Jennifer Larsen, Junior, Mesa, AZ

Chelsea Shuman, Freshman, Kalispell, MT

After a long week of early morning fitness tests, practice and school, we all came together and played our final games this spring against Carroll College and University of Montana. We all had one goal: show the other Montana schools what the MSUB women’s soccer program is made of. Despite it being the coldest day this spring, we came together, fought for each, and achieved our goal as we tied U of M 0-0 and beat Carroll 2-1. You could see all of our hard work in practice and conditioning has paid off as we really clicked and played together as a team. This spring, our team recorded 5 wins and 1 tie, scoring 18 goals and only letting in 2! The goals came from a lot of different people and it was great seeing everyone work hard and get rewarded for it. For the seniors, it was their last set of spring games and it is sad to think that the seniors only have one more semester of soccer:[

Now that spring season is over it is time for us to hit the books and study for finals in a week. Although everyone will miss seeing each other, it will be nice to be normal college students for a week. We can speak for everyone when we say: WE CAN’T WAIT FOR SUMMER. Most people get to go home, spend time with family and friends and, of course, do the summer workouts! We are leaving the spring on a good note and we will come back in pre-season ready for the fall!!!!

Heidi Greenback, Sophomore, Woodinville, WA

It has been a long week, full of training, homework and hosting four recruits. It is always good to see so many talented players visiting our school knowing how far our program has come and how far it will go in the future. It felt good to have our first 11 v 11 game against a college team this weekend. We played Rocky which is always a battle and we came away with a 3-1 win! You could tell we are starting to really click as a team and all the hard work during winter conditioning paid off as our fitness definitely set us apart from them. Next day we played Northwest College and we ended up 6-0 against them.
Baseball and softball seasons have kicked off here in billings and it officially feels like spring with the nice weather we have been having. It doesn’t get much better than hanging out with the team and our two new puppies! I may be a little bias but Dodger and Davy Jones are the cutest puppies ever and I cannot wait for them to watch us play at the COT in their MSUB bandanas.

Out Last.

Kristen Kastelic, Junior, Phoenix, AZ

Kaylee Kimmet, Freshman, Billings, MT

Last weekend we had our first two games of the spring season against the U16 and U18 Magic City Girls. This was our first real game outside since November. All of us were excited to be playing 11 v 11 again! Our team worked well together and we started our spring season off strong with two wins.

We also hosted our annual Spring Clinic. There were over 60 kids ages 6-15 attending. We worked on passing, dribbling, shooting, and played World Cup. The juggling champion won an autographed ball. It was a lot of fun interacting with the kids and it is always great to get involved with the local soccer community!

This weekend we look forward to playing in the MSUB 7v7 tournament! Wish us luck :)

Have a great week!

Courtney Harvey, Junior, Billings, MT

Lisa Dallapiazza, Freshman, Florence, MT

This week kicked off the first week of outdoor practice for the 2012 Spring Season. After coming off a much needed break from school and workouts everyone is excited to be back outside playing instead of indoors running sprints! Practices have consisted of simply getting touches on the ball and tuning up on all areas of the game, from possession to 1 vs. 1s, shooting and of course a little bit of fitness. This weekend we look forward to a busy schedule, not only will we be hosting our annual Spring Clinic, we will also be playing two games against local Magic City teams. This will be a great way to get back into the competitive mindset in preparation to play teams such as Rocky, the Griz, Carroll etc. Although Spring Break seemed to be a blast for everyone we are already looking forward to improving in all aspects of the game to better ourselves for the 2012 Fall Season. The NCAA Tournament is always in the back of our minds! We hope all our fans are as excited for our Spring Season as we are. We thank you for all your support and hope to see you at the games!!

Out Hustle, Out Work, Out Think, Out Play, OUT LAST!!

Agen Heffernan, Redshirt Freshman, Lake Forest Park, WA

This past week was highlighted with the rocky indoor tournament and a much needed day off from winter sprints. Both MSUB teams had a lot of fun in the tournament, and it was great to see so many alums come back to Billings for the weekend. I look forward to coming back and playing in it as well once I graduate!
For the upcoming week we are really going to take our new motto, “Out Last”, to heart. We have two more early morning sprint workouts and the reps are climbing higher and higher. These last two days will certainly test us, but I know the team is up for the challenge! We continue to get faster and stronger every week, and we are anxiously waiting to go outside and practice to prepare ourselves for a tough spring season.
Spring break is coming up next week, and I plan on driving home to Washington to see my family and friends. Though I don’t have the most exciting of plans, I know some of the other girls will have a fun break traveling and I look forward to hearing about it!

