Lady Jackets Pull out 2OT Win over Northern State (Oct. 3, 2004)
Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s soccer team won its second double-overtime game of the season Sunday, defeating Northern State University 2-1 on Margot Merrill-Johnson’s game-winning goal with just 15 seconds remaining.  The win pushed the Yellowjackets’ season record to 8-3-1 and dropped the Wolves’ to 7-4-0.  Northern State entered the weekend ranked ninth in the Central Region.

“The ball came in and I headed it to the near post,” said Merrill-Johnson of the game winner.  “There was a girl there who blocked it with her arm back out to me.  There weren’t a lot of people around me, but there were a bunch in front of the net.  I just knocked it as hard as I could (off the rebound).  It was either going in or leaving a good bruise on someone.”

The Yellowjackets’ Kelsey Vinnedge (So., Great Falls, MT) put the ball in play off a corner kick as the clock was winding down.  Merrill-Johnson (Sr., Salt Lake City) won the ball in the air to get off the header before scoring on her own rebound to end the game.  The goal was her team-leading sixth of the season.  The victory gave MSU Billings two wins for Futbol Frenzy Weekend.  The Yellowjackets downed Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday.

Not long ago, overtime games were the Achilles’ heal of the Yellowjackets.  They are unbeaten this year in three OT games, with two wins and a draw.  Both wins have come near the end of the second overtime.  Along with the drama from Merrill-Johnson on Sunday, Ally Taylor (So., Ojai, CA) beat Mesa State early in the season with just 54 ticks on the clock.

A goal early and a goal late in regulation accounted for all of the game’s scoring before Merrill-Johnson’s game winner.  Taylor scored her fifth goal of the season just 3:52 into the game off a nice feed from Brittney Sandau (Fr., Billings, MT).  The Wolves, who were able to manage the clock with mass substitutions in the final five minutes of regulation, used an unassisted goal from Melissa Gamble with only 46 second left to tie the game and force the extra periods.

“Our team is kind of streaky,” said Merrill-Johnson of the tying goal.  “We’ll have five minutes here and there where we don’t play as hard.  Sometimes we’ll get wrapped up in the game and lose our focus for a while.  That’s something we’re working on.”

The Yellowjackets controlled the overtime periods, out shooting the Wolves 5-0, including 4-0 in the second OT.  For the game, MSU Billings had 28 shots to 12 for Northern State, including a 17-5 advantage in shots on goal.  Megan Plank (So., Phoenix, AZ) made four saves for the Yellowjackets, while her counterpart Theresa Alexander had to stop 15 shots.

The Yellowjackets continue their home stand next Saturday and Sunday when they host Jamestown College and Grand Canyon for Parents/Alumni Weekend.

“I think we’re at a point where we’ll start building (momentum) again,” said Merrill-Johnson of the two-game winnings streak.  “These weren’t our best games this weekend, but it’s nice to pull them out.  It’s fun to fight hard and get the win.”

Click HERE for photos of the Lady Yellowjackets vs. Northern State