BILLINGS, Mont. – Minnesota State Moorhead soccer saw a resilient result to begin the Rimrock Classic on Thursday evening. The Dragons used a late goal from
Mary Cox to earn a 1-1 draw with host Montana State Billings.
"We are resilient and faced a hard-fought battle in Billings," said MSUM head soccer coach
Scott Forster. "We created enough to win, but coming back after a breakaway goal is something to be proud of.
The Yellow Jackets would get the offense working in the early stages of the match, testing keeper
Emilia Bukholt Kristensen. Montana State Billings would have two chances on net in the first 19 minutes, both of which were stalled by Kristensen. Moorhead would have its first try at a score off the foot of
Sophie Thompson. The junior's shot would miss right with the Yellow Jackets tagging the top woodwork not even a minute later.
Late in the half, Moorhead would need Kristensen again, making a pair of saves to preserve the scoreless tie. The Yellow Jackets would keep testing Kristensen into the second half, logging a shot on goal in the 47
th minute that was saved by the sophomore. Over the next 20 minutes, Moorhead would not register a shot on goal, but Kristensen would be forced to make three more saves.
Montana State Billings would finally get their score early into the 71
st minute to take a 1-0 advantage. The Yellow Jackets would have two more chances on net, but each attempt was stalled by Kristensen. Just ahead of the 80
th minute, MSUM would earn a corner kick opportunity which Thompson squared up for. The junior would deliver a near perfect ball into the box, finding the head of
Mary Cox. The junior saw her shot attempt land in the lower corner of the net, equalizing the match at one goal.
Throughout the rest of the match, Kristensen would make two more saves on Yellow Jacket attempts. Moorhead had a stellar opportunity to claim the match in the 86
th minute thanks to a shot from
Hanna Barthel. The shot struck the right post, keeping the match tied. That score would hold firm after 90 minutes. Kristensen was strong despite giving up a goal, saving 12 shots in the draw.
Up Next
MSUM (1-0-1) concludes the Rimrock Classic on Saturday in a 1 p.m. match against Black Hills State.
