BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's soccer team competed in it's final match of the 2024 regular season, falling by a score of 3-0 to Western Washington University in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-8-4, 3-7-4 GNAC) may have been defeated by the GNAC regular season champion Vikings (12-2-5, 11-0-3 GNAC), but spirits remained high as the program finished off the 2024 season, and celebrated the team's nine graduating seniors pregame, with Jackie Sharpe, Kendall McGraw, Jillian Hust, Lexi Harris, Monica Brown, Taylor Gertsch, Megan Mendenhall, Sunny Bennion, and Vivien Guese all starting and featuring in their final match. The Yellowjacket's conclude their season with 13 points in conference play, earning a fifth-place finish in the standings, the team's highest finish in the standings since 2015.
 
The Yellowjackets would fall behind early in the game, with the Vikings scoring goals in the 14^th and 30^th minutes of the first half to take an early lead. The visitors would put up 18 shots in the first 45 minutes, before the Yellowjackets began to find more of a rhythm attacking in the second half, attempting seven shots. But MSUB's two efforts on goal would be saved, with the Vikings tacking on another insurance goal late to head home with the win.
 
Claire Brogdon would make a season-high nine saves in net for the 'Jackets, finishing her freshman season with 73 total saves, just outside the top ten in program history. Meanwhile, Erika Wilson finished with a team high two shots, putting one effort on goal. McGraw put her lone chance of the match on target, while Hust, Gertsch, Bennion, along with underclassmen Jamie Maas and Chloe Fredenburg, attempted one shot.
 
THE BUZZ: Gertsch was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… the match was the senior's 78^th of her MSUB career, tying for second most in program history, while her 73 starts rank eighth most all-time of any Yellowjacket… Hust appeared in 75 games for MSUB in her career, tying for tenth most by a Yellowjacket… Brogdon's six shutouts in 2024 tie for the sixth most by a goalkeeper in a season for MSUB… the Yellowjackets' 24 goals this season were the program's most in a year since 2014… Liberty Palmer totaled both a team and career high for goals this season with six… her goal tally tied for second most in the conference this season… Palmer also totaled a team high 13 points, the highest total by a Yellowjacket since Alexa Iacolucci in 2019… McGraw finished second with a career high four goals, and one assists, finishing her career with eight goals and two assists… Sharpe finishes her career with seven goals, and six assists.