BILLINGS, Mont. – JD Hauenstein couldn't be contained Saturday night at Herb Klindt Field, scoring what wound up being the game-winning goal for Montana State University Billings in the 43rd minute of a 1-0 triumph over host Rocky Mountain College.
 
The sophomore striker weaved his way in and out of the Battlin' Bear defense all evening, sliding forward to punch home the decisive finish from 10 yards away just before the halftime break on a pass from Guillaume Kremer. "We had a lot of passes around the top of the 18, and Guillaume slipped me in," said Hauenstein on the goal.
 
Though the 'Jackets found the net, the Bears didn't go without numerous chances, especially in the opening 45 minutes. A header shot by Luca Wiechers in the seventh minute required a save by Yellowjacket freshman goalkeeper Javier Hernandez, and Jace Beck followed with another attempt on frame less than five minutes later. "You just have to be on your toes and be ready for the next shot," said Hernandez, who helped complete the shutout with three saves in the match. "I have been feeling confident during the preseason, and hopefully we continue to have clean sheets throughout the season."
 
RMC senior Cole Catlin helped keep the game scoreless midway through the first, leaping to his right to deflect a free-kick attempt by Kremer out of bounds. It was the first of several near-misses by the 'Jacket skipper

on the evening, as Kremer's strikes rattled the woodwork time and time again.
 
Nearly doubling MSUB's lead late in the second half, Kremer curled a 20-yard free kick from the left corner of the goal box past second-half keeper Kristofer Wennin and off the crossbar. Hauenstein was there to nod the rebound into an open net, but the linesman's raised flag raised high for offside negated the finish. "When we got settled and started to pass the ball out of the back, things got a little bit better," MSUB head coach Alex Balog commented on the flurry of chances as the game wore on. "I'm very happy with the work rate of the guys. This was a very even game, and Rocky is going to have a good season."
 
Putting a cap on the Bears' offense was the Italian combination of Oliver Posarelli and Luca Battistotti, who collaborated with Eli Williams to anchor the strong defensive effort. MSUB was out-shot 13-8 on the night, but the back four handled the major threats with composure.
 
Sophomore Ignacio Crespo provided a lift off the bench, contributing directly on the only goal of the match by feeding the ball into Kremer from the left side of the field. The Guatemala native helped the 'Jackets maintain possession moving forward with creative play on the wing. 

The majority of the scoring chances came in the opening half, with 13 of the 21 combined shots being fired off in the opening 45 minutes. Pablo Ferreira nearly kicked off the scoring with 12 minutes before the break, as he reached forward just late for a cross that slid through the 6-yard box.
 
MSUB's Guillaume Marneau came within inches of the first goal of the match as well, smashing a close-range shot off the crossbar after three clever one-touch passes through the midfield by the 'Jackets.
 
The Bears couldn't manage a dangerous chance over the final stretch of the game however, as the 'Jackets maintained control and completed the clean sheet.
 
THE BUZZ: Hauenstein was tabbed the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…MSUB has won five of the last seven exhibition contests between the teams.
 
NEXT UP: The regular season begins next week on the road, when MSUB challenges Westminster College on Aug. 31 and Dixie State University two days later. Both matches will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah. "A win tonight allows us to go into the game against Westminster with a lot of confidence," Balog said.