Tournament spot on the line this weekend
10/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 19, 2011
The University of Montana soccer team will play its final Big Sky Conference matches this weekend against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado. The Grizzlies will host the Lumberjacks Friday at 3 p.m. at South Campus Stadium, then travel to Greeley, Colo., to face the Bears Sunday at noon at UNC's Jackson Stadium.
What's at stake: For all eight teams in the Big Sky Conference, their postseason hopes. All eight teams have a pair of matches this weekend, and with every team sitting between three and 10 points, no one has clinched a spot in the four-team tournament and no team has been eliminated.
With seven points and residing in the middle of the standings, Montana could win the regular-season championship this weekend and host the Big Sky tournament the first weekend of November, or the Grizzlies could come out of Sunday's match with the same seven points and find themselves in last place (though no one who has watched the team play the last month of the season expects Montana to be holding steady with seven points come Sunday afternoon).
"It's exciting for the team and for the program, because this is what you work for," UM coach Mark Plakorus said. "You just want a chance to prolong your season by getting to the tournament and competing for a championship.
"By this point of the season everybody has their rotations figured out and for the most part has their best group on the field. Nobody surprises anybody at this point. It makes the conference very evenly matched, with anybody capable of beating anybody else.
"That's what makes it exciting for everybody. Every team believes they have a shot."
Where everyone stands: Northern Colorado (6-7-3, 3-1-1 BSC) and Weber State (5-9-1, 3-1-1 BSC) are tied atop the conference with 10 points, but neither is assured a spot in the tournament.
They are followed by Portland State (6-7-2, 2-1-2 BSC) and Sacramento State (6-7-2, 2-1-2 BSC), which are tied for third with eight points.
Montana (5-9-2, 2-2-1 BSC) is alone in fifth. Northern Arizona (2-8-7, 1-1-3 BSC) has six points, Idaho State (4-10-1, 1-4-0 BSC) and Eastern Washington (2-11-0, 1-4-0 BSC) three.
What we're watching: Games will be played this weekend starting Thursday morning at Portland and won't conclude until Sunday afternoon in Ogden and Pocatello. The tournament picture will clear up gradually as the games are decided.
Thursday: Weber State at Portland State, noon (MT); Idaho State at Sacramento State, 5 p.m. (MT)
Friday: Northern Arizona at Montana, 3 p.m.; Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington, 5 p.m. (MT)
Sunday: Montana at Northern Colorado, noon; Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona, 1 p.m. (MT); Sacramento State at Weber State, 1 p.m.; Portland State at Idaho State, 1 p.m.
Friday, part one: Jaymie Brown, the program's only senior, will be recognized before Friday's match. Brown played in 28 matches as a freshman and sophomore in 2008 and 2009, getting seven starts, but injuries have limited her to just seven matches and 118 minutes over the last two seasons.
Brown played this season's first four matches, scoring her second career goal in Montana's season-opening 4-3 double-overtime victory at Boise State Aug. 19, but she has not played since Sept. 4. There is a possibility she could see time Friday off the bench.
"It's a difficult thing to go through a coaching change, especially going into your last year in the program when you have a lot of expectations and hopes for the season," Plakorus said.
"Even though she didn't get as much playing time as she would have liked, she's always maintained a great attitude, and she's always worked hard.
"She sets an example for the rest of the players about what it means to be a teammate. She also shows the other girls what it means to be a Grizzly and how much the team means to her."
Friday, part two: Montana will be geared in pink uniforms and white shorts against Northern Arizona as part of the team's Pink Game. Pink T-shirts will be for sale at the stadium for $15, with the proceeds going to Team Up Montana.
Team Up Montana raises both awareness and funding for cancer patients in Montana. Money raised benefits the Cancer Compassion Fund, which is managed by the St. Patrick Hospital Foundation. The funds are distributed locally in western Montana and specifically help Montanans in need of financial support in their fight against cancer.
"Being a women's soccer team, I feel it's important to give back to our community and for the players to understand the impact they can have in people's lives because of their role as a student-athlete at Montana," Plakorus said.
"We wanted to do something very meaningful for the community and something that is going to help people directly, because I don't know that everybody has not been affected by cancer in some way, whether it's a family member or a friend.
