Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's soccer team opened their preseason slate Saturday against crosstown rivals Rocky Mountain College, tying the Battlin Bears 3-3 in their first game action of the year.
 
The Yellowjackets jumped out ahead in the first half of the exhibition match, taking a 3-1 lead into halftime. But that lead would prove difficult to hold, with the Battlin Bears scoring twice in the second half to force the tie.
 
"It was a good environment for our first exhibition game," said Yellowjacket's head coach Abiye Jack. "The result is frustrating after going up two goals, but overall, I think we can build off a lot of what we did today. We had some excellent moments in possession and were able to execute in many of the areas we were looking to. It was a good match to end our first week of the preseason."
 
The two teams traded goals in the opening minutes of the game. Just seconds short of the second minute, Kendall McGraw worked her way into the box, placing a shot into the bottom left corner to give the Jackets an early lead. That advantage would last all of 40 seconds after the restart, with Rocky responding with a goal off a corner kick, following an initial save by Claire Keenan. The Yellowjackets would strike twice more in the first half though, with Jillian Hust giving MSUB their advantage back in the 21^st minute with a left footed curler that careened off the crossbar before landing in the back of the next. Hust would help create the Yellowjacket's third goal, sending a ball onto the back post, where Monica Brown was able to meet it, doubling the lead for MSUB.
 
Rocky would respond quickly in the second half though, with a second half brace from Mya Maack turning the tides of the matchup. Maack scored first in the 46^th minute, hitting a ball with the outside of her right foot that sailed in to top right corner of the goal. Then in the 83^rd minute, Maack would strike again, hitting a shot into the bottom left corner, tying things up with what would prove to be the game's final goal.
 
The Yellowjackets finished with 14 shots, placing seven on goal. Hust led MSUB with four, two of her attempts being shots on goal. Jackie Sharpe also fired two shots on goal, coming on three attempts, and Kaari Little also had three attempts, with one shot on goal. Erika Wilson grabbed an assist on McGraw's opening goal, and Mackenzie Carnell assisted on Hust's goal.
 
THE BUZZ: Hust was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets continue their preseason with a matchup in Missoula against University of Montana, where they'll face off against the Grizzlies on August 24, 2 PM at South Campus Stadium. The game will be livestreamed on ESPN+, with live stats available here.