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SEATTLE – Amanda Brusic scored midway through the 66th minute, her first goal of the year, giving unranked Montana State Billings a 1-0 upset victory against 19th-ranked Cal State L.A. on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Region women's soccer tournament at Interbay Stadium.

The Yellowjackets (13-5-1), making their first postseason appearance in school history, advance to a second-round matchup against No. 9 Seattle Pacific on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Interbay. The Falcons (15-1-2), by virtue of being the No. 1 seed in the West, had a first-round bye.

“We're trying to write some history for our program and the first part was getting into the NCAA Tournament. As I told the girls the other night, the next part was winning a game in the NCAA Tournament,” said Billings coach Don Trentham. “So we're obviously excited for the program. It was a big win for us tonight. “

CSULA, which had its eight-game unbeaten streak stopped, completed the season with a 15-4-1 record.

Junior midfielder Brusic (Yakima, Wash.) set up the goal herself by picking the ball off the foot of a Golden Eagles defender. Then, from 23 yards away and to the right of the penalty area restraining arc, she chipped a shot that floated just inside the right post, barely beyond the reach of CSULA goalkeeper Gabriella Batmani at 65:39.

“The ball came out just a little outside the 18. I just shot it and it was like in slow-motion to the upper seven. It was awesome,” described Brusic, who is anxious for the Yellowjackets to meet their second-round opponent.

“It's so nice to win coming in and my only thought was 'I want another chance at SPU.'”

Billings and Seattle Pacific met twice during the Great Northwest Athletic Conference campaign. The league champion Falcons won both times: 3-0 in Seattle on Sept. 16, and 2-1 in overtime at Billings on Oct. 16.

Yellowjackets goalkeeper Sabrina Grandke-Bawab made six saves to keep the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard. Cal State L.A., making its second straight NCAA appearance and third in the past four years, outshot Billings 10-4, in the rain that got harder as the afternoon progressed.

Grandke-Bawab denied two dangerous opportunities by CSULA during the first half and one more late in the game to preserve the victory for Billings. Midway through the 33rd minute, she came out to the top of the box to swipe the ball off the foot of Ann Marie Tangora.

Then, with less than two minutes remaining before halftime, Natalie Martin of the Golden Eagles took a 25-yarder from the left wing side that was bending toward the right post. Grandke-Bawab leaped to her left, stretched and hauled in the ball at the last possible moment to keep the game scoreless.

With 5:07 left in the game, CSULA got an enticing low cross from the right flank into the 6-yard box. Tangora, who came into the game with 14 goals, turned and fired a point-blank shot, but Grandke-Bawab reacted in time to stop the shot.

“We had a couple good looks at the goal and it didn't fall for us,” Golden Eagles coach Chris Chamides said. “There've been a few times this year where we've outshot our opponent and not gotten a result. And that's always tough. Full credit to them, I thought they played a good game.”


NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
West Region, First Round
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.

Montana State Billings 1, (No. 19) Cal State L.A. 0

Scoring – 1, MSUB: Amanda Brusic (unassisted), 65:39.

Shots – MSUB 4, CSULA 10.
Saves – MSUB (Sabrina Grandke-Bawab) 6, CSULA (Gabriella Batmani) 0.
Corner kicks – MSUB 0, CSULA 1.
Fouls – MSUB 8, CSULA 4.
Offsides – MSUB 1, CSULA 1.
Cautions – MSUB: Lauren Anderson, 60:49.
Ejections – None.
Attendance – 126.

Records –
Montana State Billings 13-5-1
Cal State L.A. 15-4-1

Next Game –
NCAA West Region second round
Montana State Billings at (#9) Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Nov. 13, 1:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.