Griz open home slate with Montana Cup

Friday, August 25

Missoula, Mont.

5:30 PM

Montana

Air Force

8/23/2017 4:43:00 PM | Soccer

Match Notes (PDF)Tickets Yearbook Roster Schedule

By: Montana Sports Information

EASTERN WASHINGTON VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE
Friday, Aug. 25 / 2:30 p.m. MT / South Campus Stadium / Missoula, Mont.
Video Stream / Live Statistics

MONTANA VS. AIR FORCE
Friday, Aug. 25 / 5:30 p.m. MT / South Campus Stadium / Missoula, Mont.
Video Stream / Pluto TV (channel 237) / Live Statistics

AIR FORCE VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON
Sunday, Aug. 27 / 10 a.m. MT / South Campus Stadium / Missoula, Mont.
Video Stream / Live Statistics

MONTANA VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE
Sunday, Aug. 27 / 1 p.m. MT / South Campus Stadium / Missoula, Mont.
Video Stream / Pluto TV (channel 237) / Live Statistics

GRIZ SET TO HOST MONTANA CUP
One week into the 2017 season, Montana now gets to play in front of its home fans, returning to Missoula to host the Montana Cup. The weekend tournament will feature four teams, with the Griz facing off against Air Force (Friday) and San José State (Sunday). Eastern Washington is also part of the tournament and will play the Falcons and Spartans. The Griz and Eagles will not meet this weekend since they will play on Oct. 15 in Cheney, Wash., as part of Big Sky Conference action.

"We're excited to play in front of our fans," head coach Mark Plakorus said. "It's always fun to be at home and have the community come out and support us, and I think the girls feel a little bit more comfortable in their surroundings."

All four matches this weekend can be streamed for free through Watch Big Sky. New this year, UM's matches will also be shown on Pluto TV – the nation's leading free Internet-based TV service, which is available on almost any device, including Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire and more. Fans looking to watch the matches on Pluto TV can do so by searching for Montana's official channel, 237, online or by downloading the Pluto TV app.

MONTANA AT A GLANCE

Montana opened the 2017 road split, earning a victory at Boise State (1-0) before falling in the second half at Utah State (2-0).
Montana went 9-6-5 in 2016 and tied for third in the Big Sky with a 5-2-3 league record. The No. 4 Grizzlies lost 1-0 to No. 5 Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tournament.
UM returned eight starters and 12 letterwinners, including All-Big Sky Conference second-team performers Chanelle Pederson and Hallie Widner. The Griz reached as high as No. 9 in last season's NSCAA Pacific Region rankings.
The Griz returned all but two of its goal scorers from 2016. Overall, UM returned 78.3 percent of its goals scored and total points from 2016, plus 73.9 percent of its assists.
On the flip side, UM had to replace All-Big Sky Conference first-team selection Tess Brenneman and 2016 Big Sky Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Kailey Norman.
UM was picked to finish third out of 11 teams in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll.
UM is led by seventh-year coach Mark Plakorus, who has guided the Grizzlies to five Big Sky tournaments in his first six seasons.
UM has won three Big Sky Conference titles under Plakorus (2011 tournament, 2012 and 2014 regular-season).

SCOUTING AIR FORCE
"They pride themselves on hard work, grit, fight, determination, teamwork… They're going to bring it all the time. They have some good athletes, some good attacking athletes, but the biggest thing is us being ready to play at a high level," – Plakorus on Air Force

Air Force opened the 2017 season with a pair of regional losses at Denver (1-0 in overtime) and Northern Colorado (2-0 on a neutral field).
Air Force went 7-9-2 in 2016, finishing 10th in the Mountain West. The Falcons were predicted to finish 10th once again in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Falcons return 17 of 26 letterwinners from their 2016 team, including nine of 11 starters.
Air Force welcomed back its top-four point scorers from 2016, including Brooke Rittman, who scored four goals and totaled 11 points.
Air Force also returned its two goalkeepers from a year ago, including Jennifer Hiddink, who made 13 starts and totaled 80 saves and three shutouts.
Air Force is coached by Larry Friend, who is 43-91-15 in four-plus seasons at the Academy.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE FALCONS

Montana is 4-1-1 all-time against Air Force, with the first meeting coming in 1997.
More recently, the two teams have played very evenly, going 1-1-1 over the past three meetings, with each team scoring twice.
UM won in 2014, the last meeting, a 1-0 victory at the Academy.
UM is 1-1-1 against Air Force under Plakorus.
UM is 1-0-1 against Air Force in Missoula, winning in 1997 and tying in 2013.

SCOUTING SAN JOSÉ STATE
"They're a really good team. They're very athletic, very organized. We're going to have to be at our best." – Plakorus on San José State.

