BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's soccer team would come up just short in a tough contest versus #8 Western Washington University on Saturday, falling 1-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
Playing against a team that had won nine straight games coming into the match, the Yellowjackets (2-9-5, 2-8-2 GNAC) would keep things close versus a nationally-ranked Vikings (13-1-3, 11-0-1 GNAC) side, keeping the visitors off the scoreboard for over an hour. But Western Washington would eventually break through on an impressive shot to the top left corner in the 69
th minute, taking a lead over the 'Jackets and holding on for the win.
Freshman goalkeeper
Tenley Leffler would make a total of six saves in the match, reaching the century mark with 100 total saves this season. It marks the fifth time in program history that a goalie has kept 100 or more saves in a season for MSUB, with Leffler climbing into fifth place all-time for saves in a season. She also moved up to eighth all-time in program history.
The Vikings would outshoot MSUB 19-1 overall, and 7-1 in shots on goal, while attempting eight corners in the game. For MSUB,
Cesia Swain would attempt the team's lone shot, putting the effort on goal.
The first half began with a Vikings barrage on goal, with the visitors' controlling possession and chances. WWU would attempt six shots in the first 20 minutes, but MSUB would hold strong defensively, blocking three efforts while Leffler would save one more. The 'Jackets would limit chances from there, with the Vikings only attempting one shot the rest of the first half, but would be unable to find an opportunity of their own, with the game remaining tied at the halftime break.
The second half would follow a similar script, with the Vikings crashing the box and firing a multitude of shots coming out of the break. Yellowjacket defenders would block four more efforts in the first 20 minutes of the half, with Leffler pulling off two more saves. But the dam would finally break open for the Vikings in the 69
th minute, when Audrey Holdridge would hit the ball from the top right corner of the box, and put a curling effort into the top left corner, giving the Vikings the lead. The 'Jackets would hold strong the rest of the way, with Leffler pulling off three more saves in the final 20 minutes of action, but MSUB's lone look of the game would be handled by the Vikings, with the final whistle cementing a loss for the 'Jackets despite a strong defensive effort.
THE BUZZ: Ava Curtright was named Player of the Game… Curtright led a group of six Yellowjackets who played the full 90 minutes in the match, joining Leffler,
Cianna Sexton,
Vivian Gaither,
Kelsie Cox, and
Ava Gibbs.
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets enter their final week of regular season play next week, with the team beginning the week by heading to square off against Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, October 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 PM MT (3 PM PT) from Interbay Stadium, with live video available on the
GNAC Network, and live statistics
available here
