Yellowjackets Lose Game, Rimrock Cup to Rocky (Oct. 29, 2003)
Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – In about the most challenging conditions Mother Nature could dish out, Rocky Mountain College stole a double-overtime win—and the 2003 Rimrock Cup along with it—Wednesday evening with a 2-1 win over MSU Billings.  With wind-chill temperatures nearing 20 degrees, Rachel Hagarty’s goal from almost point-blank range in the 106^th minute gave Rocky a 2-1 win to split the season series with the Yellowjackets, who won the first meeting of the season, 3-0.

With the series split, the two teams followed the double-overtime game with a shootout to determine the winner of this year’s Rimrock Cup.  The goals scored in the shootout are unofficial and don’t count toward the official season statistics since the NCAA does not use shootouts and the outcome of the game was already decided.

The Bears, who shot first in the alternating-shot shootout, connected on all five off their tries in the waning light to capture the Rimrock Cup.  Fifteen minutes after the sun had set, Claire Crosbie’s kick sailed into the left corner of the net for the Bears’ fifth shootout goal, giving Rocky the Cup.  Before Crosbie’s kick, Jeannie McGonagle, Emma Moran, Nina Anderson, and Melanie Cox were all good on their kicks from the penalty area.

The Yellowjackets’ Stephanie Clark (Jr., Tualatin, OR) led off MSUB’s turn with a goal to the left side, but Kelsey Vinnedge (Fr., Great Falls, MT) missed wide right on the Jackets’ second shot.  Margot Merrill-Johnson (Jr., Salt Lake City) and Sara Otis (Sr., Vancouver, WA) both scored on their shots before Crosbie’s goal sealed the win for Rocky.

The Bears struck first in the game on a Crosbie goal in the 13^th minute.  Rocky played the first half with the wind, which was gusting over 40 miles per hour, to its back and took full advantage, out-shooting MSUB 18-3 in the half.  Crosbie’s shot caromed off a Yellowjacket player, up into the air, and the wind carried it over the hands of goalkeeper Megan Plank (Fr., Phoenix, AZ) to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The Yellowjackets tied the game in the 42^nd minute when Ally Taylor (Fr., Ojai, CA) drove into the wind, dribbled past two Rocky defenders into the box, and fired a shot past goalkeeper Janna Reiman to the lower left corner of the net.  The goal was Taylor’s seventh of the year.

The Yellowjackets failed to take advantage of the wind in the second half, only out-shooting Rocky 11-4 in the final 45 minutes of regulation.  Five of their 11 shots were on goal, including a long bouncing shot from Candy Cherry (Jr., Missoula, MT) that glanced off the crossbar and over the goal.

MSU Billings also had the wind in the first overtime, but didn’t manage a single shot in the ten minute period.  The Bears grabbed the momentum with their defensive effort in the first overtime and went on the offensive in the second OT.  Rocky fired eight shots in the six and a half minutes of the second overtime, culminating in Hegarty’s game-winner, her eighth goal of the season.

“It’s tough because I thought we were the better team,” said Yellowjacket coach Don Trentham.  “We didn’t show up today and Rocky did.  They deserved to win the game and the Rimrock Cup.  Both teams had to play with the weather and both teams have had long seasons, so it’s not anything we’re going to use as an excuse.  We were outplayed and I thought Rocky wanted it a little more than we did.  From the second half on, we played not to lose the game.  That’s why we’ve lost three overtime games this year.”

The loss dropped MSU Billings to 6-10-1 for the season with just one game remaining.  The Yellowjackets will host North Dakota on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  The win improved Rocky to 8-8 for the year.