Yellowjackets Fall to Carroll in Season Soccer Finale (October 27, 2002)

BILLINGS, MT – A second half hat trick by Carroll College’s Joelle Laffey was the difference Sunday afternoon as the Saints rolled over MSU Billings 4-1 in women’s soccer action at Yellowjacket Field.  It was the final game of the year for the Yellowjackets, who finish 2-14.  Carroll improved to 3-6-4.

For the second game in a row, MSU Billings took a halftime lead and failed to score in the second half.  Stephanie Clark’s goal in the 31^st minute gave the Yellowjackets a 1-0 lead.  The goal, Clark’s first of the season, came off Candy Cherry’s corner kick.

MSU Billings took the 1-0 lead into intermission, but Laffey scored the game-tying and game-winning goals within 84 seconds of one another in the second half to give Carroll command of the contest.

Laffey’s first goal came at 46:48 with an assist from Maire Brennan.  At 48:12, Laffey scored after Heather Flanigan’s pass skirted by goalkeeper Cori Russell, leaving the net empty. 

Brennan made the score 3-1 in the 55^th minute after beating Russell one-on-one.  Laffey then completed the hat trick in the 64^th minute with an assist from Derin Morton.

The Saints out-shot the Yellowjackets 20-13 in the match, with a 10-7 advantage in shots-on-goal.  Both Russell and the Saints’ Eleanor Dougherty recorded six saves on the day.

The game was the final home game and the final game in the college careers of MSU Billings seniors Vicky McCarthy and Kristen Johnson.  Johnson played in 57 games over four seasons for MSU Billings, starting 32 of those games.  McCarthy played in 47 games as a Yellowjacket, starting all 47.  She was also named the team’s MVP this year.