Big Sky sets spring soccer schedule
11/5/2020 10:03:00 AM | Soccer
Never before has a four-month wait, beyond the time that's already patiently been bided, felt so manageable, not after the Big Sky Conference announced its nine-match spring soccer schedule for every league team this week.
Matches will begin on Friday, March 12, and go through Sunday, April 11, with teams able to play additional nonconference matches in February and early March in preparation.
"You could sense the difference in practice as soon as I told the team there was a schedule and showed them what it was," said third-year coach Chris Citowicki, who has led the Grizzlies to a Big Sky championship in each of his first two years.
"The same energy we had in early August returned again. This makes it feel like it's go time."
In late July, Montana, which won the regular-season title last fall and returned all 11 starters from that team, was voted the Big Sky preseason favorite, a first for the program since 2001.
The Big Sky announced a delayed start to the fall season three days later. Thirteen days into August, the league decided that all fall sports would be pushed to spring.
That remained a vague idea, until at last a schedule was built, proposed and voted into reality last month.
"I don't even know what facility we'll be playing in, but one thing I do know is people want to watch us play," said Citowicki, whose team will host Northern Colorado on March 21, then Eastern Washington and Idaho on March 26 and 28.
The Grizzlies also have home matches scheduled against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in April.
"People are hungry to see this team play, and this team is hungry to play. I can't wait to play in front of people again."
Montana will open its league schedule with matches at Portland State and Sacramento State the second weekend of March.
The Vikings were picked eighth in the 10-team preseason poll, the Hornets, one of five teams to collect a first-place vote, fourth.
Montana's home opener will come against Northern Colorado, the team that finished one point behind the Grizzlies in the poll and knocked them off in overtime in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in Greeley last November.
Then to Missoula come Eastern Washington, third in the poll, and Idaho, seventh.
The Grizzlies will play at Idaho State and Weber State, two teams picked in the bottom half of the poll, before concluding the regular season at home against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
The weekend of April 15 and 17 was left open to accommodate any postponed matches. The selection show for the NCAA tournament will be aired on Monday, April 18.
The Big Sky will forgo a league tournament in the spring. The regular-season champion will advance directly to the NCAA tournament.
Teams will be allowed to play matches as early as Feb. 3. Citowicki, because of weather and budget, is hoping to put his team up against an opponent at least once before facing Portland State.
"We'd like to play two games if we can, maybe three. You need to play something, otherwise you're going cold into a game and having to learn in the moment," he said.
"We're lucky to have 31 players on the team. We can play ourselves, but it's not the same as playing against somebody who wants to beat you."
The schedule wouldn't appear to be ideal, with final exams for the fall semester coming to an end on Nov. 25 and the spring semester not beginning until Jan. 11, but that actually mirrors quite conveniently the team's traditional offseason.
"Typically May and June are off, and July is voluntary stuff when we're back in town. Then August, September and October are the season," said Citowicki, whose team practiced throughout the fall, though on a limited basis.
"Now November and December will be off. January will be our voluntary month when people get back, and February, March and April will be our season. It's the same thing. It's just been shifted."
It's only added to the anticipation of a spring season that both of Montana's basketball teams are three weeks away from being able to play games.
"Knowing the basketball season is about to tip off, if this thing gets rolling, it feels like it's going to happen, that we're going to be playing. Their excitement gets me excited."
Volleyball, in late January, will be the first of the Big Sky Conference fall sports to begin playing a spring schedule. An abbreviated football season will kick off in late February, followed by soccer in March.
"It is great for our student-athletes and coaches to see some structure coming to their spring seasons," said UM Director of Athletics Kent Haslam.
"We have talked so much over the past several weeks about how spring will look, so I am glad to be at this point. There is still a lot to work through, but we're excited about the opportunity to watch everyone compete again."
Matches will begin on Friday, March 12, and go through Sunday, April 11, with teams able to play additional nonconference matches in February and early March in preparation.
"You could sense the difference in practice as soon as I told the team there was a schedule and showed them what it was," said third-year coach Chris Citowicki, who has led the Grizzlies to a Big Sky championship in each of his first two years.
"The same energy we had in early August returned again. This makes it feel like it's go time."
In late July, Montana, which won the regular-season title last fall and returned all 11 starters from that team, was voted the Big Sky preseason favorite, a first for the program since 2001.
The Big Sky announced a delayed start to the fall season three days later. Thirteen days into August, the league decided that all fall sports would be pushed to spring.
That remained a vague idea, until at last a schedule was built, proposed and voted into reality last month.
"I don't even know what facility we'll be playing in, but one thing I do know is people want to watch us play," said Citowicki, whose team will host Northern Colorado on March 21, then Eastern Washington and Idaho on March 26 and 28.
The Grizzlies also have home matches scheduled against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in April.
"People are hungry to see this team play, and this team is hungry to play. I can't wait to play in front of people again."
Montana will open its league schedule with matches at Portland State and Sacramento State the second weekend of March.
The Vikings were picked eighth in the 10-team preseason poll, the Hornets, one of five teams to collect a first-place vote, fourth.
Montana's home opener will come against Northern Colorado, the team that finished one point behind the Grizzlies in the poll and knocked them off in overtime in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in Greeley last November.
Then to Missoula come Eastern Washington, third in the poll, and Idaho, seventh.
The Grizzlies will play at Idaho State and Weber State, two teams picked in the bottom half of the poll, before concluding the regular season at home against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
The weekend of April 15 and 17 was left open to accommodate any postponed matches. The selection show for the NCAA tournament will be aired on Monday, April 18.
The Big Sky will forgo a league tournament in the spring. The regular-season champion will advance directly to the NCAA tournament.
Teams will be allowed to play matches as early as Feb. 3. Citowicki, because of weather and budget, is hoping to put his team up against an opponent at least once before facing Portland State.
"We'd like to play two games if we can, maybe three. You need to play something, otherwise you're going cold into a game and having to learn in the moment," he said.
"We're lucky to have 31 players on the team. We can play ourselves, but it's not the same as playing against somebody who wants to beat you."
The schedule wouldn't appear to be ideal, with final exams for the fall semester coming to an end on Nov. 25 and the spring semester not beginning until Jan. 11, but that actually mirrors quite conveniently the team's traditional offseason.
"Typically May and June are off, and July is voluntary stuff when we're back in town. Then August, September and October are the season," said Citowicki, whose team practiced throughout the fall, though on a limited basis.
"Now November and December will be off. January will be our voluntary month when people get back, and February, March and April will be our season. It's the same thing. It's just been shifted."
It's only added to the anticipation of a spring season that both of Montana's basketball teams are three weeks away from being able to play games.
"Knowing the basketball season is about to tip off, if this thing gets rolling, it feels like it's going to happen, that we're going to be playing. Their excitement gets me excited."
Volleyball, in late January, will be the first of the Big Sky Conference fall sports to begin playing a spring schedule. An abbreviated football season will kick off in late February, followed by soccer in March.
"It is great for our student-athletes and coaches to see some structure coming to their spring seasons," said UM Director of Athletics Kent Haslam.
"We have talked so much over the past several weeks about how spring will look, so I am glad to be at this point. There is still a lot to work through, but we're excited about the opportunity to watch everyone compete again."
Monday, August 17
Monday, August 10
Monday, August 03
Friday, June 19
