Howard named Big Sky Player of the Week
3/15/2021 5:27:00 PM | Soccer
Montana's record-tying (and soon to be record-breaking) goalkeeper, Claire Howard, was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after posting a pair of shutouts at Idaho over the weekend as the Grizzlies opened league with back-to-back 1-0 victories.
Montana (3-0-0, 2-0-0 BSC) got a goal in the fourth minute off a free kick from Alexa Coyle in Friday's win. In Sunday's victory, the win came in the 100th minute, with Rita Lang powering a free kick through the Vandal goalkeeper from 25 yards out with just 17 seconds left in the first overtime.
Making both wins possible on the defensive end was Howard, who made eight saves in the two matches.
The two shutouts gave her 29 for her career, which ties the Big Sky record held by Savannah Abercrombie (2008-11) of Sacramento State.
This is the fourth career Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor for Howard, who has gone largely unappreciated during her time as a Grizzly despite backstopping one Big Sky tournament championship team, one regular-season championship team and another picked to repeat this spring.
She was voted honorable mention All-Big Sky as a freshman and sophomore, second team as a junior, which doesn't at all jive with this: She has made 30 regular-season starts against Big Sky teams in her career. She has been beaten just four times, each a one-goal decision.
Montana is unbeaten in its last 15 regular-season matches against league opponents, dating back to early October 2018. The Grizzlies have allowed just four goals in those 15 matches.
Yet if you don't watch the games and only focus on the post-match stat sheet, the numbers she puts up, outside of shutouts, are ordinary. Two saves here. Four there. In sports, we've become conditioned to swoon over numbers, the bigger the better. Howard is known for this: zero.
She's been gifted All-Big Sky defenders around her and it's always a collective effort, but someone has to keep it all together, someone has to be the glue, someone has to have their hand atop the strings of the marionette.
"She makes saves that you don't see because of the way she communicates and organizes and leads this team," says third-year coach Chris Citowicki. "It's like having another coach on the field.
"She could be making tons of saves every game that would give her the statistics, but she doesn't have to make the saves. Her teammates get it done in front of her because of her ability to lead. People don't see those tiny details."
But when they see the saves she does make, highlights on a regular basis, her athleticism shines through. She is, indeed, the total package, vision, anticipation, leadership, freaky physical ability when it's called for as the very last line of defense.
"When it's time to make a save, she's just incredible," said Citowicki. "She'll pull something out of the top corner that leaves people saying, What!? How did she do that?"
Howard's 27 career wins rank third in program history, her .805 save percentage fifth. Her 0.83 goals-against average is the best there's ever been.
Howard will have a chance to break the Big Sky shutout record when the Grizzlies host Portland State on March 26 and 28.
Montana (3-0-0, 2-0-0 BSC) got a goal in the fourth minute off a free kick from Alexa Coyle in Friday's win. In Sunday's victory, the win came in the 100th minute, with Rita Lang powering a free kick through the Vandal goalkeeper from 25 yards out with just 17 seconds left in the first overtime.
Making both wins possible on the defensive end was Howard, who made eight saves in the two matches.
The two shutouts gave her 29 for her career, which ties the Big Sky record held by Savannah Abercrombie (2008-11) of Sacramento State.
This is the fourth career Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor for Howard, who has gone largely unappreciated during her time as a Grizzly despite backstopping one Big Sky tournament championship team, one regular-season championship team and another picked to repeat this spring.
She was voted honorable mention All-Big Sky as a freshman and sophomore, second team as a junior, which doesn't at all jive with this: She has made 30 regular-season starts against Big Sky teams in her career. She has been beaten just four times, each a one-goal decision.
Montana is unbeaten in its last 15 regular-season matches against league opponents, dating back to early October 2018. The Grizzlies have allowed just four goals in those 15 matches.
Yet if you don't watch the games and only focus on the post-match stat sheet, the numbers she puts up, outside of shutouts, are ordinary. Two saves here. Four there. In sports, we've become conditioned to swoon over numbers, the bigger the better. Howard is known for this: zero.
She's been gifted All-Big Sky defenders around her and it's always a collective effort, but someone has to keep it all together, someone has to be the glue, someone has to have their hand atop the strings of the marionette.
"She makes saves that you don't see because of the way she communicates and organizes and leads this team," says third-year coach Chris Citowicki. "It's like having another coach on the field.
"She could be making tons of saves every game that would give her the statistics, but she doesn't have to make the saves. Her teammates get it done in front of her because of her ability to lead. People don't see those tiny details."
But when they see the saves she does make, highlights on a regular basis, her athleticism shines through. She is, indeed, the total package, vision, anticipation, leadership, freaky physical ability when it's called for as the very last line of defense.
"When it's time to make a save, she's just incredible," said Citowicki. "She'll pull something out of the top corner that leaves people saying, What!? How did she do that?"
Howard's 27 career wins rank third in program history, her .805 save percentage fifth. Her 0.83 goals-against average is the best there's ever been.
Howard will have a chance to break the Big Sky shutout record when the Grizzlies host Portland State on March 26 and 28.
Players Mentioned
Friday, June 19
Thursday, June 04
Friday, May 01
Friday, May 01
