SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's soccer team earned its first victory of the season, with a 3-2, double overtime win over Colorado Christian on Sunday afternoon. Danielle Heerts scored the game winner on her senior day. The win was the first RMAC win for the Yellow Jacket program.

After the Yellow Jackets (1-14, 1-9 RMAC) were up 2-0 in the second half, the Cougars (4-9-2, 1-7-2 RMAC) tied up the game and sent it to overtime. Less than a minute into the second extra time period, after the ball hit the crossbar, Heerts followed it up, and slammed her shot into the back of the net, handing BHSU an overtime victory.

The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams holding each other scoreless. Colorado Christian outshot BHSU, 6-2, but the two teams entered halftime nil-nil.

Ten minutes into the second half, a Yellow Jacket corner kick was cleared only as far as Katie Nielsen, who was on the right flank. She sent the ball back in front of the net, where Jayden Judy was waiting to head it past the Cougar goalie and give BHSU a 1-0 lead.

In the 67th minute, BHSU had another corner kick. The Cougar defenders were unable to clear it, and the ball fell to Jamy Shassetz, who knocked it home for her first goal of the season, and increased the lead to 2-0 for the Yellow Jackets.

In the 71st minute, the Cougars answered back, as Linnea Mosvold dribbled in from the right flank, and put her shot over goalkeeper Raven Johnson. In the 76th minute, CCU drew even at 2-2, when they scored again. Each team had a corner kick in the final 15 minutes, and Nielson was able to get a shot off in the 89th minute, but neither squad could break through, and the two teams entered extra time.

The first 10-minute overtime period was quiet, with no shots being recorded on either side. However, just 24 seconds into the second extra time, Heerts won it for the Yellow Jackets.

"It was a special day for Danielle and for our team," said head coach Mike Greco. "We've talked about effort and following up on shots, and that's exactly what we did today. I'm very proud of this team, and hopefully this is just the beginning for us."

The Yellow Jackets were outshot, 12-8, and the Cougars also took more corner kicks, 8-5. Judy scored her second goal of the season when she opened the scoring, and Shassetz and Heerts each scored for the first time this year. Therese Wilhelmi played the first 45 minutes in goal, holding CCU scoreless. Raven Johnson (1-9) played the final 65 minutes, making two saves and allowing two goals.

Mosvold and Stephanie Muchow scored for the Cougars, and Ireland VanDyke (2-6-2) took the loss in goal.

The game was the first overtime game of the season for BHSU, and also for the program in its two years of existence. The three goals scored by the Yellow Jackets were the most since they scored three in a 4-3 loss to UCCS in 2016 (Sept. 16).

Before the game, Heerts was honored as the program's lone senior. She joined the program in its first year, when she was a junior, and will be graduating in December.

The Yellow Jackets next host Westminster on Thursday, October 26. The match is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.
  Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.