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BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Montana State Billings men's soccer team earned a much-needed 2-1 victory over visiting Northwest Nazarene University Saturday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field, snapping a five-game losing skid and earning their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory.
 
“It was a huge win for us today,” said head coach Dan McNally. “We have faced adversity all season and today was no different. The difference in the second half was the determination we had to win the match.”
 
The Yellowjackets are now 3-7-0 on the year and are now 1-4-0 in conference play. With the loss, NNU fell to 4-5-1 on the year and remain winless, 0-5-0, in the conference.
 
The Crusaders held the advantage going into the break, despite the Yellowjackets dominating the first half. Dylan Coffee made a fantastic run down the right sideline and found Benny Mangeac on the far side with a low-lined cross through the box. Mangeac then just tapped-in the ball from six yards out for a 1-0 lead in the 41^st minute.
 
The Yellowjackets had opportunities early in the second half, but Zander Engeman continuously made tremendous saves. The Jackets would finally break-through in the 75^th minute when Clifton Thomas took a corner kick and sent it to the back post where Kyle Emerick was there for an easy shot six yards away.
 
“Kyle (Emerick) had a great second half for us today,” McNally said. “For a freshman, he has been fantastic for us so far.”
 
MSUB's game-winner came just over six minutes later in the 81^st minute when Emerick lofted the ball down the middle of the pitch, finding an open Thomas Sheets, who took the ball and beat Engeman to his right from 10 yards away into the right corner.
 
The Yellowjackets outshot the Crusaders 13-8 and 5-1 in shots on goal. Both teams were even at 5-5 in corner kicks. Sheets registered seven shots, three on goal, while Emerick had two, both on goal.
 
MSUB keeper Eoin Hurley improved to 2-5-0 on the season despite not making a save during the match. Engeman fell to 3-5-1 after making four saves, three in the first half alone.
 
The Yellowjackets will now take to the road for a pair of non-conference tilts next week against the University of Mary on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Sioux Falls in Bismarck on Saturday (11 a.m.). The Yellowjackets defeated Mary 2-1 earlier this season at home on Sept. 8.