ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings women's soccer team played it's final home game of the regular season Saturday, finishing off their road slate with a 1-1 draw with Central Washington University in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-6-4, 3-5-4 GNAC) headed into Ellensburg to face the Wildcats (0-8-4, 0-4-4 GNAC) knowing that they'd need to avoid a loss if the team wanted to have any chance to qualify for the GNAC Championships, with the regular season set to end next week. The 'Jackets would do just that, overcoming an early second half goal from Central Washington when freshman Jamie Maas would score in the 84^th minute to help the Yellowjackets avoid defeat for the fourth consecutive match, and moving MSUB just four points behind fourth place Western Oregon in the GNAC standings, with a chance to overtake the Wolves and punch their ticket to Ellensburg next week.
 
The Yellowjackets struggled to find space on the offensive side of the field to open the first half, with MSUB not attempting a shot until the 15^th minute of the match. From there however the Yellowjackets would settle in, outshooting the Wildcats 6-4 overall, and 3-1 in shots on goal. MSUB would have their best chance of the half in the 38^th minute, when Monica Brown and Ave Roberts would both put shots on goal around 30 seconds apart from one another. But both team's defenses would prove difficult to break down across the first 45 minutes, with the game entering halftime as a scoreless draw.
 
But the 'Jackets would face adversity almost immediately to open the second half when Central Washington's Maggie McBroom would open the scoring in the 50^th minute, giving the Wildcats a lead early in the second half, and forcing MSUB to attempt a comeback. The 'Jackets would attack the goal with even more ferocity in the second half, putting seven of their 11 total attempts on target, but would struggle to get past the Wildcat's goalkeeper Kylee Gregory, who made nine total saves in the match. But with MSUB's penultimate shot of the match, the Yellowjackets would finally break through. Following chaos in the box, after a Jackie Sharpe attempt would hit the post, and Monica Brown's follow up attempt would be deflect by Gregory off the opposite post, Brown would corral her own rebound and center the ball to the freshman Maas, who would poke her effort into the top left corner to even the game with just six minutes remaining. MSUB would have one more attempt to grab the lead as the game wound to a close, but would be unable to find a second goal as the match finished in a 1-1 draw.
 
Nyah Attaway would attempt three shots with two shots on goal, while Palmer and Brown would each put one of their three shots on goal. Erika Wilson put each of her two shot attempts on target, while Sharpe had two shots, and one on goal. Maas, along with Ave Roberts and Kendall McGraw, put their lone shots on goal, while Taylor Gertsch attempted a single shot off goal. Claire Brogdon finished with three saves.
 
THE BUZZ: Maas was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… the goal was her second of the season... the Yellowjackets sit at 13 points in the conference standings, with Western Oregon four ahead at 17, with both teams playing a pair of games next week.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns home for it's final week of the regular season, needing to pick up a result on Thursday, November 7 when the 'Jackets host Simon Fraser University. Kickoff is set for 3 PM at Yellowjacket Field, with live video available here, and live statistics available here. Tickets are available for purchase online here.