BILLINGS, Mont. – Staying undefeated on the spring season, No. 13 Northwest Nazarene University cruised to a 4-0 win over the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team on a cold and wet Thursday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field.
The teams fought through harsh weather conditions throughout the match, enduring sustained winds upwards of 30 miles per hour and piercing, steady rain. Four different Nighthawks found the back of the net, as the visitors used two goals in each half to top the Yellowjackets.
"Credit to NNU as they were able to put together a good performance in difficult conditions," said MSUB head coach
Stephen Cavallo. "We had moments today that looked really good but we failed to find consistency throughout the match. I felt the goals we conceded were preventable."
Kailyn LaBrosse scored the game-winning goal in the 18th minute, as her first finish of the spring season proved to be the difference maker in the shutout win for the Nighthawks. Carolyn Moravec and McKeznie Buell each added their third goal of the spring, before Makayla Roggow converted a second-half penalty kick to cap the scoring. The Nighthawks kept their record perfect at 7-0 with the win, while MSUB slipped to 3-5 on the season with the defeat.
The Yellowjacket offense was held to just two shots in the match, one coming early on in each half of play.
Kiley Sandow had the team's best chance to score in just the seventh minute, when her high strike from the top of the box required NNU goalkeeper Alexis Montoya to tip it over the crossbar. It was Montoya's only save in the match, as she picked up her third shutout of the season.
LaBrosse blasted the Nighthawks to a 1-0 lead, with a powerful strike into the upper-left corner of the net from the right side of the goal box after a long through ball off the foot of Moravec.
NNU doubled its tally on a set piece six minutes later, as it took advantage of one of its six corner kicks in the match. Magda Wronski curled a cross towards the near post, where it connected with Moravec's head and sneaked into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.
Despite trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Yellowjackets came out of the break with newfound energy and had an immediate chance to get back into the game.
Jillian Hust carried the ball into the box on the right side, and her promising attempt skimmed the top of the net as it carried just over the crossbar in the 46th minute.
NNU sealed the game just over a minute later however, when Ashley Parton fed a ball towards the six-yard box and Buell tapped it gently into an open net as the Yellowjackets failed to clear it out.
Roggow, who played a key, physical role throughout the match on the back line, stepped to the penalty spot in the 68th minute and tucked the final goal of the day into the lower-left corner of the net to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
MSUB goalkeeper
Clare Keenan had five saves – four in the second half – as she was kept busy by 15 NNU shots and nine landing on target.
Haylee Gunter contributed 70 solid minutes in the midfield unit while
Jordan Roe was solid up top for 73 minutes during the match.
The Nighthawks completed the season sweep of non-Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches against the Yellowjackets, after winning by the same score on March 18 in Nampa, Idaho. "This is an awesome learning experience for our team as they truly know what this difficult conference brings you," said Cavallo. "I am grateful we got these two matches against NNU this spring and I know they can positively prepare us for the fall season."
THE BUZZ: Gunter was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 19-9 all-time against NNU and is 12-2 in home matches against the Nighthawks.
UP NEXT: MSUB closes its 2021 spring season on Sunday with a noon kickoff against Carroll College. Live video will be
available online here and live statistics will be
available online here.
