• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

BILLINGS, Mont. – Heidi Greenback scored on consecutive first-half shots Thursday, and undefeated Montana State Billings held off Seattle Pacific for a 2-1 women's soccer win in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Yellowjacket Field.
 
Billings (5-0) defeated the Falcons (3-2) for just the second time in 14 all-time meetings.
 
“We put ourselves in a bit of a hole,” said SPU coach Chuck Sekyra. “I liked how we came out initially and ripped off four or five shots. Then we kind of stopped initiating pressure and stopped going at the other team.”
 
Greenback first found the net at 20:48, scoring during a scramble in front of the SPU goal. MSUB's Jennifer Larsen sent a corner kick into the box that was loose in the area before Greenback pushed it into the goal.
 
Less than three minutes later, on the game's next shot, Greenback netted her third goal of the season. She dribbled past a Falcons defender and delivered a strike into the right side of the goal at 23:10.
 
“They got a fortunate goal off a corner kick where the ball bounced around and the girl smacks it in,” Sekyra described. “Then we had a little mistake in the back for the second goal and then we're chasing the game, which is tough on the road.”
 
SPU drew within one early in the second half on the first goal of the season by junior Josie Graybeal (Gig Harbor, Wash./Gig Harbor). Sophomore forward Ali Martin (Beaverton, Ore.) served a cross from the right flank that found Graybeal at the left corner of the six-yard box for a half-volley at 50:32.
 
The Falcons had several chances at an equalizer, but were denied by Billings goalkeeper Aiko Johnson, who made five of her seven saves during the second half.
 
Junior Natalie Harold (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage) was credited with six saves for SPU, which outshot the Yellowjackets 14-10.
 
The Falcons visit Nampa, Idaho on Saturday at 11 a.m. Pacific Time for a GNAC game against Northwest Nazarene. They return home on Wednesday, Sept. 19 to host Western Washington at 7 p.m. in Interbay Stadium.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Yellowjacket Field/Billings, Mont.
 
Montana State Billings 2, Seattle Pacific 1
 
Scoring – 1, MSUB, Heidi Greenback (Jennifer Larsen), 20:48; 2, MSUB, Greenback (Jaucelyn Richter), 23:10, 3, SPU, Josie Graybeal (Ali Martin), 50:32.
 
Shots – SPU 14, MSUB 10.
Saves –SPU 6 (Natalie Harold), MSUB 7 (Aiko Johnson).
Corner kicks – SPU 5, MSUB 3.
Fouls – SPU 7, MSUB 7.
Offsides – SPU 0, MSUB 0.
Attendance – 150.
 
Records:
Seattle Pacific 3-2-0,  0-1-0 GNAC
Montana State Billings, 5-0-0,  1-0-0 GNAC
 
Next Game:
Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene
Saturday, Sept. 15, Nampa, Idaho, 11:00 a.m. PDT