BILLINGS, Mont. – A well-placed shot from the top of the 18-yard box by Fernando Perez provided the Montana State Billings men's soccer team with a crucial equalizing goal in a 1-1 double overtime draw against Carroll College in a preseason exhibition match Sunday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field.
 
Perez's goal came in the 80th minute, 10 minutes after Jacob Groh put the Saints ahead with a goal on an assist from Nathan Boone.
 
The game served as an exhibition match for MSUB, not counting towards its regular-season record. For Carroll (0-2-1), the draw served as the team's first points of the 2014 season.
 
The teams traded possession early on, each pressing into the offensive third but without a dangerous opportunity through the opening minutes.
 
Carroll took advantage of a counter attack after an MSUB free kick, but Yellowjacket goalkeeper Tom Lohmann came off of his line to snag a through ball into the box before it reached Jose Mena's feet.
 
MSUB created a good chance after Sam Butterworth intercepted a Saint pass and played a through ball to Jorge Paez. The true freshman unleashed a left footed shot that sailed just wide of the far post.
 
A handball call against the 'Jackets with 16 minutes gone created a prime scoring chance for Carroll just outside of the 18-yard box. Isaac Bostrom curled a left-footed shot on target, but Lohmann leapt up and deflected the effort over the crossbar. MSUB cleared the ensuing corner kick and avoided the threat.
 
Lohmann laid out to deflect another breakaway attempt two minutes later, again preventing Bostrom from finding the net.
 
With 22 minutes remaining, Thorge Jess landed a shot on target from point blank range, but Saint goalkeeper Jared Thielke held it for a save.
 
The Saints earned another golden opportunity inside of 10 minutes, but a loose ball inside the box could not be secured and MSUB's back line cleared the ball away.
 
The teams took a scoreless tie into the halftime break.
 
MSUB appeared to come out of halftime with an early goal, but a ball that found the net was called back after an offside call. The 'Jackets kept the pressure on, earning a corner kick after a shot by Butterworth was deflected just wide by the Saints' keeper.
 
With the wind at its back, MSUB pressed forward into the attacking third and maintained possession through the middle part of the second half. Carroll held a strong back line, preventing the 'Jackets from breaking through.
 
With 26 minutes remaining, Butterworth curled in a dangerous corner kick, and it took a last-ditch effort by Groh to clear the ball off of the goal line.
 
Taking advantage of a free kick in the offensive third, Boone carried the ball into the box for the Saints down the left side. Groh finished the ball into an open net, pushing Carroll ahead 1-0 with 20 minutes to play.
 
With just more than 10 minutes to play, Rhys Lambert fired a free kick off of the defensive wall outside of the 18-yard box. Perez found the rebound at his feet, and tucked a strong shot into the upper left corner of the net to equalize the score at 1-1.
 
Neither team had a clear scoring opportunity in the closing minutes of regulation, and the teams headed to overtime knotted at 1-1.
 
MSUB picked up a corner kick within the first five minutes of overtime, but a header shot by Jess from five yards out was corralled by new Saint keeper Conor Smith.
 
With less than two minutes remaining in the first overtime period, Butterworth uncorked a shot from the right corner of the 18-yard box that narrowly missed the upper left corner of the goal.
 
In the second overtime period, Lambert cleared himself for a shot just outside of the box. The right-footed strike curled towards the upper far post, and an outstanding save by Smith was all that prevented the game-winning goal.
 
A final scoring chance came on a header by Cameron Lee off a corner kick, but the attempt sailed high.
 
Overall on the game MSUB out-shot Carroll 24-8, and held a 12-3 advantage in corner kicks. Lohmann tallied five saves, while Thielke and Smith each recorded a pair for the Saints.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets take on Northwest College in a scrimmage on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Yellowjacket Field.