BILLINGS, Mont. – Thiago Novis scored twice for the Montana State University Billings men's soccer team, but James Liddiard responded with two goals of his own in the final 17 minutes for the University of Mary as the two teams battled to a 3-3 double-overtime draw as darkness engulfed Yellowjacket Field Saturday evening.
 
Novis scored his third goal of the season in the 30th minute to even the score at 1-1, and gave the 'Jackets the lead with his fourth less than two minutes into the second half. The Yellowjackets pushed ahead by two goals on the first career finish by freshman Jacob Richter in the 72nd minute, but the Marauders refused to let up.
 
Liddiard netted his sixth goal of the year just two minutes after Richter's finish, narrowing the spread to 3-2. A red card in the 84th minute didn't deter Mary, as Liddiard headed home the tying goal in the 88th minute.
 
The draw pushed MSUB's record to 8-6-4 on the season, and the Yellowjackets finished their conference schedule with a mark of 6-5-3 in GNAC games.
 
"Today, a great season came to an end," commented MSUB head coach Alex Balog. "This is the season where we have turned a page, and with the help of our players we have made this a winning program again. Now we need to build on the foundation we have laid."
 
UM salvaged a point and completed its season at 3-13-2 overall and 2-11-1 in conference matches.
 
As darkness set in at Yellowjacket Field, the teams battled through two overtime periods to no avail as the final match of the season ended in a draw.
 
"We weren't able to hold onto a 3-1 lead and missed multiple opportunities to finish the game," Balog said. "This game has been a great learning experience for our young players, who now hopefully understand they need to give it their all if they want to be successful in the GNAC."
 
Junior goalkeeper Tom Lohmann made seven saves in the match, and allowed one goal. For the Marauders, Ludvig Rhodin played all 110 minutes, collecting four saves on the match.
 
UM struck first, as Jonathan Sellars put his head on the ball in the 19th minute in front of the goal. Christoffer Nogueira fired in the cross after a short corner kick, and Sellars finished the job with his fourth goal of the season into the far corner of the net.
 
Julian Toenges helped create the response for MSUB, carrying the ball into the box and lifting a cross to Novis. The junior calmly nodded the ball into the back of the net as he pulled his team even.
 
Mary nearly scored again midway through the first, as Lohmann smothered a dangerous shot by Liddiard on a nice cross from Nogueira.
 
Emerging from the break with the gusting wind at its back, MSUB struck quickly as Novis found the net again on a cross from Toenges. This time, Toenges streaked down the right side and whipped the ball into the box, where Novis finished it from the far post inside the lower corner of the net.
 
With MSUB controlling the pace of play over the next 25 minutes, the third breakthrough came on a ball that started with Lohmann inside his box. Playing the ball all the way to the opposite goal box, Richter was there to take possession of a bobbled back-pass by UM's keeper, and tapped the ball in from a tough angle to make the score 3-1.
 
Liddiard's first finish came on a one-on-one with new goalkeeper Joe Scott, as the origin pass from Guilherme Zogbi wound up in the back of the net. His second finish came after a flick-on pass from Alex Boyes, as he lifted a header shot over Scott and into the net to tie the score late.
 
The match was fairly even overall, with the Marauders holding a narrow 20-19 edge in shots and an 11-7 advantage in shots on target. UM won nine first-half corner kicks with the wind in its favor, and wound up with 13 on the match compared to just one by MSUB.
 
Juniors Garret Robinson and Tom Saltwell played all 110 minutes on the back line for MSUB, anchoring the defense throughout the match.
 
Prior to the game, MSUB's six seniors were honored on Senior Day and presented with plaques commemorating their contributions to the Yellowjackets' program. Cameron Lee, Sam Butterworth, David Loeung, Daragh Kavanagh, Guido Riffeser, and Fernando Perez were each honored during the pregame festivities.
 
"I cannot thank this senior class enough for sticking with us and for their blood, sweat, and tears," Balog said. "They have been absolutely unbelievable. We have coached great players, but those great players have turned into men who are ready to go out and tackle the world. Words cannot express how proud I am of them. I will forever be grateful for their efforts for this program on and off the field."
 
THE BUZZ: Playing his 70th career match, Lee is now in sole possession of fourth place in the MSUB record books in career matches…Novis was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his two-goal effort…the Yellowjackets finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time since the 2012 campaign…Toenges led the team this season in assists with 10, which ranked second in the GNAC.