(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS, Mont. – Returning to the pitch with a full slate of games this fall, the Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team has announced its 2021 schedule.
“Our fall 2021 schedule will be challenging but we have high goals and we need to play some of the best teams in the country,” said Thomas Chameraud, who begins his third season as the head coach of the Yellowjackets. “All of our non-conference games are away, so we will have to be ready physically and mentally to get results and manage fatigue. We will have a tough trip in Colorado where we will play three games in four days against tough opponents from the Lone Star and RMAC conferences. Then we will have another trip to Nampa to play quality RMAC teams, and then a drive to Rapid City to play South Dakota School of Mines. We will have a couple weeks to rest and then we will start our conference schedule. We know the GNAC is a very difficult conference, and we will have to fight for every game. Overall, I think we are all excited to finally play competitive games after a long period without playing.”
Live video will be available for all MSUB home soccer games through the MSUB Sports YouTube channel online here [youtube.com], and live statistics will be available for all MSUB home soccer games online here [msubsports.com]. Live coverage links for road contests can be found on the men’s soccer schedule page online here. [msubsports.com]
All home matches will be played at Yellowjacket Field. Tickets are priced at $5 for general admission, $3 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and students in grades 7-12, and free admission for children in sixth grade and under, and all MSUB students and staff.
The Yellowjackets open their four-game exhibition schedule with a match at rival Rocky Mountain College on Aug. 21 under the lights at Herb Klindt Field. MSUB will host its annual alumni game on Aug. 22, before hosting Carroll College on Aug. 24 and Northwest College on Aug. 28 to close out its preseason slate.
The 2021 regular season starts with a three-game trip to Colorado, where the ‘Jackets will take on Texas A&M International on Sept. 2, Colorado State-Pueblo on Sept. 4, and UC Colorado Springs on Sept. 5. It will be the first time in more than a decade that MSUB has played each of the three early-season opponents, with its last match against Texas A&M International coming in 2006, CSU-Pueblo in 2010, and UC Colorado Springs in 2005.
The Yellowjackets then head to Nampa, Idaho, for non-conference contests against Colorado Mesa University and Westminster College in a four-team affair hosted by Northwest Nazarene University. The match against the Mavericks on Sept. 9 will be the second all-time meeting and first since 2014, while the Westminster match will be the 14th all-time meeting and first since the 2017 season.
MSUB’s final tune up before Great Northwest Athletic Conference play will be a midweek affair on Sept. 15 at South Dakota School of Mines. The familiar foes have played all eight of their historic meetings within the last 10 seasons, with MSUB holding an unbeaten 7-0-1 all-time record against the Hardrockers.
The 10-game conference schedule begins on Oct. 2 with a road match at Seattle Pacific University, before the ‘Jackets make their regular-season home debut with matches against Saint Martin’s on Oct. 7 and Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 9 at Yellowjacket Field.
MSUB closes the first half of GNAC play at Simon Fraser on Oct. 14 and at Western Washington on Oct. 16, before returning home for a season-high three-game stretch. The team’s final home match of the year is on Nov. 6 against Simon Fraser on Senior Day. The 2021 regular season concludes the following week, with road matches against Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 11 and at Saint Martin’s on Nov. 13.
The GNAC regular-season champion earns an automatic berth into the NCAA D2 West Region Championships, which are set for Nov. 18-21.
After their 2020 fall season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, MSUB was limited to just a pair of matches during the modified 2021 spring season. The ‘Jackets beat Rocky 3-2 before drawing the Bears 0-0 in their two most recent outings. MSUB went 8-9-2 overall and was 5-6-1 in GNAC play to take fourth place during the 2019 fall season, its last full campaign on the field.
