SAN FRANCISCO — Late heroics highlighted the action for both teams Saturday, but it was Montana State Billings who had the final hurrah as an overtime goal by Jessica Spang in the 107th minute gave the Yellowjackets a sudden 2-1 victory over the Academy of Art University women's soccer team at City College of San Francisco.
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MSUB (2-1-1) led 1-0 for most of the second half and dominated possession for a majority of the game. The Yellowjackets topped the Urban Knights (1-3) in shots 30-5 and held a 4-1 corner kicks advantage. But that advantage disappeared with 6 minutes, 21 seconds, left in the second half when ART U freshman midfielder
Alice Michell put in a header goal past the Yellowjackets' goalkeeper, making it 1-1. It was Michell's first career goal and came after junior midfielder
Natalie Gabriel crossed a pass to the left side of the goalkeeper box from about 35 yards out on the right side.
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Spang would win it for the Yellowjackets with 3:28 left in the second overtime. Ashely Marra sent a cross into the box from the baseline. Two ART U defenders attempted to clear the ball but could not get a solid foot on it. That's when Spang found the loose ball and buried it into the back of the net for the winner.
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Academy of Art goalkeepers
Morgan Wirz (seven saves) and
Maggie Alikpala-Wilson (six saves) combined to make 13 stops in net, tied for the third-most saves by ART U in a single game in program history. The freshman Wirz posted her first scoreless outing when she played 45 minutes of shutout soccer in the first half to keep the score 0-0 at halftime.
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Dana Lubieniecki broke the scoreless tie in the 53rd minute. She dribbled the ball on her own to the top of the box and shot high over Alikpala-Wilson's head to give MSUB the1-0 lead.
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The Urban Knights next play at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the road at Cal State East Bay in their last non-conference match of the season before opening Pacific West Conference play on Sept. 26.
