Yellowjackets Notch Men’s Soccer Win

BILLINGS - Montana State University-Billings won its second men’s soccer game of the season Thursday, defeating Westminster College 3-1 in a tournament at Northwest Nazarene University.  The victory avenged a 5-2 defeat to Westminster earlier in the season.

Freshman Joe Ferguson scored his first goal of the season at the 13:12 mark to give MSUB a 1-0 lead.  Mark Cipolla, the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer, was credited with the assist.  Cipolla then scored his fifth goal of the year at 26:08 to put the Jackets up 2-0.

MSU Billings carried the 2-0 lead into halftime and extended it to 3-0 on Mike Gallegos’s second goal of the season.  The goal came on a header off a rebound of Thomas Pertuit’s shot.  Pertuit was credited with the assist.

Westminster, ranked No. 15 in NAIA and No. 1 in the West Region, didn’t get on the board until the 77^th minute when Xadier Gonzalez dribbled past Yellowjacket goalkeeper Yacine Zerizef for the shot.  Zerizef saved three shots on the day as MSUB out-shot Westminster 14-8.

MSU Billings improves to 2-4 on the season and will face the tournament’s host Northwest Nazarene on Friday afternoon.