Griz score early, often, win 6-0

Friday, September 10

Missoula, Mont.

3 PM

Montana

2-4-0

Texas Southern

0-4-0

Texas Southern

Montana

Photo by: Derek Johnson

9/10/2021 7:43:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana soccer team scored five first-half goals and went on a post a 6-0 shutout of Texas Southern at South Campus Stadium in Missoula on Friday afternoon.

It was the most goals scored by the Grizzlies (2-4-0) under fourth-year coach Chris Citowicki, the most since 2014, and the most goals Montana has scored in the first half of a match since 1999.

Taylor Stoeger and Sydney Haustein both scored twice, Taylor Hansen, who also scored, had a pair of assists to move into the top 10 in program history, and Skyleigh Thompson had career goal No. 1.

The loss was the fourth of the season for the Tigers (0-4-0), who have been outscored 15-1 through four matches.

"There are certain games you play when you're going to be favored, and those are the games you should win," said Citowicki, whose team also hit the post or cross bar with three other shots.

"I didn't want this to be a game for them. I wanted it just to be us attacking the whole time. Defend with really good intensity, win the ball back as often as possible, then go have fun on goal."

The festivities started less than five minutes into the game, when Hansen played a ball into the box from the left wing that Stoeger headed in for her first goal of the season.

Haustein made it 2-0 in the 17th minute when she picked up a loose ball, played up the left side and scored unassisted.

Stoeger made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute. Hansen played a ball forward that Stoeger ran onto and side-footed past TSU goalkeeper Oriana Palacios.

It was the first multiple-goal match for Stoeger since scoring twice against Northern Colorado in April's Big Sky Conference tournament, of which Stoeger would earn MVP honors.

"Taylor was just a monster for them to deal with. She was on a completely different level today," said Citowicki.

Hansen's second assist of the match made it 13 for her career, which moves her into a tie for ninth in program history with Sheralyn Fowler, who played on Montana's high-scoring teams of the mid-90s.

"At the start of the season, (Hansen and Stoeger) were not playing with that much aggression and that much I really want to win," said Citowicki.

"It's nice to see our seniors stepping up to that level, and everybody else is just filling in behind them. It's good momentum."

Hansen made it 4-0 when she went top corner at 36:54. Thompson scored less than two minutes later, the first of her career, a left-footed shot that ripped into the net just under the cross bar.

The offensive barrage had Montana taking 19 first-half shots to Texas Southern's two.

"We talked beforehand that when you play these types of games, the thing you need to bring first and foremost is defensive intensity," said Citowicki.

"If you defend well and win the ball back all the time, then you're going to have good chances to score. That's what impressed me the most."

Haustein scored Montana's lone second-half goal in the 62nd minute when Molly Quarry's shot bounced off traffic and went to Haustein, who nonchalantly tapped it in.

Texas Southern, which didn't attempt a shot in the second half, sacrificed offense for defense for the final 45 minutes.

"Credit to them in the second half," said Citowicki. "They played a very low 5-4-1 formation and just sat back and defended. We still got a goal out of it. I liked it. I'm pretty happy."

Montana would finish with a 32-2 advantage in shots, 15 of which were on goal, and created a dozen corners, just four off the program record.

It was the 12th time in program history that Montana has taken 30 or more shots in a match. Camellia Xu picked up her second shutout in three matches without having to make a save.

"We knew we had to come out strong. It doesn't matter who you're playing," said Stoeger. "We wanted to bring that to our field today."

A much more formidable opponent will be in Missoula on Sunday. Boise State, which plays at Utah Valley on Friday night, is 5-0-0 and has yet to allow a goal this season.

"I think this is a good game just to get our confidence up a little bit, string some passes together, get some shots on goal, see it hit the back of the net," said Stoeger.

"I think it will carry over to Sunday, but we know we're going to have to go even harder into our tackles and connect our passes better. Everything will need to be sharper that game."

The Grizzlies and Broncos will play at 1 p.m.