September 22, 2007                                                                            

Lady Jackets Blanked by Wildcats
   Box Score
   MSUB Season Stats

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State Billings women’s soccer team swallowed its first conference loss of the season, falling 3-0 to Central Washington University Saturday in Ellensburg.  The Yellowjackets drop to 5-3-1 overall and 2-1-1 in league play as the Wildcats improve to 4-5-2, and 1-3-0.

The Wildcats broke their five-game losing streak in earning their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win using a little help from MSUB.  Central Washington got on the scoreboard in the 21st minute as a corner kick by the Wildcats’ Stacey Bankston deflected off a Yellowjacket defender and into the net.

The Wildcats would score an insurance goal less than three and a half minutes later.  Amanda Biggs fired a shot from 37 yards out lofting the ball over the top of MSUB’s keeper Brittany Knudtzon (Kent, Wash.) for the goal.

With halftime nearing, Central Washington got another break as Lindsay Mitchell placed a corner kick in front of the Jackets’ net, and by a cruel twist of fate the Jackets scored an own goal for the second time in the game giving the Wildcats the 3-0 advantage.

The Yellowjackets came out aggressive in the second half, out-shooting the Wildcats 15-6 with an 8-2 shots on goal advantage, but the Wildcats’ Amber Easterbrook was impenetrable in goal making eight saves.

The Lady Jackets have a short turnaround before heading back to the Evergreen State for a conference game against the Far West Region front-runner Seattle Pacific (10-0-0, 4-0-0) on Thursday, Sept. 27.  MSUB will then cross state lines into Nampa, Idaho, to battle against Northwest Nazarene (6-2-1, 3-1-0) Saturday, Sept. 29.