“Out Last”

Jaucelyn Richter, Junior, Billings, MT
Jessie Mancilla, Freshman, Aliso Viejo, CA

One more week down of winter conditioning and the Rocky Indoor Tournament is on the rise. Luckily, this last Wednesday Wojtek cut us a break and we didn’t have to do our winter sprint program…best day ever. Ha! Our team finally decided on a team motto, ”Out Last.” It stands for “Out Hustle, Out Work, Out Think, Out Play, OUT LAST!” ~unknown. We are really excited for the Rocky Indoor Tournament this weekend and we’ve been preparing by playing indoor the last couple Sunday’s on our individual teams. It’s Team Infinity vs. Team Kikiminda and we tend to get ridiculously competitive, even in dodge ball during jump program! But it’s all in good fun. Our annual team ski trip was postponed due to weather, so we went ice skating as a team instead. Needless to say it was a hilarious adventure and the trip to Wendy’s after capped it off nicely. 
We’re really looking forward to the Rocky Indoor Tournament and three day weekend ahead!!

Janae Remsberg, Redshirt Sophomore, Oceanside, CA
Elisabeth Eriksen, Freshman, Calgary, Alberta

The spring season is just around the corner, we have officially finished over half of the morning sprints...Thank goodness. We are now on the downhill slope to finishing fitness February, we just need to push extra hard these last four and remember we are all in this together. It’s been a couple weeks where we have been “mottoless” so hopefully within the next week or so we should have our new inspiration, it’s down to “Good, Better, Best” “Make it Happen” or “Out Last”. Janae and I are so excited to be going to Red Lodge Montana for our annual ski trip this Saturday, about half the team has been counting down the days and praying for good snow while the other half has been dreading any site of a snowflake. All in all this month has been flying by so fast, with the Rocky Indoor Tournament next week and March following shortly behind.

Keep up the Good Work girls!

First week of conditioning

Adrienne Biglow, Junior, Yakima, WA
Jennifer Johnson, Freshman, Wenatchee, WA

As we moved into the first week of February, the winter conditioning program has really started to pick up. Throughout the week we have been lifting, running sprints, and participating in the AMP program. I think we have all forgotten how hard the winter season can be and not only that, but how hard we can push ourselves and each other! As tough as the workouts can be to get through, we really come together as a team to reach our full potential. We know the work is worth it and will all pay off come spring season.
This week was an exciting one because our Rocky Indoor teams were drafted and we were able to play together for the first time last Sunday. Both teams looked great and are soooo excited to compete in the tournament coming up on the weekend of February 18. Our goal is to have both teams fighting for the championship! Hopefully we should be able to fend off our MSUB alumni team who are the returning champs. Go MSUB!!
We just want to encourage everyone to keep up the hard work—the pain will pay off 

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”

Coach Carter

Whitney Siler, Sophomore, Monroe, WA
Jackie Hill, Sophomore, Boise, ID


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. –Coach Carter

Last week we got the privilege to watch the movie Coach Carter as a team along with the company of all the other athletic teams here at MSUB. Right after the movie we got to hear Coach Carter himself give one of the best motivational speeches I have ever heard. It gave our team the right attitude going into the rigorous winter conditioning that was soon to come. Like he says, “as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.” That means when I am giving 110% into every morning sprint workout, I know that my teammate next to me is working just as hard. We put the hard work in now to prepare for the future. We work together as a family and push each other through every demanding sprint, jump training and weightlifting session we participate in and get better as a unit.

Another great thing that happened this week was our coach, Wojtek Krakowiak, was solidified as our head coach; BIG SHOUT OUT goes to him, congratulations. (:

Bitter-Sweet End

Courtney Harvey, Junior, Billings, MT.

"Anyone who has played a sport at any level will tell you that you can't focus on the bad things that might happen in a game or you won't be able to function properly when you are in the moment. You must be able to relax and compete aggressively while approaching the game with great confidence. It is the fear of failure that drives you, but it is visualizing success that gives you the positive mind-set and confidence to feel like you can accomplish anything."
~Drew Brees

For those of you who don't know, Drew Brees is the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Although I am not a Saints Fan (GO BRONCOS!!) I found his book very inspiring and would recommend it to anyone who plays or is interested in sports and has faith. As I sat down to read Drew's memoir for the second time this year, the above quote seemed to jump out at me with a heavy importance. Over the past couple years I have realized how important the element of confidence is to any aspect of life and most definitely to soccer. With that being said, I believe the best way to achieve confidence is to be as readily prepared for the task at hand as possible and to surround yourself with people you can count on to do the same. I know that is exactly the case for the team and family at MSUB. That is why I will undoubtedly say the achievements and positive possibilities we can accomplish are endless!

