Box Score LACEY, Wash. – After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team battled back with a pair of second half goals to beat Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Saint Martin's 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at the SMU soccer field.
 
Thorge Jess scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 80th minute, pushing the score to 2-1 after a penalty kick goal by Colin Ralston tied the score. MSUB moved back to .500 with the win, as the Yellowjackets' record is now 4-4-3 on the season and 4-2-1 in GNAC play.
 
"I'm very proud of the guys today for finding a way to win," said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. "It wasn't easy given the conditions, but it was well-deserved. We didn't play well enough in the first half, but after some adjustments at halftime the boys came out absolutely flying in the second."
 
Perry McNamar had the goal for SMU just six minutes into the match, and the Saints fell to 2-9-0 on the season and 2-5-0 in conference play.
 
Both teams took their fair share of shots, with MSUB holding an 18-13 edge in that category. MSUB goalkeeper Tom Lohmann made three saves on the match while JJ Olson of SMU recorded four. The 'Jackets won 10 corner kicks compared with seven by the Saints.
 
The 'Jackets came inches away from taking command in the opening minute, as a shot by Julian Toenges rattled off of the crossbar.
 
The Saints earned a corner kick three minutes into the match, but could not take advantage of the opportunity. McNamar pushed SMU ahead four minutes later, scoring on an assist by Max Harvey to make the score 1-0, Saints within the first 10 minutes of the match.
 
Jess, MSUB's leading scorer, placed a shot on frame in the 17th minute that Olson saved to protect his team's lead. Sam Butterworth followed with a corner kick and a shot on target two minutes later, but Olson again came up with a save.
 
MSUB continued to test the Saints' defense, as Fernando Perez drilled the crossbar with a shot in the 28th minute which led to back-to-back Yellowjacket corner kicks.
 
McNamar nearly doubled his tally on an ensuing attack, as his second shot of the game glanced off of the crossbar. SMU won a corner kick on the next play, but could not capitalize.
 
The 'Jackets won a corner kick of their own with four minutes until halftime, but the team failed to turn it into a shot as SMU took the 1-0 lead to the locker room.
 
Less than a minute into the second half, Lohmann made a big save to keep the deficit at a single goal, stopping a shot on target by Trevor Talen.
 
Perez cut loose a shot in the 48th minute that was blocked, resulting in another corner kick for MSUB. Kyle Emerick had a chance with a header shot a minute later that missed high, and a strike by Jesper Fries sailed wide of the left goal post.
 
Toenges had another look towards goal in the 62nd minute, but Olson provided another save to temporarily preserve the shutout. MSUB got back into the game a minute later, as Ralston tucked away a penalty kick to make the score 1-1 with 28 minutes to play in regulation.
 
Fresh into the game, Jess fired a shot towards goal that was blocked three minutes later. Emerick had a similarly-optimistic chance less than a minute later, as it took a save by Olson to prevent MSUB from taking the lead.
 
Lohmann made another big save for the 'Jackets in the 68th minute, stopping a strike by McNamar. Tim Teipel of SMU took a shot towards goal off of a corner kick by Kaleb Strawn, but the attempt rolled wide of the target as the score remained 1-1.
 
MSUB nearly took the lead twice in the next few minutes, as David Loueng had a shot off of a Butterworth cross blocked, and Tom Saltwell nailed the crossbar off of a cross by Emerick.
 
Another shot by Saltwell was blocked a minute later, but the Yellowjackets' persistence soon paid off. With 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Jess finished his sixth goal of the season past Olson to give the 'Jackets the 2-1 lead.
 
MSUB endured a dangerous string of chances by SMU into the closing minutes, as the Saints won four corner kicks within a four-minute period. Tody Tolo managed a header shot in the 84th minute, but Lohmann made the save for the 'Jackets to help secure the victory.
 
"I'm happy for Colin, who is a local guy, as he was able to score the equalizer, and also for Thorge who scored his sixth goal of the season after a difficult game," Balog said. "As a team we can look back on a great performance today and look forward to the games in the Dakotas with a lot of confidence."
 
THE BUZZ: Jess has now scored a goal in each of the Yellowjackets' last three games…MSUB has allowed only four goals in its last five games…six of the Yellowjackets' games this season have been decided by a single goal…the widest margin of separation in any single game featuring the 'Jackets on the season has been two goals.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets head east next week to challenge GNAC opponents South Dakota School of Mines and the University of Mary. MSUB faces SDSMT on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. Mountain time, as the 'Jackets look for a repeat of their 2-0 win over the Hardrockers on Oct. 4. MSUB continues to Bismarck, N.D., two days later, taking on Mary at noon Mountain time on Oct. 18.