Box Score TUKWILA, Wash. – A perfectly-placed free kick from 22 yards away from the goal by Isabel Farrell of Seattle Pacific proved to be the difference as Montana State University Billings lost 1-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer championship semifinal match Thursday evening at Starfire Sports Complex.
Farrell, the GNAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, netted the game's only goal in the 34th minute as she curled in a left-footed shot out of reach of MSUB goalkeeper
Krystal Daniels and into the upper-left corner of the net.
SPU (12-4-2, 9-3-2 GNAC) controlled the match for the most part, placing nine of its 14 shots on target. MSUB countered with six total shots, two of which landed on frame. Farrell led her team with five shots, all of which were on target.
Daniels finished with eight saves for the Yellowjackets, and came up with an incredible effort on multiple occasions to keep her team in the match.
MSUB finished its season with a record of 11-4-2, after a 9-3-2 showing in GNAC play for a second-place regular-season finish.
The Falcons won a pair of corner kicks early on, the second resulting in a shot from the top of the box by Laura Moore. Her right-footed strike curled away from the far post and bounced out-of-bounds harmlessly.
Brittney Greenback had MSUB's first shot of the match with seven minutes gone, but her attempt with the left foot missed wide.
SPU continued to create chances as it held control of possession in the attacking third, but couldn't quite find enough open space to get a clean look on goal off. MSUB created an optimistic chance on a counter attack, but a through ball into the box by
Alisa Sagdahl to
Chelsea Shuman had a bit too much pace on it.
A minute later, Hannah Huesers tested Daniels as she beat three defenders into the box and placed a shot on frame that was saved.
Earning a dangerous free kick from 28 yards out midway through the first, Farrell fired a shot that deflected off of the defensive wall. Shayla Page cracked a shot on the rebound, but Daniels secured the low strike for a save.
Another foul outside the box by MSUB set up a free kick from 20 yards away from the goal. This time, Farrell struck it perfectly as she curled a shot into the upper left corner of the net out of Daniels's reach as SPU took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute.
The Falcons carried the lead into the halftime break, preventing MSUB from an equalizing opportunity through the closing minutes of the first.
Farrell came very close to doubling her tally just minutes into the second half, redirecting a cross into the box on frame from point-blank range. Daniels not only reacted to block the shot, but she held onto it to prevent a ricochet and loose ball.
SPU carried the majority of the possession through the first part of the second half, preventing MSUB from creating attacking chances.
Teegan Koster landed a shot on frame midway through the second, but the save was an easy one for Molly Stinson.
Shuman let loose a shot from the top of the box a few minutes later that carried high and wide of the frame.
With five minutes remaining, Moore had a clean look towards goal that curled towards the far post, missing just wide and bouncing out.
Keeping the pressure on MSUB's back line into the closing minutes, SPU sealed the victory and ended the Yellowjackets' 2014 campaign.
With the win, SPU advances to Saturday's championship game against the winner of the second semifinal match between No. 11 Western Washington and Central Washington.