I have also learned to dedicate my hardwork to and be motivited by those who have faith and believe in me rather than trying to prove the naysayers wrong. No matter what I'm doing... running sprints in the scorching heat or the early mornings in the upper gym (sorry to bring that up girls, I know it's a sensitive subject to most of us), lifting, kicking long ball after long ball with my left foot, or practicing my defensive headers... I think about the various people in my life who have inspired me to get where I am today. Consider the teammates, coaches, family members, and friends who have helped you and believed in you along the way. Allow that to motivate you through the remainder of the summer and into the fall. It's more rewarding than you could ever expect!

Although I may be kicking myself in a couple weeks for saying this (hehe), I have never been this excited for pre-season to start! The end of summer is always bitter-sweet but I can't wait to see everyone and begin the 2011-2012 season. I am eager to start playing with old and new teammates and to see all the positive ways the incoming freshmen class will impact our program!

Hope everyone's summers have been all you hoped them to be and we will be seeing eachother soon!

Progress

Danielle Gordon, Senior, Atkins, IA.

As I sat in the same spot that I sat in twelve years ago during the '99 Women's World Cup Final, I clenched my teeth, held my breath, and kept my eyes glued during every break away, every shot, every save, down to the final PK that determined the fate of the US team. Memories from the previous, victorious game flashed through my mind and I sat on hope that the same result would transpire. Unfortunately this was not their year to repeat history and the bitter taste of a loss will flood their senses for time to come, but all that matters now is the progression towards the next opportunity for advancement.

Progression is something that the MSUB Women's Soccer program is consistently striving for. From the beginning of the program and our first season to the very last second of the 2nd game in the NCAA Division II Tournament, fifteen years after the birth of the program, we have made progress. The upcoming season is drawing near with high expectations and the only thing that can continue the progress in an upward direction is work that has been put in throughout the history of the program and will continue to be put in for the future of the program.

I am looking forward to our team persisting and making further strides in the program this season. From the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
With that being said, I look forward to progress this next season and in turn, success.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and I cannot wait to see you all here in a few weeks!!

Danielle

Summer Check In

Kristen Kastelic, Junior, Phoneix, AZ.

Hi everyone!!! Hope you are all having a great summer! I can’t believe we only have one month left!

My summer has been great so far. I have been working as a summer camp counselor, hanging out with my friends and family, and doing the summer workouts (my dog Buddy likes to do them too :)! ). I have made two short trips to California, but mostly I have just been relaxing at home in Arizona. It has been super hot lately and scorpions keep sneaking into our house so that sucks, but other than that it’s so nice to be home!

Just a few days ago a giant “haboob” dust storm passed through Phoenix. It’s a really weird name, but that’s what it’s called and if you’re bored you should Google it, its crazy looking!

On Thursday, my boyfriend Ryan flew in and surprised me so that was awesome because I haven’t seen him all summer!

Although it’s been nice being home, I am really looking forward to the season starting! I am excited for the games, the traveling, meeting the new freshman and being with the team again! I know we are all determined to be the GNAC champions this year and making it further in the NCAA tournament!! It is sure to be a really exciting fall season and I can’t wait!

Everyone keep up the hard work and enjoy the rest of your summer!!! :)

Sumer Check In

Jen Larsen, Junior, Mesa AZ.

Sixty-two more days until our first regular season game, to enjoy summer, to do summer workouts. Sixty-two more days until our team reunites and is back together once again. Sixty-two days seems like a long time…but it will definitely go by fast! Half of our summer is already gone and in 62 days, our family will be back together once again, along with some new editions. I am SUPER excited to meet all of our new freshman and make them part of our MSUB family!

My summer has been quite an adventure so far! I have been studying abroad in Spain for the past 6 weeks and I am sad that I have to come home tomorrow! I have wanted to go to Spain for a long time and my wish finally came true! I stayed in Salamanca, which is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. I stayed in an apartment with a host mom, 6 other girls and a cute little dog. Although I was in class five days a week, I was able to travel on the weekends and see a lot of cool places. I saw the beaches in Portugal and Barcelona, the old architecture in Avila, the beautiful landscape of Segovia, and the museums in Toledo!

