Griz return, host Yellowjackets on Sunday

The Montana soccer team, which last played a match on Nov. 8, 2019, will return to the field on Sunday when it hosts MSU Billings at noon at Missoula County Stadium at Big Sky High School.

The match will be the first of nine regular-season games for the Grizzlies, who go right into the Big Sky Conference portion of their schedule next week when they play twice at Idaho.

"Nervousness. That's the word because it's been so long," said third-year coach Chris Citowicki. "It's game-day jitters for the first time in forever. That's how I'm feeling.

"But they are good jitters. There is an extremely high level of excitement that I'm trying to control before we go into this game."

Nov. 8, 2019, was a downer for the program, an overtime loss to Northern Colorado in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in Greeley, Colo.

That loss came nine days after the high of winning 1-0 at Eastern Washington to claim the league's regular-season title.

All 11 players who started for Montana in its tournament loss to Northern Colorado nearly 16 months ago are back, as are 18 letter-winners.

It's why the Grizzlies were picked first in the preseason coaches' poll, which was released back in July before the fall season was canceled and pushed to the spring.

"So much has gone on that I think that has completely worn off," said Citowicki.

On Sunday Montana will get a Division II program as an opponent but a team with a big advantage over the Grizzlies.

The Yellowjackets are 2-1, with a 3-0 win at Rocky Mountain to open the season and a split last weekend in Minot, N.D. MSUB defeated Mary 3-0 and lost to the host Beavers 3-1.

Six players have scored MSU Billings' seven goals through three matches.

"That they've played three matches is what makes this such a good test," said Citowicki. "You can see they are getting better and better with every single game.

"The big piece going into this weekend is can we maintain our composure and put in a professional performance in spite of those jitters."

Montana had unbeaten seasons at South Campus Stadium in both 2017 (6-0-2) and 2019 (4-0-2), but the Grizzlies won't get the advantage of playing on their home field this spring.

The field at Missoula County Stadium will be regulation but still smaller than Citowicki would prefer. And the artificial surface will play differently as well. But it's clear of snow and playable, so he'll take it.

"It's not the size I would want. It's better for the athletes we have for it to be a bit bigger. It's a little tighter and the ball bounces and moves very quick, so you have to adjust to some things," he said.

But his team practices on the same surface inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium and Montana will open its Big Sky schedule playing Idaho inside the Kibbie Dome.

The Grizzlies won't play their first match on natural grass until the Grizzlies face Sacramento State on April 2 and 4.

"We're not playing on a natural surface until we go to Sacramento, and that's a long time from now," Citowicki added.

Montana opens the season with a roster of 31, which makes it hard to find playing time for everybody but makes it ideal for holding weekly scrimmages.

No opponent on the schedule? Make it Montana vs. the Grizzlies.

"The benefit is that every Tuesday we're playing 11-on-11. The mentality of the squad is to take those extremely seriously because everybody is competing for a starting spot," Citowicki said.

"It's crazy how competitive it is. It's just time to compete against somebody else."

Montana has won a Big Sky title in each of Citowicki's first two seasons. The Grizzlies won the tournament championship in 2018, the regular-season title in 2019.

That success came about largely because of the team's ability to defend, with just enough goal-scoring to get the job done.

The 2018 team won the tournament with three shutout victories in five days. In 2019 Montana went 6-0-3 in league by allowing just two goals in nine matches.

Just four times in Citowicki's first two seasons, covering 41 matches played, have the Grizzlies scored multiple goals in a match. Otherwise it was one or none, which is a tight rope to walk.

Montana used the fall to address that issue.

"We had more developmental time, we had people able to recover from injuries, the freshmen had time," said Citowicki. "That we got to train all of last fall was huge for us.

"It's not just because of the players who came in. It's because of the evolution of the players and how much better they've become over time."

Montana scored 33 goals in 2018 and '19. It only feels like Alexa Coyle scored more than 10 of them. But there is no doubt she was a focal point, both of her teammates and of every opposing defense.

Everyone knew where she was at all times. Her teammates needed her, even as a decoy, if Montana was going to score. Opponents game-planned for her.

So Citowicki went about addressing that need.

Mimi Eiden, a transfer from North Dakota, is a name he mentions often. Taylor Stoeger and Jaden Griggs as well. In other words, he has some weapons.

"We just have more depth up front. There used to be one focal point. Now there are multiple focal points," Citowicki said.

"There are more players going forward from dangerous positions than there were before. I feel like we can attack in a more aggressive way while still maintaining the defensive shape we always do."

And then there is Josie Windauer, a freshman forward from Columbia Falls who benefited greatly from the season moving from fall to spring, as every first-year player did.

Had it been a traditional season, Windauer would have been brought along at full speed. Soccer's condensed preseason would have required it, and Windauer would have done well just to hold on.

"She would have not gotten a lot of playing time in the fall," said Citowicki. "The way she's looking now, she's dangerous and is going to earn herself minutes.

"She knows what's happening and what we do. She hasn't played in a college game, but she's played against us. If she can figure us out, she can figure anybody out."

Indeed, because the defensive unit that's allowed just 41 goals over 41 matches the last two seasons is back and largely intact.

That starts with senior goalkeeper Claire Howard, she of the 0.87 career goals-against average and 26 shutouts, which leaves her three from tying the Big Sky record.

Center back Caitlin Rogers was the Big Sky co-Defensive MVP in 2019. Outside back Taylor Hansen was first-team All-Big Sky, as was Avery Adams, who moved up to holding midfielder from outside back six matches in.

Coyle, Howard and Rogers all earned second-team honors, with Rita Lang and Allie Larsen being named honorable mention.

The Grizzlies will play in the Northwest Division of the Big Sky, which has Montana, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Portland State and Sacramento State grouped together.

All will play two-match series against the others. The top two teams from the division will travel to Ogden, Utah, in the middle of April for the four-team Big Sky tournament.

The other two teams in the tournament field will come from the Southeast Division.

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Players Mentioned

Avery Adams

Alexa Coyle

Mimi Eiden

Jaden Griggs

Taylor Hansen

Claire Howard

Rita Lang

Allie Larsen

Caitlin Rogers

Taylor Stoeger

Josie Windauer

University of Montana Athletics