FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, October 15, 2016 ‘Saders stun ‘Jackets in 4-3 overtime thriller
Rallying from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score at 3-3, MSUB’s men’s soccer team forced overtime before falling on a penalty kick in the 96th minute by NNU’s Michael Mollay on Saturday. BILLINGS, Mont. – A thrilling, game-tying goal by Montana State University Billings’ Julien Dragomir with 52 seconds to play in regulation was overshadowed by a penalty kick goal by Michael Mollay of Northwest Nazarene University, as the visiting Crusaders emerged with a 4-3, overtime win in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s soccer match at Yellowjacket Field on Saturday. The ‘Jackets trailed by a score of 3-1 with just 26 minutes remaining, but Dragomir scored twice in that span to pull his team even. Despite the senior’s heroics, the Crusaders held on and won the game in overtime to improve to 6-3-3 and 31-2 in the GNAC. The Yellowjackets fell to 6-4-3 overall with the loss, and are now 2-2-3 in GNAC play. “To come back from a two-goal deficit the way we did, and with the way we played with so much will, passion, and desire, is why I enjoy coaching this group,” said MSUB head coach Alex Balog. “Even after being 3-1 down, we didn’t give up, we kept believing, and created some outstanding chances in the second half because we kept pushing.”
Dragomir’s dramatic finish came inside of one minute to play, on a ball that originated from Eli Williams near midfield. With the entire team pushed forward, Williams lofted a long ball to Ian Bream, who touched it through to Dragomir. The senior took one touch and fired the gametying goal into the back of the net, sparking a celebration on the field. Dragomir was also in the right place at the right time on his first goal of the day, as a cross from Guillaume Kremer was bobbled inside the box and wound up loose in front of the goal. Dragomir drove a powerful shot into the upperright corner of the net, kicking off the comeback for MSUB. “Julien didn’t play his best in the first half, and he and I had a discussion at halftime,” Balog said. “I challenged him, and he picked it up and showed what he’s made of. He is a true man of character.” A red card directly after Dragomir’s first goal forced the Crusaders to play with 10 men for the rest of the game, Tom Saltwell (20) and Julien Dragomir celebrate after the latter’s gametying goal with 52 seconds remaining on Saturday. but the team overcame the adversity to earn the winning chance midway through the first overtime period. A foul inside the goal box provoked the penalty kick, and Mollay drilled it home to end the match and send the Crusaders home with a victory. Junior Niklas Schregel smashed in his first goal of the season less than five minutes into the match, giving the Yellowjackets an early lead. The midfielder was in the box and blasted a loose ball into the net from eight yards away, as MSUB set the tone early on. While the ‘Jackets held the upper hand for much of the first half, a goal by Logan Wood followed by a defensive mistake gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead. Wood finished a cross inside the box from six yards away to even the score at 1-1 in the 31st minute. On the ensuing kickoff, Mollay sprinted after a slow back-pass by MSUB, and beat Yellowjacket keeper Joe Scott to give the visiting team two goals in 16 seconds. The Crusaders held the 2-1 edge at halftime despite being out-shot 8-3 in the opening 45 minutes. Thiago Novis continued to create chances for the ‘Jackets, forcing NNU goalkeeper Ryan Foo to make a diving save on a low shot on goal early on in the second half. The senior had a career-high seven shots in the game, three of which wound up on target. The most impressive goal of the day came in the 64th minute, when NNU’s Fernando Alvarez created space on the right side of the field at the top of the box. The senior captain curled a perfect shot with his left foot into the upper-left corner of the goal, giving his team a sturdy 3-1 advantage.
JD Hauenstein nearly ended the match in the 94th minute, but Foo made a fully-extended stop on his diving header effort. The Crusader goalkeeper wound up with nine saves in the match and earned his sixth victory of the year. “To lose in such a way is very sour, but what prevails is pride, because our guys decided collectively not to give up,” Balog said. “Our margin for error is very small right now. We are going to play every game to win, and we’ll see where we end up at the end of the season.” Rhys Lambert, Guillaume Kremer, and Flavio Colasanti each played the entire match in the midfield and defensively, as did Hauenstein in the attacking third. MSUB KICKS CANCER: Sebastien Easton performed the ceremonial kickoff prior to Saturday’s match, which was tabbed as MSUB Kicks Cancer Day. Players warmed up wearing pink t-shirts to show their support for the fight against cancer as well. THE BUZZ: Dragomir was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…he, Hauenstein, and Novis all had three shots on target…this was the second time MSUB rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score, as the team also achieved the feat on the road at Concordia University on Sept. 24…NNU and MSUB split the season series, after the ‘Jackets defeated the ‘Saders 3-0 in Nampa, Idaho earlier this year. NEXT UP: MSUB remains at home for two more GNAC games next week. The Yellowjackets will challenge Concordia University on Oct. 20 at 3 p.m., before facing Seattle Pacific University at 3 p.m. on Oct. 22. Both matches will feature live video and statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--