Living in Salamanca is…different. While in Salamanca, although I have enjoyed my time, I am excited to get back to the states where I fit in a little bit more! Even if I wore what the Spanish girls wore, my blonde hair and white skin still made me an outcast. Not to mention, I usually had a soccer ball in my hand and soccer cleats on my back. I thought that everyone in Spain played soccer…apparently not the girls because I got so many strange looks for being a girl with a soccer ball! I actually found a team to play with here, too…SHOCK: they were all boys. It is a little bit tougher than playing with American girls my age:).

After I leave Spain, I will just be hanging out with family and friends until preseason starts up in August! I cannot wait to be back in 704 with my roommates cooking, cleaning and having a good time. And, although I am very sad to end my summer vacations, I am very excited for the upcoming season and I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish this year. Looking forward to a great season filled with many good memories, laughs and WINS!

FINSIH STRONG <(“)

Summer Check In

Tyshea Davis, Senior, Idaho Falls, ID.

Summer kicked off with a late start for good weather, but not for soccer training. This past week, I was able to work with the MSUB Men’s Soccer coach Dan McNally and some of his incoming players put on a youth day camp at our very own turf field. I had the 5-6 yr-olds, and they were such a blast! The oldest group, a U12 local travel team amazed me with some of their skills, and they could really kick the ball! One kid scored with a header every corner kick I served them in a span of 15 minutes; I was thoroughly impressed with our youth here in Billings.

Additionally, I helped with MSUB Golf in putting on a huge golf tournament fundraiser that was really great, as well. Billings own celebrity, Jeff Ballard who played for Stanford and later the Baltimore Oreoles was there, and I got to watch his sweet lefty put. Even Coach Krakowiak came out for a fun rookie game of golf :) haha.

The weather has alas been cooperating with the coinciding summer season, which is flying by. We have a sweet overnight camp coming up in August I am looking forward to helping coach, and I’m just missing all the girls!

Beginning of the End

Kelley Minard, Senior from Helena, MT

Hello all! Hope everyone’s summer is holding up its end of the bargain promising hot temperatures and long summer nights filled with friends, family, and fun. I can tell you that Billings, MT is finally seeing some summer weather….as of June 16. It’s been pretty crazy here with flood warnings and tornado sirens, but it finally seems to be looking up.

My summer has been quite a busy one so far. As I start my senior year of college, I find myself stressing out a little bit about venturing out into the real world. What am I going to do? Where do I want to live? Should I continue with a Masters? Should I move to Mexico and become a beach bum? It’s all coming so fast and I am not sure if I am quite ready for what the world has to offer me…..considering I haven’t quite found it yet and I am still pondering what to do with my life. Recently I have discovered an interest in realty. It seems like the perfect starting point to a career. Why not?

As of two months from now, we will be in our second day of preseason. WHOA. I need to get this out of the way…………WHOOOOOOO LAST PRESEASON EVER!!!!!! But seriously, its bittersweet. Obviously preseason isn’t the most fun thing of anyone’s summer, but the bonds that are made and the relationships that develop are worth the physical and mental rollercoaster of preseason. It’s strange to think that this time next year I won’t be doing the day to day workouts or grabbing a soccer ball every chance I can. I will officially be booted into the reality of a college graduate. YIKES.

I look forward to seeing all my teammates, new and old, and reuniting to practice and train to the best of our potential. I have missed these girls way too much to be away from them this long. With all the changes that have happened this year already, we have become stronger and will remain strong no matter what else is thrown at us. This year will be great, I can feel it. Have a good summer and enjoy the sun!

Finish Strong.

Enjoying the Sun

Jenn Brookshire, Sophomore from Venture, CA



I hope everyone is having a great summer! My summer has been pretty laid back. I spend most of the time relaxing by the pool or beach or just hanging out with my family!! Whether it’s taking my brother to the farm or beating my sister at board games!! The workouts have been good and I run with my sister who plays on a college team too!! Danica is visiting for a week so we will be hanging out at the beach, going to universal studios, and riding the water rides at hurricane harbor! My relatives from France are coming to my house on July 7 to spend some quality family time together!!! I’m looking forward to that since I haven’t seen them in a year. It should be a pretty interesting month!! I go to Costa Rica in a month with my family, which will be so fun!! I have never been there before and I have heard it is an amazing place to visit! We have a bunch of things planned, like zip lining through the rain forest and swimming at the beach!! They only speak Spanish there so I definitely need to learn a few words in Spanish!!!! I hope everyone is having a great time at home or wherever you may be. I look forward to seeing all of my teammates in August once again for preseason.

