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BILLINGS, Mont. (Oct. 17) -- Sophomore Reilly Retz (Kent/Kentwood HS) scored on a penalty kick just under eight minutes into the first sudden-death overtime period, helping the Central Washington University women's soccer team steal a 1-0 victory over host Montana State University Billings on Thursday afternoon.

The win was the third straight for the Wildcats (8-4-0, 7-2-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference), who have now won six of their last seven contests overall. CWU also completed its first season-series sweep of MSU Billings (4-5-2, 2-5-1 GNAC) since 2008 with Thursday's triumph.

"We played a great overtime period," CWU head coach Michael Farrand said, "and we got even better the later in the game we went. We created some good chances, especially to be in position for a potential game-winning situation (prior to the penalty kick). Reilly then did a great job executing in a clutch situation for us."

The Wildcats put themselves in position for the game-winner when junior Danielle Brandli (Bellevue/Interlake HS) set up fellow junior Savanna Moorehouse (Bonney Lake) with a pass in the goal box. Moorehouse then challenged MSUB goalkeeper Krystal Daniels in a 1 versus 1 situation, but a collision ensued, and Daniels was whistled for a red card to set up the penalty kick scenario.

Retz, who had yet to score a goal in 2013, then lined up against backup goalie Megan Wade, who came in following the Daniels ejection. She successfully converted the penalty kick opportunity, beating Wade to the left side and giving CWU its first made penalty kick in two years as well as the victory.

"Our resiliency definitely showed today," Farrand continued. "Montana State Billings put together two good halves, but we were able to keep things close with them, and we found a way to win. I am pretty excited and proud of our ability to find a way to win."

One key to the Wildcats' ability to keep the game scoreless was the performance of junior Kayla Lipston (Federal Way/Decatur HS), who returned to the goal after missing the last four games due to injury. She was called upon to make six saves -- three in each half of regulation -- as Montana State Billings finished with a 13-5 edge in total shot attempts for the contest.

Brandli was credited with three of the Wildcats' shot attempts for the match, including the only try on goal prior to the penalty kick opportunity by Retz with 2:02 left in overtime.

CWU, which remains in second place in the GNAC standings behind second-ranked Western Washington University, remains on the road this Saturday (Oct. 19) when it visits Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, for a noon Mountain Daylight Time (11 a.m. Pacific) start.