Griz keep it rolling, win sixth straight

Friday, October 1

Missoula, Mont.

3 PM

Montana

7-4-0, 3-0-0BSC

Sacramento State

1-7-2, 0-2-0BSC

Sacramento State

Montana

Photo by: Derek Johnson

10/1/2021 7:27:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

For the second straight Friday, it was Caitlin Rogers with the game-winner and Camellia Xu with the shutout as the Montana soccer team won its sixth consecutive game and matched the program record with its sixth consecutive victory by shutout.

Rogers scored on a header in the 38th minute and Xu made it stand with four second-half saves as the Grizzlies held off Sacramento State 1-0 on Friday afternoon at South Campus Stadium in Missoula.

Montana's last five wins have all come by 1-0 results.

Xu, who has seven clean sheets in her first nine complete games played as a Grizzly, matched the program record for shutouts by a freshman, and the Grizzlies (7-4-0, 3-0-0 BSC) have not allowed a goal in more than 555 minutes, dating back to Sept. 5.

All in all, a good day at the office.

"I'm really happy," said coach Chris Citowicki, whose teams are now 23-4-7 against Big Sky Conference opponents in his four years leading the Grizzlies.

"I feel like we could have played better, but credit to them. Sacramento State played very well, defended very well and caused us a lot of issues. They threw their best at us, yet we managed to find a way to win the game."

If Rogers' first career goal last Friday, the game-winner on a free kick from near midfield in Montana's 1-0 win at Northern Arizona, was a surprise, then her winner against the Hornets was even more so.

Not that she scored again, but where it came.

The center back, the 2019 Big Sky co-Defensive MVP, has made a name for herself shutting down the opposing team's top scoring threats. Now she's become one herself.

There she was, in the 35th minute, near the far post on a corner kick, just past the mass of bodies who clutter up the space right in front of goal. The ball found her, and her shot was saved by Katie Price.

Two minutes later, on a corner by Taylor Hansen, the ball was headed by a Hornet right to Rogers, who headed it herself into the goal off a Sacramento State defender.

After playing nearly 4,400 minutes as a Grizzly without a goal, Rogers has two in the last three matches.

"On one of our new corners, they have me in the space they have me, and it's worked," said Rogers. "I think it's a really good spot I'm in and should create a lot of good chances in the future."

Still, at the end the game, the 0 on the scoreboard means just as much to her as the 1, as long as the end result is a win.

"Scoring is good, but ultimately I feel like I'm a defender at heart," she said. "Stopping someone from scoring means more to me. It's my last season, so I'm just trying to do as much as possible."

The assist went to Hansen, the 14th of her career. That moved her into a four-way tie for sixth in program history with India Watne (2010-13), Nikki Bolstad (2000-04) and Colleen Joyce (1998-99).

The assist and goal both went to fifth-year seniors.

"I love that Caitlin is scoring goals," said Citowicki. "The theme last year was that seniors win you games in playoffs, and that was senior to senior. Caitlin is on fire right now."

Montana led 1-0 at the half after Sacramento State was limited to four shots through the opening 45 minutes, none of them on goal.

That changed in the second half, but Xu was there both times the Hornets had their best chances to even the score.

In the 58th minute, Ele Avery got off a clean shot from the right side that Xu had to climb the ladder to push over the crossbar.

"It was low enough that I knew it was going to be underneath the crossbar but high enough that I knew I couldn't just touch it," she said. "I had to jump and throw myself up there."

Sacramento State's second quality chance of the match came in the 84th minute, when the Hornets got a free kick just outside the 18-yard box.

Aubrey Goodwill had only one thing on her mind when she lined it up: tying the score. She tried to go far corner, but Xu beat the ball to the spot, allowing her to simply catch it.

"I loved the save that she made," said Citowicki. "Their girl hit that free kick very well, and Cam didn't even have to dive for it because her footwork is so good.

"We said the same thing about Claire (Howard), how she rarely had to make diving saves. Their footwork and their ability to read where the ball is going so quickly is what makes them so good.

"That was a very good free kick, and Cam made it look easy."

Sacramento State would take six second-half shots and put four on goal.

"They played a fantastic game," Xu said of the Hornets. "They really caused us some trouble, especially in the second half. They came out strong and I ended up having to make saves.

"I'm just here to do my job. My back line deserves as much recognition as I've received. It's a group effort. My position wouldn't be as fun or as rewarding if it wasn't for them."

The win gives Montana a 3-0-0 start to its league schedule for the third consecutive season.

The Grizzlies will try to win their seventh straight game and remain atop the league standings on Sunday when Montana hosts Portland State (3-5-0, 1-0-0 BSC) at 1 p.m.

The Vikings play at Northern Colorado on Friday night.