Enjoy the sun!!!

Big News

Janae T Remsberg, redshirt Sophomore from Oceanside, California

It has been a momentous last couple of days for me and my family. It is not because Scotty won on American Idol, even though I consider that a momentous occasion, but we just found out the news on where my older sister will be serving her mission for the next year and a half. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and men and women have the opportunity to serve a mission if they please. My older sister Amy played for the MSUB soccer team for two years then transferred to BYU were she decided to put in her papers to go on a mission. Yesterday we all sat around while she opened her papers that determined the next eighteen months of her life. She proceeded to tell us that she was going to be serving in the Bucharest Romanian mission. So as of right now my summer seems pretty boring to what my older sister will be experiencing soon and am glad to share the news with everyone. Besides getting that information, I have been working many hours at IN-N-OUT and claiming my spot in front of my television with my sisters. I definitely miss everything and summer is already one third of the way done! I will see everyone soon and ENJOY what we all have left.

Summer Check In

Adrienne Biglow, Junior from Yakima, WA.

Wow, I can’t believe we are already nearing the end of May which means a month of summer break has already gone by. I can already tell that the last two months are going to fly by, and before we know it the team will be back in Billings starting preseason. This isn’t such a bad thought though seeing as I already miss all the girls A LOT!
The first week I was back in my hometown of Yakima Washington I got to enjoy being lazy and spending time in the sunshine (it was nearly eighty degrees all week). However, as of last Saturday I ventured back to reality when I started working. This summer for my second year I’m working at the local par three golf course in the pro shop. I can hardly complain though because I seem to spend most of my time there reading and chatting with the customers. It is the perfect job for me, when I’m not having disagreements with the cash register. Other than work, I have been enjoying spending time at home with my parents, and of course my adorable dog Mandy. I never quite realize how much I miss being around my house throughout the year until I come back home and it feels like I’ve left. I’ve also had a lot of fun catching up with my friends from high school and going on a few road trips.
Summer is the perfect getaway from the stress of the school year, where I feel like I can regroup and mentally and physically prepare myself for next fall, and most especially next season. I know my teammates are all off doing the same and getting ready for when we see each other again in August. Keep working hard on the summer workouts ladies and I hope everyone is having a great summer 

Summer Check In

Jaucelyn Richter, Junior from Billings, MT.

Hello everybody!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break so far. I know I was definitely loving the lack of school and not having to get up bright and early to use my brain in the morning. I officially started SUMMER SCHOOL with Courtney Harvey in Bozeman. We're taking organic chemistry and we just love going to school in the summer so much. Hehe hopefully we survive this girls. ;)

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." -Doug Firebaugh. This quote is definitely something to keep in mind as we survive through the summer work outs. I know working out in the summer heat, when we could be out enjoying the nice weather, is quite grueling but keep up the hard work, it always pays off in the end.

To the incoming freshman...Congrats on graduation!! Can't wait for you ladies to become a part of the team!

Soak up the sunshine, work hard, make a little summer money, and just enjoy life. Excited to see you all in the fall!!

Fisish Strong

Courtney Harvey, Sophmore, Billings, MT.
Finishing the 2011 Spring season 6-0-1 has left our team with an abundance of confidence and high expectations for the 2011 Fall season.

As most know the past year has consisted of many changes to the woman's soccer program here at MSU-Billings. The loss of six seniors along with their leadership and experience will most definitely be difficult to replace. A new head coach has also brought it's fair share of adjustments and difficulties.

With all this being said I have the utmost confidence in the future of our program. The intensity of games and practices this spring has shown the heart and dedication each girl is willing to put forth to accomplish our common goals. Wojtek has handled the new coaching position very well and positively encourages each one of us to be the best we can be for each other, for him and for the program. It's reassuring to know we have a coach that stands behind our team on and off the field and is willing to put in the amount of work required to be a successful program.

Many people would look at our team with an attitude that the 2011 Fall season is a season to re-build the team and adjust to all the changes. Expectations may be low from an outsiders point of view but as a team and a family we hold each other to high standards. We know next year is another shining opportunity to come one step closer to achieving our ultimate goal... winning a national championship!!

I hope everyone has a WONderful summer and I already can't wait to see what the future holds for our team. Goodluck on finals and see you all in early August!