Griz drop 1-0 decision to Pilots

Sunday, August 22

Missoula, Mont.

1 PM

Montana

0-2-0

Portland

1-1-0

Portland

Montana

8/22/2021 5:18:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision to Portland on Sunday afternoon as the Grizzlies made their home debut at South Campus Stadium in Missoula.

Nedya Sawan's goal in the 56th minute from just outside the 18-yard box proved to be the game-winner in a mostly balanced and evenly played game.

It was the second one-goal loss of the opening week of the season for Montana (0-2-0), which fell 2-1 in double overtime on Thursday night at Creighton.

"We lost to Creighton with 46 seconds left in overtime, then 1-0 to Portland on a soft goal. Both games we were in and both games we were creating opportunities," said Griz coach Chris Citowicki.

"I like how competitive we are and how we possess the ball well against good teams and the way we're creating opportunities and defending. We just need that final thing, which is to score goals."

Neither team scored in the opening half, though Portland had the better chances with the dangerous Taryn Ries, who is skilled, long and fast, up top.

Montana would outshoot Portland in the second half, but it was the Pilots who opened the scoring at 55:14.

Sawan took a throw-in on the left side with her back to goal, spun and sent a long, looping shot that got over the outstretched hands of Griz goalkeeper Elizabeth Todd.

Montana would apply ample amounts of pressure over the final 35 minutes but was unable to come up the equalizer.

"It's frustrating to play like we did in the second half, to give up the goal that we did and then not execute when we had our chances," said Citowicki.

"As I've said 1,000 times, it's a game of moments. They took theirs and we didn't take ours. We played well enough. We had a (West Coast Conference) team pinned back on our own turf. We should have taken advantage of it."

Portland, which outshot Utah 13-6 on Thursday, finished with a 12-11 advantage in shots. Montana had three corner kicks to the Pilots' two and owned a slim advantage in time of possession (51 percent to 49 percent).

"I feel like we can honestly compete with anybody we play against now. We possess the ball well against good teams that previously we wouldn't have been able to," said Citowicki.

"We were the ones who were sitting back, the ones who were pinned back and couldn't create any opportunities. The chances we're creating now are very good. We've got to be able to put them away."

Citowicki, as he did on Thursday, went 22 players deep. Camellia Xu got the start in goal and played a scoreless 45 minutes, making two saves. Todd made one save.

Freshman Ava Samuelson, the most dangerous player on the field the final 20 minutes of the match, took a team-high three shots. Sami Siems and Molly Massman both took two.

Ries and Sawan both took three shots for Portland (1-1-0).

Montana will face Cal Poly (0-2-0) on Thursday at 8 p.m. (MT) in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Mustangs opened the season with a 2-0 loss to Stanford on Thursday and a 2-1 setback to Saint Mary's on Sunday.