SEATTLE – It certainly wasn't the kind of start that they had in mind. But the finish?
 
That was much more to the liking of the Seattle Pacific women's soccer team.
 
Lauren Snedeker tied the game just before halftime, then Dalton Mermis and Lauren Forster scored during the second half on Saturday as SPU rallied for a 3-1 victory against Montana State Billings in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's game at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons (8-3-1, 6-2-0 GNAC) have won two straight and five of their past six. Saturday's game began the second half of the conference schedule.
 
 

"It wasn't the best start for us today, but it's a testament to the character and the will of the women in our program to recover from how we started and get a result," head coach Arby Busey said. "Winning is hard – and it certainly was today. But we showed a lot of grit and tenacity and found a way."

MSUB (1-9-3, 1-6-1 GNAC) got on the board first just 4:06 into the game when an attempted clearance by Falcons goalkeeper Mercedes Cullen deflected in off Jillian Hurst of the Yellowjackets.
 
Hurst had run into the box just as Cullen was about to kick the ball. As Cullen did, Hurst turned as if to get clear of it. But as she did, the ball bounced off the back of her right shoulder and into the low right corner of the goal before Cullen could turn and get back to it.

Snedeker pulled the Falcons (8-3-1, 6-2-0 GNAC) even at the 39:41 mark. On an SPU corner kick from the left wing side, Billings tried to clear it away from the top of the 6-yard box, but was unable to do. It landed at Snedeker feet, and she tucked her shot into the back right corner from just outside the top center of the 6. That was the sophomore midfielder's second goal of the year.

 

Coming out of halftime in a 1-1 tie, freshman defender Mermis put SPU in front at 52:20. Callie Rheaume took a corner from the right wing quadrant. It floated into the 6, and Mermis' header went across the goalmouth and landed just inside the right post for her first collegiate goal.

 

Forster's tally at 69:13 gave the Falcons some breathing room. Sophie Beadle took a quick free kick between the midfield circle and the top of the restraining arc in the MSUB half. Forster, breaking down the right side, caught up with the ball, took it to the top right corner of the 6 and fired it into the back left corner. That was the third of the season for the junior forward.
 
"They started to find solutions to some of the problems that Billings was creating for us early on.. – and sometimes, that's it: just a little stick-to-itiveness and kind of working through the tough part to get to the solutions," Busey said. "Eventually, we found (those solutions) and started finding a rhythm as the second progressed and started to create more and more chances and higher-quality chances for ourselves."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- The Falcons wound up with 17 shots for the day, 11 on target, and forcing MSUB goalkeeper Clare Keenan to come up with eight saves.
-- Billings fired 12 shorts, but only four were on frame, as Mercedes Cullen finished with three saves.
-- SPU took 12 corner kicks, running its season total to 81. Opponents have earned just 34 corners, including the mere one that the Yellowjackets took.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons host Western Washington on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Interbay. The two teams clashed in Bellingham on Oct. 1, with the Vikings prevailing 1-0 on a goal in the 79th minute.
 
"It was a really fun game in a good environment between two teams that are really good and familiar with each other and competitive," Busey said. "We ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, but outside of the score, there's not much to complain about. In terms of attitude and effort and character, we showed in that game our ability to play against and compete with a really good team like Western Washington."
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 3, Montana State Billings 1
 
Scoring – 1, MSUB: Jillian Hurst, unassisted, 4:06; 2, SPU: Lauren Snedeker, unassisted, 39:41; 3, SPU: Dalton Mermis, from Callie Rheaume, 52:20; 4, SPU: Lauren Foster, from Sophie Beadle, 69:13.
 
Shots – MSUB 12, SPU 17.
Saves – MSUB (Keenan) 8, SPU (Cullen) 3.
Corner kicks – MSUB 1, SPU 12.
Fouls – MSUB 12 SPU 7.
Offsides – MSUB 0, SPU 2.
Cautions / ejections – None.
Attendance – 212.
 
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 8-3-1, 6-2-0 GNAC.
Montana State Billings 1-9-3, 1-6-1 GNAC.
 
Next game
Western Washington at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Oct. 13     7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.