CSU-Pueblo 2, Montana St.-Billings 1 (2OT)

BILLINGS, Mont. - The ThunderWolves squeaked out a double-overtime win over a very highly-touted Montana State-Billings team Thursday, pulling out a 2-1 win in Billings.

The Pack snapped a 1-1 deadlock four minutes into the second final overtime period after Erik Andersen (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) recovered a rebound at the eight-yard mark and fired it past Billings keeper, Matt Mitchell, for the win.

The play transpired on a beautiful centering pass from Sam Henritze (Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz.) to Robert Kinsey (So., Denver, Colo.), who bounced a shot off a Billings defender and into the lap of Andersen.  After the ensuing scrum, Andersen hit the ball home.

"It was one of the biggest dogpiles I've ever seen in front of a goal," Pack coach Roy Stanley said of the physical fight in front of the Billings goal prior to Andersen's game-winner.  "We were able to pull out an important win against a respectable team.  It can really raise our profile in the regional rankings."

Kinsey was also in on the Pack's first goal, executing a beautiful feed to Brenden Hughes (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) just 13 minutes into the game.   Kinsey sliced through defenders to fire a perfectly-placed pass off the foot of Hughes, who drained it to the back of the net.

"It was a great goal," Stanley said of the play.  "We were in control at that point, and showed a lot of dominance over the first 20-25 minutes of the game."

But the Pack's control waned, as Billings tied the game up 15 minutes later, spawning the deadlock that would last through the overtime periods. 

"It seemed like the second half was played exclusively in the middle 18 yards of the field," Stanley said.  "Neither team could get control."

In the first overtime period, the Yellowjackets managed several good looks, and each time Chris Smith (Jr, Colorado Springs, Colo.) pawed the save.  Smith recorded six saves in the match.

Late in the overtime period, the Pack switched up their defense to a 4-4-2, which really opened up opportunities and carried over into the final overtime period.

"It was a defensive move mostly, and it allowed us to play more direct," Stanley said.  "We quickly started having success and it carried over."

The Pack improves to 3-1 after the win over Billings, which came in ranked ninth in the NCAA Division II West Region.  Billings drops to 3-2.  The ThunderWolves remain in Billings through Saturday when it takes on the University of Mary on a neutral field at 11 a.m.