Griz soccer drops hard-fought closing game
10/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
The University of Montana women???s soccer team lost its final conference match of the season 1-0 to the Eastern Washington Eagles Friday in Missoula. It would be the final match of the season as well for the Grizzlies, who drop to 4-13-1 for the year and 2-4-1 in the Big Sky. EWU clinches a playoff spot along with Portland State, who played earlier in the afternoon.?? Eastern Washington ends regular season play at 7-8-2 and 4-2-1 in the Big Sky.
The only goal of the game occurred in the ninth minute and was the result of a defensive error "own goal"??by the Grizzlies which occurred with a hard pass into the box by Eagle senior Brittney Doran.
Senior Grace Harris can expect to ???grace??? the record books for years to come, as she made her 346th save in the Montana goal Friday.?? That number puts her at No. 1 in Montana history for saves made, just one save higher than 1997 Montana graduate Railene Thorson. Harris also closes out her Grizzly career having played 6,406 minutes and 53 seconds, the highest in Montana history by nearly 1,000 minutes. ??
Following play Friday, sixth season UM coach Neil Sedgwick said, ???It was a courageous effort. I truly think that everyone played for the seniors today. It was great to see the goal scoring chances that we created toward the end of the game.?? That and the level of defending that I saw- they are both indicative of the amazing growth that this squad has undergone during this season.?? Sure, it???s disappointing in the end, yet I have never seen a group so strong in character. Through injury, youth, and adversity through the entire schedule, they demonstrated that character in all that they did.?????
Senior Abby Grafft said of her four with the UM soccer program, ???As a career, it entails four years of hard work and dedicating day in and out to soccer, but you do come out with the greatest friends that you will ever have. You also get to be a part of this community, and to share everything with Missoula, those elements make it worth that complete dedication.???
