"Jeremi has shown continued improvement," said Champenoy. "Coming in last year as a transfer goalkeeper and getting thrown in as a starter right away, he had a good season, but I know there's a lot he feels he could have done better. I've seen a ton of improvement from last year to this year, he's a goalkeeper that really fits into our style of play, and he's taking more of a leadership role this year as a senior."
 
Outside of its primary starters from last season, some of the other pieces from MSUB's 2022 campaign look ready to push forward into 2023. Midfielder Valdemar Fogt featured in 11 games, starting six with a goal. Roddy Lewis returns after a season in which he played a number of positions for MSUB, making 13 appearances with two starts, while Billings native Taylor Moore is back after playing in 15 games last season.
 
"Valde (Fogt) adds consistency and composure to our midfield," Champenoy said. "It's great to have him another year. Roddy and Taylor are super coachable, they'll play in any role they're asked to play, and will give everything for the team."
 
In addition to them, the Jackets will also get reinforcements from some players who battled back from injuries. Ty Vohland will feature in attack for the first time since the 2021 season, while Kamden Beck looks to make an impact on the wing. Beck totaled one goal and two assists in his eight appearances last season, three of them starts.
 
"I wouldn't want to have to defend Kamden," Champenoy said. "He's crafty. He's got a special left foot and is really good in tight spaces. I'm excited to see what he can do with a healthy season. We've been lucky to see Ty on the field since last spring, and he's continued to get stronger and stronger. His work ethic this summer has been unreal. He's a strong, aggressive player, an absolute workhorse for us, and he's been a leader both on and off the pitch."
 
While the Jackets return a number of players from last season, 17 newcomers are pushing to make an impact in their first seasons at MSUB. Freshman Josh Nalletamby looks to cement his place in MSUB's defense as a left-footed outside back, while sophomore Isaac Perez can cover the wide positions as well. Alongside them is George Jones, a 6-4 defender, the tallest outfield player on the Yellowjackets roster.
 
"Each player has their versatility in the back," said Champenoy. "George is a good center back whose been pushing our guys, helping everybody get better. Throw in Josh and Edgar, and we've got a lot of talent on the back line this season."
 
Perez's former teammate at Laramie County Community College, Edgar Garcia, joins the Jackets in midfield this season, along with fellow JUCO transfer Isaac Luquin, who played at Garden City Community College. Alongside them is Alejandro Guzman, who enters as a freshman.
 
"Isaac is a great defensive minded midfielder, while Alejandro is a more attacking minded midfielder," Champenoy said. "They are versatile players who can make an impact for us this season."
 
In attack, the Yellowjackets add a mix of incoming freshman and transfers to provide competition and depth. Ryushiro Morita is a senior capable of playing anywhere in the attack, while sophomore Benjamin Banks provides another player with collegiate experience.
 
"Ryushiro is a dynamic player," Champenoy said. "He's able to break things down, really open up things for himself and his teammates. He uses his speed really well, getting into open spaces for us, and he's a great teammate. Benji (Banks) just loves football, he came into training super in shape, and he's going to be a handful off the wing."
 
Meanwhile, Carter Griffith, Sam Kemmer, Marc-Paul Renaud, and Rhys Benjamin all enter as freshman with an opportunity to make some noise.
 
"Marc-Paul is a footballer," said Champenoy. "He's tall, he's quick, he can play basically any attacking position. It looks effortless when he runs, he makes it look easy. Carter is a great young player who is growing quickly. Rhys is another guy where we just need to find his best spot. We're not sure where exactly he's going to end up yet, but he's an impressive attacker, and he's going to be a handful once we find his best position for us. Sam is a big, strong kid who is great at link up play. He's a physical player, whose looked good in preseason."
 
Jackson Hanley is another Yellowjacket attacker, who adds a unique element both on the field and off it as a freshman. Jackson is the younger brother of Ryan Hanley, and the two have already turned heads in their play, both separately and together.
 
"Jackson has surprised us a bit in preseason," Champenoy commented. "He's come in and is ready to go right away. He's explosive, he has no fear as an attacking player, and plays very aggressive. It's fun to watch him and his brother on the field together, you can tell they both support each other and love playing together."
 
MSUB also added three new freshman goalkeepers in Fred Reiter, Isaiah Whitesell, and Bryce Dunham. "They're all good in their own unique ways," Champenoy noted. "They're different style goalkeepers with tons of room to grow and become better. It'll be interesting to see how they compete against each other this year."
 
Between the experience of his returners, and the talent in his first full recruiting class, Champenoy believes that the talent and depth in this group has the ability to help bring a lot of fun and success to the field in 2023.
 
"The whole group has a really good energy," Champenoy said. "They have bonded together well in a short amount of time, and they're fun to be around. They're just good people. We want to win, but we want to win with quality people. We want talented players, but also the right guys for our program. Guys that are going to buy into things, take care of each other, hold each other accountable, and have fun while doing it. It's so much easier when you have those type of players as a coach. It's a good group, and I'm excited to see what they can put together this season."
 
THE BUZZ: The Yellowjackets were selected to finish fifth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll… MSUB earned a draw in its only preseason exhibition against crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College… conference play opens for the Jackets on September 30^th, against Western Oregon.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets begin their season tomorrow at Yellowjacket Field against South Dakota Mines. Kickoff is at 7 PM. Live video will be available here, while live statistics will be available here. All home MSUB soccer games are now cashless. Tickets for all MSUB soccer games can be pre-purchased online here.
 
MSUB's full schedule for the 2023 season is available here. All home games will be streamed live on the MSUB Sports Youtube page.