Monday, September 3, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. - A pair of home wins including one over nationally fifth-ranked Colorado School of Mines has earned the Montana State Billings women’s soccer team  the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference Team-of-the-Week award for the 2012-13 sports season.

The Yellowjackets nipped Colorado Mines 1-0 last Friday before defeating Northern State 3-0 Saturday to finish the week with a perfect 2-0 record.

Second-year coach Wojtek Krakowiak was extremely pleased with his team’s opening week performance.

“We got a lot of great performances,” Krakowiak, who led MSUB to an 11-3-4 record as an interim coach last season, said.   “It was really hard to single out anyone.”

Krakowiak, however, did have special praise for midfielder Chelsea Shuman (5-2, So., Kalispell, MT – Flathead) and defender Jennifer Larsen (5-4, Sr., Mesa, AZ – Mountain View), who were selected the Red Lion GNAC Offensive and Defensive Players-of-the-Week.

Shuman scored the lone goal against Colorado Mines.  “Chelsea had an amazing game in the middle and scored a beautiful goal from 25 yards out," Krakowiak said. “She also connected on a lot of passes from our forwards.”  

Larsen, who has started 60 consecutive games since her freshman season, not only anchored the defense in the two wins but also scored a pair of goals, her 17^th and 18^th of her career.

“Jennifer was very solid in the back and won a lot of headers for us,” Krakowiak said.  “She did a great job of keeping the defensive together.”

Two other teams were also strong candidates for the award.

Seattle Pacific’s men’s soccer team went on the road and earned a pair of  two-goal West Regional victories, including a 3-1 win at No. 23 ranked Chico State.  Meanwhile, Western Washington’s volleyball team opened its season with four victories in a tournament at Western Oregon losing just three sets in the four matches.