LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings women's soccer team finished its opening weekend of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on a high note, taking down Saint Martin's University 2-1 to collect the team's first win of the regular season.
A strike shortly before halftime from Kennedy Craig, and a second-half header from Abby Thompson would help lead the Yellowjackets (1-1-4, 1-0-1 GNAC) to a multi-goal lead for the first time in a game this season, which would prove pivotal after the Saints (1-5-1, 0-2-0 GNAC) halved that lead with over 20 minutes remaining. But despite being outshot 23-7 in the game, and 13-4 in shots on goal, a top performance from MSUB goalkeeper Tenley Leffler would help the Yellowjacket defense keep the Saints out of the back of the net for the remainder of the game and put the Yellowjackets in the win column.
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Leffler collected a season-best 12 saves in the match, the most by any individual goalkeeper in the GNAC this season and the most by a MSUB goalkeeper in a single game since 2022. Meanwhile for the goalscorers, Thompson's finish was her second goal of the season, giving the junior both her first multi-goal season of her career, as well as her first game-winning goal. Thompson has now scored goals in consecutive games for the first time in her career as well, following her finish against Western Oregon on Thursday. Craig's goal marked the first goal of her career as a 'Jacket.
Each of MSUB's three players credited with assists on the goals was also credited with their first career assists and points, with Kolbi Kiblen earning an assist on Craig's opening goal, while Cianna Sexton and Jordyn Daigle each received an assist on Thompson's goal.
Thompson attempted four shots in the match, placing two attempts on goal, while both Craig and Kiblen placed one shot on goal. Ava Gibbs also took one shot.
Both teams traded looks in the opening four minutes, but that run gave way to a dominant stretch of offensive control for the Saints, who after being outshot by MSUB 3-1 in the first 10:37 of the match, attempted the next eight shots of the match, including five shots on goal. But Leffler proved hard to beat in net, finishing the first half with six saves to keep the game level.
That scoreline held until the 38th minute, when after receiving the ball from Kiblen, Craig took a pair of dribbles before hitting a curling shot off her left foot that beat the Saint Martin's goalkeeper and gave the Yellowjackets the lead on the final shot of the half, with both teams scraping in the midfield over the remaining minutes of the first half.
Saint Martin's opened the second half with the first three shots of the final 45 minutes, but two more saves from Leffler and a block helped the 'Jackets prevent a quick equalizer to start the second half. Then in the game's 57th minute, a good passage of give-and-go play saw Sexton play a ball to Daigle at the top of the box, which the freshman crossed into the back post to find the head of Thompson, whose looping header went over a leaping goalkeeper to double MSUB's lead.
The Saints continued to push their way back into the game, finally getting the best of the Yellowjackets in the 69th minute on a goal from Bella Gonzales. But despite a strong push down the stretch from the hosts, MSUB held strong, keeping the Saints off the scoresheet for the final 21 minutes behind strong defending and six more second-half saves from Leffler, with the final whistle sealing a hard-fought win for the 'Jackets on the road.
The buzz: Leffler was named the Player of the Game… the freshman shot-stopper has collected a conference-leading 38 saves so far this season and an 84.4 save percentage, along with contributing the top three save performances in a game by any goalie in the conference this season… MSUB has collected four points from an available six to open the first week of GNAC action, currently sitting fourth in the conference standings.
Up next: The Yellowjackets extend their road trip into next week as they continue their GNAC campaign, heading to Bellingham, Washington, next Thursday, Sept. 24, for a battle with defending regular season champions Western Washington University. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT (7 p.m. PT) at Harrington Field, with live video available on the GNAC Network, and live statistics available here.
