Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – Chelsea Shuman scored twice and the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team continued its stellar defense with its fourth-straight shutout in a 3-0 victory over Simon Fraser on Thursday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
Freshman Jessica Spang added her fourth goal of the season just four minutes before halftime, taking advantage of a missed clearance and finishing a close-range shot.
 
The Yellowjackets' defensive back line continued its streak of having played every minute of the season, as the combination of seniors Jennifer Johnson, Jessie Mancilla and Krystal Daniels in goal, and sophomores Haley McFarlane and Kari Kastelic held Simon Fraser to five shots and just two on target.
 
Daniels made a pair of saves on the match, and MSUB did not allow a corner kick while winning two of its own. The 'Jackets improved to 10-3-2 with their fourth win in-a-row, and the team remained in second place in the GNAC standings with a mark of 8-3-2 in conference play.
 
"We executed very well, scored three goals and got a shutout," said MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. "Chelsea had a great game, and we had a very attacking mindset today."
 
Shuman upped her goals total to three on the season, receiving assists from Johnson and Alisa Sagdahl on her two goals. The senior led her team with four shots total, placing three on target to contribute to the Yellowjackets' total of 10 on the match.
 
"We are playing very well right now, and I am happy with the way that we came out and put them away," Krakowiak said.
 
MSUB wasted no time establishing command, as Johnson played a long ball to Shuman who found herself with one defender to beat. The senior took her time with a touch into the box, and beat the keeper with a low shot into the right half of the goal.
 
Sagdahl nearly doubled MSUB's lead five minutes later, controlling a long ball from Johnson into the box and placing a shot on goal that was saved by SFU keeper Priya Sandhu.
 
MSUB kept control through the middle of the first half, moving the ball through the offensive third. Ashely Marra went on a nice run down the right side, but Sandhu came off her line to corral a cross before it could reach Spang in front of the goal mouth.
 
Spang got another chance just before halftime however, as a missed clearance by SFU's back line gave her a clean look from four yards out. The freshman punched home her fourth goal of the season, giving MSUB a comfortable 2-0 edge heading into the break.
 
Doubling her tally early on in the second half, Shuman netted a shot from the left side of the box inside the near post on a pass from Sagdahl in the 52nd minute.
 
The Clan took their first shot on target with less than 20 minutes remaining, as Daniels was required to make her first save of the match.
 
MSUB never relinquished control of the match through the second half, keeping possession throughout as time wound down.
 
With two minutes left, Sami Hansen pushed a shot into the back of the net, but the goal was called off due to an offside call.
 
"We are going for a win on Saturday, and we have good momentum right now," Krakowiak said regarding his team's upcoming road match against NNU. "We are going to finish the season strong, and get ready for the GNAC Championships. We are going to keep playing the way we have been playing or even better. That is the game plan."
 
NEXT UP: MSUB finishes its regular season schedule with a road match against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. The Yellowjackets then travel to Tukwila, Wash., for the 2014 GNAC Championships at Starfire Sports Complex next weekend.
 
With a win against the Crusaders, MSUB would clinch the No. 2 seed heading into the tournament and would face the No. 3 seed. Before Thursday's action, Seattle Pacific currently held a two-point lead over Central Washington for the No. 3 spot in the conference standings, and Western Oregon remained alive in fifth place five points behind CWU with two games to play.