BILLINGS, Mont. – Haylee Gunter netted the game-winning goal in the 15th minute on Sunday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field, leading the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team to a season-closing 1-0 shutout win over visiting Carroll College.
Gunter’s first strike of the season proved to be all the offense MSUB needed, as the Yellowjackets kept their third shutout and finished the abbreviated campaign with a 4-5 overall record. Carroll College fell to 4-6-1 with Sunday’s defeat. “We came out and knew we really wanted to finish off with a win, and we all worked really hard,” Gunter said on the team’s final showing of the spring season. “We wanted to win every ball in the air, and we were all on the same page. I have learned a lot this spring, and it has been awesome to play this new role in trying to lead new players.”
“We had a lot of really good moments,” MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo said. “We certainly wanted that second goal – it never came but thankfully defensively we did what we needed to do. Carroll is a very good team, they are difficult to break down, and their keeper made some very good saves today.”
On a day where she led all players with a career-high eight shots, Gunter had MSUB’s first on-target strike of the day, as her attempt from the top of the box in the eighth minute was knocked away by Carroll goalkeeper Sydney Green. Jillian Hust tapped the carom into the back of the net, but the offside flag was raised as the Saints dodged a bullet.
Gunter’s goal followed shortly thereafter, on a ball that originated in the team’s defensive third. Picking up a pass from the back line, freshman Jordan Roe recognized Gunter making a run and weaved a pass between two Carroll defenders with the outside of her right foot. With only the keeper to beat, Gunter took one touch around Green and calmly tucked the ball into the back of the net. “I knew Jordan was going to play me a good through ball, so I just ran for it,” Gunter said. “I knew the keeper was coming out, so I decided instead of trying to shoot it I was going to touch around her and it just worked out where I was able to lay it off into the goal. It was awesome.”
Clare Keenan made the only save required of her in the opening half, and Lainey Bosch played a clean second half as the duo split the match to earn the shutout win.
Kiley Sandow had a key presence for the ‘Jackets defensively, playing 71 minutes and winning multiple challenges on the back line to keep the Carroll offense at bay.
Gunter continued to be a constant problem for the Saints within the goal box, as she landed four of her eight attempts on target. Roe chipped in three shots including one on frame, while Lexie Bloyder, Hust, and Emily Gaines each also required a save from Green in the match. “Haylee Gunter was awesome scoring the goal that she did, and we were really impressed with some of the buildup that we had,” Cavallo said. “Once we started to open up the game play a little bit more to feet, we got numbers in the box and quite a few crosses.”
