Second in a series
Part 1 - Kylee Clarke, Volleyball Freshman

MSUB SPORTS – Natalie Cabiad has always had a knack for coming through in big moments.
 
The Montana State University Billings women's soccer freshman is an attacker from her core, and has seen the field as both a forward and central midfielder for the Yellowjackets so far this fall.
 
"I have just always like the finishing aspect of it, whether it be goals, assists, or making plays look good," Cabiad said on her career as an offensive player. "Soccer has always been really competitive for me. I love helping my team out towards the goal of winning games."
 
The Spokane Valley, Wash., native is used to having the pressure on her shoulders, developing a keen sense of composure under the spotlight during her prep career at Central Valley High School and with her Spokane Shadow club team. Nothing displayed Cabiad's potential more than the handful of penalty kick shootouts she was involved in during her junior season, where she scored the game-winning goal on three different occasions. "My coach always put me as the fifth shooter, and it always got down to the wire," Cabiad remembered with a smile. "My sophomore year we won the state championship and my junior year we had another successful season. Those years were a lot of fun." 
 

It became clear immediately that Cabiad was ready for the jump to the collegiate game, as she scored goals in two of the Yellowjackets' three preseason matches. Her first finish came in a preseason game against Sheridan College, with a smooth, left-footed shot that stayed low and on target as she dribbled the ball into the box. "I don't really remember scoring," Cabiad said. "I just saw the ball go into the net, turned around, and started looking for the nearest player. It gave me goosebumps."
 
In the team's big exhibition rivalry match against Rocky Mountain College on Aug. 26, Cabiad struck again to help the team pull even at 1-1. It was another composed finish from inside the box, as she slotted home a well-placed shot inside the far post. "It was great to have helped my team out, and we were able to pull out the tie after they scored an early goal," Cabiad commented on the match. "Just knowing we got a result out of the effort I gave was a good feeling."
 
Though Cabiad's first official collegiate goal still awaits her, she has had an impact primarily off the bench for the 'Jackets in her true freshman season. She has played in all 10 games and has started twice, and is averaging just over 47 minutes per game. Additionally, all four of the shots she has taken have landed on target, signaling that she is picking the right time to let loose towards the net. None came closer to crossing the line than a high, powerful shot in the Yellowjackets' road match at Northwest Nazarene. With the team trailing 1-0, Cabiad's shot was on target, and it took a diving save from the Crusader goalkeeper to prevent the near-perfect shot from going in.
 
"We believe that Natalie is going to be a key contributor for us whenever she is on the field," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "She gives us depth in the attack and is able to play through the middle or wide channels. As a freshman, we want Natalie to continue to lead by example with her positive attitude and hard work. That is only going to help us in her four-year career here."
 
Cabiad has been playing soccer for as long as she can remember, and her ambition to pursue the game at the college level peaked around her junior year of high school. By the fall of her senior prep season, Cabiad had arranged a visit to MSUB's campus, where she stayed with junior captain Jordan Devoto. "I remember her specifically because she was incredibly calm in a situation where most freshmen are very nervous," Devoto commented on her teammate. "She was really excited about the idea of being a college soccer player, and she showed a lot of maturity from Day 1."
 
"I liked how the campus was set up and how it felt kind of homey here," Cabiad reflected on her experience visiting MSUB for the first time. "I liked how the girls seemed to get along and the bond they had with each other when I went to one of the practices. It reminded me of my club team, and it was something I was looking for." 

The hectic two-a-day preseason schedule wasn't something that intimidated Cabiad upon her arrival in the Magic City in August. Participating in Running Start at CVHS helped push Cabiad ahead of the game, as she kicked off her college studies with advanced classes already under her belt. "I already had a college feel for school, so it was just a matter of getting back into the flow of things and a routine," Cabiad commented on the transition. "Gearing up for the big trips we go on is something I knew I would have to get used to, but it is going to be great in the long run to learn how to manage everything."
 
Cabiad is studying elementary education at MSUB, with strong hopes to become a teacher upon the conclusion of her soccer career. With many of her general course requirements already out of the way through her accelerated high school work, Cabiad cited her brief yet wholesome experience in an Education 105 class with professor GayLynn Robertus as inspiring her with direction for her studies.
 

"Professor Robertus has been great, and has opened my eyes to a lot of aspects of teaching that I wouldn't have thought of myself," said Cabiad. "As one of the required classes for my major, it has been really helpful in getting me excited to go into the career. She taught elementary aged students and loved it, and that makes her a really good lead-by-example professor."

Just as Cabiad is in good hands with her academics, she feels a similar sense of security within the veteran core on the Yellowjackets' team. Cabiad explained the leadership displayed from players like senior Jessica Spang and sophomore Mackenzie Breeden provide a level to strive for as her collegiate career develops. "I want to be like those two in the way that they are approachable for underclassmen," Cabiad said. "The way that people look up to them and get along with them so easily makes our team feel much more like a family. That's something I will really strive to be like."
 
The 'Jackets are in the midst of a six-game home stand, with their next match scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. against Simon Fraser. Cabiad has received a full dose of the level of competition in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, home of some of the best NCAA Division II soccer in the country. Last Saturday against the No. 1 team in the NCAA Western Washington University, Cabiad kept pace with the competition for 35 minutes off the bench. In the eyes of her head coach, Cabiad is taking advantage of valuable playing time that is not afforded to every true freshman.
 
"Natalie is very composed with the ball at her feet, and she possesses strong technical abilities and awareness," Cavallo said. "She adds a lot to our attack, whether that be from creative movement off the ball in the final third or the composure to make a killer pass or goal. Most importantly, Natalie brings a high work rate and grit every time she is on the field."
 
Cabiad wants to be someone her team can look toward and count on to make a big play when the game is on the line. Whether contributing on the offensive end or making an important tackle while covering defensively, it is Cabiad's drive to be a well-rounded player that is perhaps her top trait. And her favorite soccer move at all comes to mind without hesitation. "The nutmeg," Cabiad said half jokingly. "If I look for anything while I'm playing it's that. In the past years my high school and club teams knew to look out for it."
 
Numerous goals and exhilarating celebrations are most certainly on the horizon for one of the youngest Yellowjackets, but anyone who knows Natalie Cabiad won't be surprised that she's not getting ahead of herself.
 
"I'm just hoping that as the season goes on and progresses that I can continue to help my team out and show them I am ready for the GNAC," Cabiad said. "Playing college soccer is a big deal, especially at the D2 level. I had a lot of former teammates play in college, and watching them leave and have a good time is something I wanted to do as well."