San José State began the 2017 season with a pair of losses, dropping one-goal matches at No. 24 Santa Clara (2-1) and at home vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-0). At Santa Clara, the Broncos scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute.
SJSU went 10-6-4 in 2016, reaching the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament as the No. 2 seed.
The Spartans return 13 of 21 letterwinners and five of 11 starters from last year's squad.
Included in that mix are two of SJSU's top-three point scorers from 2016, led by Dorthe Hoppius, who had a team-most eight goals and 21 points.
In net, SJSU brings back both goalkeepers. After splitting time in the opener, Ana Calero made the start vs. UC Santa Barbara, posting a career-most 10 saves.
SJSU was picked to finish second in the Mountain West preseason coaches' poll, earning three first-place votes. In 2015, the Spartans won the conference and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
SJSU is coached by Lauren Hanson, who is 28-24-11 in three-plus seasons.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE SPARTANS

The Griz and Spartans have met just one prior time, a scoreless draw last September in San Jose. In that contest, current Griz Charlene Burger had two shots on goal.

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Griz haven't lost a home opener since 2011, Plakorus' first season. Since then, Montana is 2-0-3, earning victories over Colorado State (2014) and Boise State (2016).

That record follows a similar trend overall. Over the past five seasons, Montana has won more than 70 percent of its home matches, going 25-10-7. In addition to the Montana Cup this weekend, UM will also host Washington State and five conference matches in 2017.

"Missoula is a great soccer town," Plakorus said. "It has always supported us very well, and we always enjoy playing here in front of our fans."

AIR FORCE CONNECTION
Every match is important and is just one of many dates on the schedule, but Friday's match vs. Air Force may be a bit more sentimental for Plakorus, who started his Division-I coaching career at the Academy from 1999-2001 and spent 11 years serving in active duty. Plakorus enlisted in April 1991, serving as a nuclear missile officer and satellite operator before finishing his duty at the Academy as a physical education teacher and assistant women's soccer coach.

"It's a place I always respect very, very much, and the young men and women who are there and what they're doing now and what they're preparing for after college," Plakorus said. "My time in the Air Force is very meaningful to me and I'm very proud of the opportunities that the Air Force gave to me."

Plakorus' father spent 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel, and his grandfather was an Army officer. What's more, Plakorus and Air Force head coach Larry Friend are very good friends.

"We always joke with each other that we hate to play each other but we love to play each other," he said.

WEEKEND REWIND
Montana opened the 2017 season with a 1-1 road trip through the Mountain West, beating Boise State, 1-0, before falling at Utah State, 2-0. Both matches showed signs of potential and areas of needed improvement, but in general, Plakorus was pleased with the weekend and called it "good overall".

"I thought it was a weekend full of good and bad," he said. "We did some very good things in both games and we had some things that we learned from in both games. That's why you go play challenging games; you want to be put in uncomfortable situations and learn lessons."

Just one week into the season, no team is a finished product, so growing is the key. Plakorus hopes that his team took some lessons from Week 1 and will use them to get better for Week 2.

"The idea would be that we continue learning and continue growing, and each week we get better and better," he said."

In its win over Boise State, Montana got on the board with an own goal in the 35th minute – although the goal could have been credited to McKenzie Warren, who kicked the ball toward a teammate in the box, deep from the right side. The ball was hit off of a Boise State defender looking to clear it, and went into the net. The Griz limited the Broncos to just one shot on goal, which was saved by Claire Howard, who had a fantastic collegiate debut in net.

Two days later, at Utah State, Plakorus actually thought his team played better in the first half than it did against Boise State. The Griz had several good looks – totaling 11 shots in the game – but was never able to capitalize. Utah State came out of the intermission with more energy than UM, and was able to score in the 64th and 68th minutes.

START THEM YOUNG
Despite returning 12 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's squad, Montana also added 14 newcomers during the offseason. Seven of those players saw action over the weekend, with Avery Adams, Raye Burton, Alexa Coyle, Taylor Hansen, Howard, Rita Lang and Kennedy Yost making their collegiate debuts. Of the seven, Burton, Coyle and Howard started both contests.

SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
With last week's victory over Boise State (Aug. 18), Montana improved to 5-0-2 in season openers under Plakorus. Six of those matchups have been against Mountain West foes, facing Air Force, Boise State and Wyoming twice each. All-time, UM is 12-9-3 in season openers.

PICKED TO FINISH 3RD
The Big Sky Conference announced the 2017 preseason soccer poll on Aug. 7, with Montana picked to finish third out of 11 teams. UM received 76 points in the poll, which was voted on by the league's head coaches.

