Box Score Box Score
LACEY, Wash. -- Junior forward
Jaucelyn Richter found the back of the net three times Thursday afternoon as the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team cruised to a 3-1 victory over Saint Martin's University in both teams' Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener.
The Yellowjackets improved to 4-1-0 on the season and are now 1-0-0 in the conference, while the Saints fall to 0-3-2 on the season and are 0-1-0 in conference play.
“I'm really proud of our team and the way they played today,” said interim head coach
Wojtek Krakowiak. “I thought we played one of our best games all season and put away the chances we were given. We played well as a team and really moved the ball well. It's always good to win on the road, but I think it's even more important to get a conference road win.”
After the Saints took the lead early in the match on a goal by Ashley Richardson, Richter countered with her first goal of the day in the fifth minute, scoring at 4:45 with a shot from four yards out for her second goal of the season.
Richter gave the Jackets the lead just inside 13 minutes to go in the first half as she took a pass from
Heidi Greenback and put the ball past Gina Cardenas at the 32:07 mark for her second goal of the day.
The hat-trick was completed at the 76:17 mark when Richter again took a pass from Greenback on a one touch feed and scored her fourth goal of the year, tying Greenback for the team lead this season. Greenback's assists were her team-best third and fourth of the season.
The Yellowjackets held a 17-7 edge in total shots and were even with the Saints at 3-3 in corner kicks. MSUB also held the edge in shots on goal, taking 12, while the Saints recorded four.
The Yellowjackets will look to continue their early conference success this Saturday as they travel to Monmouth, Ore., to take on Western Oregon University at 11 a.m.
