PORTLAND, Ore. – Helping the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team to two shutout victories and scoring a game-winning goal last week, sophomore defender Haley McFarlane has been picked as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference defensive Player of the Week announced by the conference office Monday.
 
McFarlane, who has played every minute of the 2014 season so far, helped MSUB limit its opponents to just five shots, of which only one was on goal. She also scored MSUB's first goal against Saint Martin's, timing a run perfectly and finishing the ball with a diving header inside the box in the 2-0 win.
 
The Yellowjackets have posted shutouts in their last three matches and have recorded seven on the season overall. Defeating Western Oregon 1-0 on Saturday, MSUB punched its ticket to the 2014 GNAC Championships as the team improved its record to 9-3-2 overall and 7-2-2 in conference play this season.
 
"Haley continues to be a major part of our success this season contributing on both the defensive and offensive ends in our two wins last week," said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. "Defensively, in Thursday's match against St Martin's she was very solid in the back for us and held the Saints to just two shot attempts and only one on goal. On the offensive end she scored the game-winning goal with a diving header, her second goal of the season. It was a perfect cross and Haley's timing in the air is second-to-none, it truly was a world class goal."
 
MSUB has allowed less than five shots on six different occasions this season, and has allowed less than three shots on goal seven times. McFarlane's ability in the air has played a major factor in the Yellowjackets' defensive success, as she consistently takes command on balls in the defensive third.
 
"In Saturday's match, Haley again was extremely solid in the tackle and strong in the air," Krakowiak said. "She must have won close to 25 headers. She just seems to be everywhere on the defensive end for us. She is one of the main reasons we have had three-straight shutouts and seven total this season."
 
MSUB closes its regular season schedule with a home game against Simon Fraser on Thursday, and a final road contest against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday in Nampa, Idaho. The GNAC Championships run Nov. 6-8 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.