MONMOUTH, Ore. – Clare Keenan's second shutout of the season and Sydney Torres's second goal of the season gave the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team a 1-0 triumph Friday afternoon in a road Great Northwest Athletic Conference match against Western Oregon University.
 
The GNAC saves leader – now with 97 on the season – had nine crucial stops throughout Friday's contest to help the team to its second clean sheet of the season. Torres's winner came in the 55th minute, as MSUB claimed the season series after the teams drew 1-1 in Billings on Sept. 24. "I am incredibly proud of the mentality shown by our team," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "Clare and the entire back line deserve a tremendous amount of credit. Western Oregon forced us to defend a lot today, and we were gutsy."
 
The match, which was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday morning, was postponed one day due to unplayable air conditions. MSUB kept the possibility of postseason play alive with the result, improving to 2-10-4 overall and 2-7-2 in league play. The Yellowjackets have eight points in the standings, and with three matches left (nine possible points) the team is just two points out of a GNAC Championships berth. "It is never easy dealing with the change in game day and knowing this was the first of back-to-back games," Cavallo said on the late schedule change, which was announced Thursday morning. "The team left everything out on the pitch and fought from the first whistle to the last. This result extends our season and gives us a lot of belief going into the match tomorrow."
 
The Wolves were shut out for the sixth time this season, and moved to 5-6-4 overall and 2-6-3 in conference play with the defeat. WOU held a 15-12 advantage in shots, and placed nine on frame, but could not break down the Yellowjacket defense on Friday.
 
Kailey Findlay and Lauren Becraft played the full 90 minutes on the back line for MSUB, while seniors Kiley Sandow and Sydney Wate were also instrumental in the clean sheet. "Our seniors really stepped up today," Cavallo said. "Cassie (Southwick), and Sydney Wate gave us huge minutes up and down the sideline at outside back. Torres won us this game today – she almost had a hat trick and the energy and fight she played with translated into the whole team."
 
Torres led the Yellowjackets with four shots in 45 productive minutes off the bench, the most important of which found the back of the net 10 minutes into the second half. Sandow was at the root of the goal, gaining possession of the ball on the left wing and delivering a cross towards the six-yard box. After the ball slipped through the hands of WOU goalkeeper Olivia Holdenried, Torres was there to turn and strike a shot into the back of the net.
 
Holdenried totaled four saves throughout the match, while six Wolves field players competed for the full 90 minutes. WOU also held a narrow 4-3 advantage in corner kicks throughout the match, while Briana Kubli and Chloe Smith each led the team with three shots.
 
THE BUZZ: Torres was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…the goal was the fifth of her career as a Yellowjacket…Keenan's shutout was the third of her MSUB career…Keenan moved to No. 5 in MSUB single-season history in saves, and is three away from becoming the third goalkeeper in school history to eclipse the century mark in the category…Keenan is also fourth in MSUB history with 208 career saves, standing three behind No. 3 Gretchen Kaus after Friday's match…MSUB is now 13-10-6 all-time against WOU and is 4-7-3 in road matches.
 
NEXT UP: Facing a tight turnaround, MSUB is back on the pitch Saturday with a 1 p.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Mountain time kickoff at Saint Martin's University. Live coverage for the match will be available online here.