"And that's what Team Up Montana does. All the proceeds raised from selling T-shirts at the game will go directly to them, so they can help people in Montana with their costs in dealing with cancer."
More on Northern Arizona: The Lumberjacks have two wins this season ... and that's the most deceptive statistic in the Big Sky Conference. NAU, the preseason favorite in the coaches' poll, started the season 0-6, getting outscored 26 to 5, but it has only lost twice in its last 11 matches, going 2-2-7 during that stretch.
Northern Arizona is 1-0-4 in its last five matches, with just five goals allowed. The Lumberjacks have tied their last three matches 1-1 against Weber State, Sacramento State and Portland State.
"Their record is no reflection of how good their team is," Plakorus said. "They've played a very difficult schedule, and they are playing at a good level now, which is when you want to play at your best.
"I'm expecting a team that is going to come out and give us everything they have, because all of us are scrapping to do what we can to make sure we win and get to keep playing."
The series: Montana leads the series with Northern Arizona, 11-5-1, and has not lost to the Lumberjacks in eight matches at Missoula (7-0-1).
NAU has won the last two meetings, both at Flagstaff, Ariz., pulling out a 2-1 overtime victory in 2009 and putting on a clinic last year in a 5-0 victory. The Lumberjacks scored five times in the match's opening 42 minutes.
More on Northern Colorado: The Bears made last year's tournament as the No. 4 seed, and they were picked third in the preseason poll with a pair of first-place votes, so their success this season has not been unexpected.
UNC has the league's best overall record and has not lost more than two matches in row all season.
Northern Colorado has league wins over Northern Arizona (2-0), Idaho State (3-1) and Portland State (1-0), lost at home to Weber State (2-1 in double overtime) for its only Big Sky defeat and played to a scoreless draw Sunday at Sacramento State.
"They are tied for first, so if they have a good weekend they can win the regular-season title and host the tournament at their place, so there is a lot on the line for them as well," Plakorus said.
The series: Montana and Northern Colorado have split their five meetings since the Bears joined the Big Sky Conference in 2006, 2-2-1.
The Grizzlies lost at Greeley in 2007, 2-1 in overtime, and posted a 1-0 shutout victory at Jackson Stadium in 2009.
Most recently: Montana split its road trip to Weber State and Idaho State last week. The Grizzlies played well against the Wildcats, but a WSU goal in the 82nd minute combined with UM's missed opportunities on the other end resulted in a 1-0 shutout defeat.
The Grizzlies gave up a goal in the third minute to the Bengals Saturday at Pocatello and trailed 1-0 at the half. Junior Ashley Tombelaine tied it in the 55th minute, then scored the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 81st minute.
"I love it," is how Plakorus answers when asked about coaching his team right now. "It's been great to see this group continue to grow and get better each week, because that's what we talk about every day: continually improving and getting better.
"They've been fantastic, and hopefully we can keep it going, because the team they're becoming is pretty neat."
Griz notes: Montana ranks first in the Big Sky Conference in goals (1.44/g) and corner kicks (4.38/g). ... Junior Erin Craig, with 10 goals in 15 matches played, ranks first in the Big Sky in goals scored (0.67/g) and is tied for 36th nationally. ... Craig also ranks first in the league in shots (3.80/g) and points (1.40/g). ... Sophomore India Watne leads the Big Sky in assists (0.50/g) and is tied for 26th nationally. ... Junior goalkeeper Kristen Hoon has played the team's last 605 minutes in goal. ... Juniors Lauren Costa and Lauren McCreath and sophomores Maddey Frey, Mary Makris and India Watne have started all 16 matches this season. Junior Kate Wilkins and freshmen Shannon Lindsay, Chloe Torres and Paytyn Wheeler have played in all 16 matches. ... Montana has been outscored 20 to 8 in the first half this season, but the Grizzlies have outscored their opponents 15 to 13 after the break.
Upcoming: Montana will play its final regular-season match Friday, Oct. 28, at Seattle University at 4 p.m. (MT).
If Montana makes the Big Sky Conference tournament, semifinals will be played either Thursday or Friday, Nov. 3 or 4, with the championship match being played Saturday or Sunday, Nov. 5 or 6.
The tournament will be played on the home field of the regular-season champion.