Eastern Washington, which won the Big Sky tournament as a No. 5 seed in 2016, is the preseason favorite, earning 95 points and eight of the 11 top votes. Northern Arizona was predicted to finish second, receiving 80 points and one first-place vote; EWU beat NAU in last year's championship game. Idaho, the 2016 regular-season champion and last year's preseason favorite, is just behind UM with 75 points and one first-place vote. Northern Colorado was the other school to earn a first place vote, receiving one and 68 total points, for fifth place.

The Griz will face those four teams consecutively in October, with three of the four matchups coming on the road.

LOOK WHO'S BACK
The Griz returned 12 letterwinners from last year's squad, including six players who started three-quarters of their contests or more. That group includes McKenzie Warren and Hallie Widner – who tied for the team lead with four goals apiece – plus a slew of offensive talent. Overall, UM returned 78.3 percent of its goals scored and total points from 2016, plus 73.9 percent of its assists.

The biggest area of turnover comes on defense, where UM lost an all-conference defender and the conference's goalkeeper of the year.

CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Looking at the 2017 schedule, Plakorus believes that this year's slate may be the toughest he's ever assembled.

The Griz began the season on the road, at Boise State (Aug. 18) and Utah State (Aug. 20) of the Mountain West. They'll return home this week to host the Montana Cup – vs. Air Force and San José State on Aug. 25 and 27 – before embarking on the road for three of the next four weekends of non-conference play. During that stretch, UM will face Power-5 opponents Nebraska in Pullman, Wash. (Sept. 3), Iowa in Iowa City (Sept. 8), Oregon in Eugene (Sept. 15) and Washington State in Missoula (Sept. 17).

But the games against the "bigger schools" are exciting for the Griz. In 2015, Montana beat Iowa. In 2016, it took down Purdue on the road. UM has also played Washington State and Missouri to overtime.

"Every game is a lesson, and we've learned a lot about what it takes to get to the next level," Plakorus said.

The variety of teams UM will face will force it to see different styles of play and adapt on the fly. Plakorus also noted that it will challenge his players and make them uncomfortable – in a good way. All of this, ideally, will prepare the Griz for what it will see in the Big Sky Conference, and hopefully in the NCAA tournament down the road.

FILLING THE VOID
The Griz returned the majority of its talent from a year ago, but is looking to fill a few key pieces. Gone from last year's team are starters Tess Brenneman, Mary Gintz and Kailey Norman.

Brenneman was a two-time first-team All-Big Sky conference selection, while Norman was named the 2016 Big Sky Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. Gintz started 59 games for the Griz.

"The one thing you can't stop doing is losing players," Plakorus said. "We had some players who played significant minutes and made a big impact on our team. We'll feel their loss, but there's also players who have been watching them and learning from them. I think the mark of a good program is that you're sad to see the impact players go, but the new players are ready for the opportunity and excited to be the next one up. I have no doubt that we have those girls who are ready to step into those shoes."

BRINGING IN REINFORCEMENT
Joining second-year assistant coach Micaela Castain, Katie Benz was added to the Griz coaching staff over the summer.

Benz's collegiate career at Cal included four trips to the NCAA tournament. Following graduation, she played professionally before getting into coaching in 2016, as volunteer director of operations at the University of Denver. Castain was a standout player at Washington State, leading the Cougars to three NCAA tournament appearances and being named the 2013 Pac-12 Player of the Year and a second-team NSCAA All-American.

"Micaela and Katie are, first of all, two great people," said Plakorus, noting their character, work ethic and drive to be successful. "You look at these two young ladies and nothing came easy for them. They had to work extremely hard and went on to be successful. They're great coaches but great role models as well."

AN OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
As the only Division-I women's soccer team in the state of Montana, Plakorus takes his job seriously. It's a big flag to carry, but something he enjoys doing.

"It's an unbelievable opportunity," Plakorus said. "As I began my coaching career, I always had my eye on Montana. I thought it was special what this school and these athletics teams mean to this state and this community. To be a Grizzly and run this program and be responsible for it is very special."

SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM
A total of 19 student-athletes from the 2016 soccer team earned Academic All-Big Sky Conference recognition in February for obtaining a 3.2 grade-point average or better. The figure was tied for the most in the league.

Of the 19, 13 are on this year's roster, in addition to true freshman Alexa Coyle, who was one of just 49 high school seniors nationally named to the NSCAA High School Scholar All-America Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will play its next seven matches away from home, traveling to the states of Washington, Iowa and Oregon. During that span, the Griz will play three Power 5 opponents – Nebraska in Pullman, Wash., and at Iowa and at Oregon. The road trip begins Friday, Sept. 1, vs. Georgia Southern, in Pullman.