Lumberjacks top Grizzlies 2-1

Sunday, October 16

Missoula, Mont.

Noon

Montana

5-5-6, 2-3-1BSC

Northern Arizona

6-5-4, 5-1-0BSC

Northern Arizona

Montana

Photo by: Derek Johnson

10/16/2022 4:31:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

Northern Arizona scored the match's opening goal less than two minutes in and the game-winner in the 69th minute as the Lumberjacks defeated Montana 2-1 at South Campus Stadium in Missoula on Sunday.

Montana's goal came in the 10th minute, a header from Delaney Lou Schorr off a pass from Ava Samuelson. It was Schorr's Big Sky Conference-leading seventh goal of the season, the most for a Griz underclassman since Hallie Widner scored seven in 2014.

The win was the fifth straight for the Lumberjacks (6-5-4, 5-1-0 BSC) and just their second ever over the Grizzlies (5-5-6, 2-3-1 BSC) in Missoula in 14 tries, their first since 2013.

The win vaults Northern Arizona to the top of the Big Sky standings – tied with Idaho with 15 points but with two matches still to play to the Vandals' one – and leaves Montana with a defining road trip next weekend.

The Grizzlies are in sixth place in the Big Sky standings, with the top six teams making the league tournament, which will be held the first week of November in Greeley, Colo.

Montana closes the season with matches at Idaho State on Friday and at Weber State next Sunday. The Wildcats (3-11-0, 2-4-0 BSC), who host last-place Northern Colorado on Friday, sit one point behind the Grizzlies.

"On the road, under pressure. It's make or break," said coach Chris Citowicki. "The playoffs start next week."

Montana is in this position because the Grizzlies were only able to collect four points from their four-match home stand, with a win over Northern Colorado, a draw with Eastern Washington and losses to Idaho and Northern Arizona.

Sunday's result came to be because of two uncharacteristic goals allowed by the Montana defense.

The Lumberjacks opened the scoring less than two minutes in when goalkeeper Camellia Xu touched a pass ahead to center back Allie Larsen, who had already turned to run up field.

NAU's Allison Veloz jumped on the loose ball and snuck it under Xu and inside the right post at 1:55.

Facing an early deficit, Montana didn't take long to bounce back. Samuelson found Schorr at 9:16 to tie the score at 1-1. It was Samuelson's fourth assist of the season, which ranks second in the Big Sky behind teammate Maysa Walters, who sat out Sunday's match because of a red card last Sunday.

"I loved how we came back after going down 1-0. Good for Delaney. Seven goals this season, all with her head. I'm pleased with that, but we have to continue generating looks as well," said Citowicki, whose team took a season-low five shots on Sunday.

"Could have generated a few more by the end of the game. By then we were down again."

The match was deadlocked at the half and remained that way until Northern Arizona scored the game-winner at 68:45.

A long pass from the other side of midfield got past Montana's back line and landed at the feet of Veloz, who scored between Xu's legs to make it 2-1.

"We shot ourselves in the foot twice," said Citowicki. "We could have prevented that ball coming through, and the first one was just miscommunication between two players.

"You gift a team two goals and you're not going to beat them. We made our own mistakes and had to pay the price for it."

Northern Arizona outshot Montana 19-5, but a majority of those were from distance and saved routinely by Xu, who finished with nine saves, one off her career high.

It was the most shots the Grizzlies have faced this season, the most since playing Washington State in the NCAA tournament last fall.

"A lot of their shots were from distance. That's what we expected," said Citowicki of an opponent that entered Sunday averaging an even 20 shots per game, most in the Big Sky.

"We knew they were going to shoot from all over the place. They can shoot from far out and that's not going to worry you."

Montana put just two of its five shots on goal, both from Schorr. Skyleigh Thompson took a team-high three shots.

Montana will face Idaho State at 7 p.m. on Friday in Pocatello, Weber State at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Ogden.