Griz enter final weekend needing results

The Montana soccer team will conclude its regular-season schedule this weekend when it plays matches at Idaho State and Weber State.

The Grizzlies (5-5-6, 2-3-1 BSC) will face the Bengals (2-10-2, 1-5-0 BSC) on Friday at 7 p.m. at Davis Field in Pocatello, the Wildcats (3-11-0, 2-4-0 BSC) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Wildcat Soccer Field in Ogden.

Where they stand: Montana, with seven points, is in sixth place in the Big Sky standings, with the top six teams after this weekend's matches advancing to the Big Sky Conference tournament the first week of November in Greeley, Colo.

Weber State, with six, is just one point behind Montana. The Wildcats host last-place Northern Colorado on Friday night. Idaho State, with three points, is also still alive in the chase to make the tournament. The Bengals host Northern Colorado on Sunday afternoon.

The only team that has been eliminated from postseason contention is Northern Colorado, the preseason favorite.

What's at stake: Montana could finish has high as a tie for fourth or as low as eighth in the nine-team league. The Grizzlies have played in the last eight Big Sky tournaments and have missed the postseason just once, in 2013, since 2011.

If Montana qualifies for the Big Sky tournament, the Grizzlies would open with a quarterfinal match on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Only the top four teams in the standings – Northern Arizona, Idaho, Portland State and Sacramento State – are in the hunt for a top-two finish and a bye to the semifinals.

No team has advanced to the Big Sky tournament more than Montana, which has made it 20 times.

At a glance (Montana): The Grizzlies have just one win in their last five matches and on Sunday concluded a four-match home stand that netted Montana just four points. The Grizzlies defeated Northern Colorado, tied with Eastern Washington and lost to Idaho and Northern Arizona.

It marked the first time since 2013 that Montana has lost multiple home games during league. The Grizzlies had lost two home matches in league the previous five seasons combined, to Northern Colorado in 2018 and to Eastern Washington in the spring of 2021.

Montana lost to surging Northern Arizona on Sunday at South Campus Stadium 2-1. After allowing a goal within the opening two minutes on an unforced turnover, the Grizzlies tied it in the 10th minute when Delaney Lou Schorr headed in a cross from Ava Samuelson.

The Lumberjacks, who took 19 shots, the most by a Montana opponent this season, scored the game-winning goal in the 69th minute.

It was only Northern Arizona's second win ever in Missoula over Montana, the Lumberjacks' first since 2013.

Schorr's goal was her Big Sky-leading seventh of the season, goals that have come on just 20 shots. All seven have come off headers.

They are the most goals scored by a Montana underclassman since Hallie Widener scored seven in 2014. Schorr's next goal this season will give her the most by a Grizzly since Erin Craig scored 10 in 2011.

Samuelson's assist was her fourth of the season, the sixth of her career. She is tied for second in the Big Sky behind Maysa Walters. Walters, who had to sit out the NAU match after picking up a red card the previous Sunday against Northern Colorado, has six assists this season.

Walters' next assist will give her the most by a Grizzly since India Watne had eight in 2011.

At a glance (Idaho State): The Bengals were picked last in the preseason poll. After opening the season 1-1-2, with a win at Lipscomb, a team now 10-5-2, Idaho State dropped eight straight, getting outscored 16-2.

ISU's first four league matches were all one-goal defeats before the Bengals broke through with a 1-0 road win at Sacramento State. In its only match last weekend, Idaho State lost 4-2 to Weber State in Pocatello.

ISU has been outscored this season 26-7. No Bengal has scored more than a single goal.

Series history (Montana-Idaho State): The Grizzlies lead the all-time series with the Bengals 15-8-4 and have won three straight. Montana has gone 4-4-3 against Idaho State in Pocatello.

Fifth-year coach Chris Citowicki is 3-0-0 against Idaho State. The teams did not meet in the 2021 spring season.

Montana's last trip to Pocatello, in 2018, resulted in a 1-0 Griz win, with Alexa Coyle scoring the game-winner in the 81st minute.

In last year's matchup in Missoula, the teams scored three times in the span of 61 seconds, from 19:20 to 20:21, as the Grizzlies pulled out a 2-1 victory behind goals from Taylor Stoeger and Sydney Haustein.

At a glance (Weber State): Picked third in the preseason coaches' poll, with one first-place vote, the Wildcats have two home matches this weekend to play their way into the postseason.

Weber State scored just five goals through its first 10 matches while opening 1-9-0. The Wildcats picked up a quality home win on Sept. 29, knocking off Northern Arizona in Ogden, 1-0.

After road losses at Sacramento State and Portland State, WSU got a much-needed victory at Idaho State on Sunday, going up 3-0 in the opening 17 minutes and never giving back the lead.

Morgan Furmaniak collected a hat trick in the victory, the first for Weber State since 2006. She was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Series history (Montana-Weber State): The Grizzlies lead the all-time series with the Wildcats 18-13-3 and have won the last four matches, the longest winning streak for either team in a series that dates back to 1996.

Montana has won just four times against Weber State in Ogden, going 4-9-1.

Two of Montana's victories on its four-match winning streak have come in the Big Sky tournament. The Grizzlies knocked off the host Wildcats 2-0 in the semifinals in Ogden in 2018 and 1-0 in the championship match in Greeley, Colo., last November.

Citowicki is 4-1-0 against Weber State.

Summary: While it would certainly be less stressful to already have a tournament spot clinched, there is something about having to produce on the road on the final weekend that can be pretty rewarding as well.

Especially when the opponents you're facing are in must-win mode as well.

"We have to get results and they know if they get results against us, they're still alive. Talk about final-weekend drama, where it all comes down to this," said Citowicki.

"You want to be in a spot where you can make playoffs. That's what it's all about at the end of the day. The more pressure, the better, so let's do it."

Montana goes into the weekend coming off a loss and has gone just 1-3-1 since opening league with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Sacramento State.

"If my morale is low and (the players') morale is low and we want to pout about it, we're dead in the water," said Citowicki. "You just cannot go there.

"You have to look forward to the opportunity and say I just can't wait to play again. It's the only response that's logical right now. Anything else is unacceptable. Let's make something amazing happen this weekend."

The only other time Montana has gone into the final weekend with some uncertainty under Citowicki came in the coach's first season, in 2018.

Montana picked up a clutch 1-0 win at Portland State, then solidified its postseason standing with a 3-1 victory at Sacramento State.

The only time the Grizzlies have not advanced to the NCAA tournament under Citowicki came in 2019, when Montana went unbeaten through league at 6-0-3.

"It's good to have this pressure now," he said. "In 2019 we won the regular season undefeated, then we got into playoffs and lost immediately. We didn't know how to handle pressure."

Montana's loss on Sunday against Northern Arizona wasn't because the Grizzlies got outplayed by the Lumberjacks.

NAU's opening goal came just 1:55 in, when a pass from Camellia Xu to Allie Larsen, who had turned her back and was headed up the field, was pounced on by Allison Veloz. She slid a shot under Xu to make it 1-0.

The Lumberjacks scored the game-winner in the 69th minute when a fluky play sent the ball through a scrambling Montana back line and right to Veloz, who made it 2-1.

"I would prefer that this stuff happens now than in playoffs," said Citowicki. "Learn everything now, feel everyone, figure out their tactics, know exactly who you're playing against, then if you get to meet them again, you're better off."

All five of Montana's goals in league have been scored by underclassmen, as have 16 of the team's 20 goals this season.

The last two, including the game-winner against Northern Colorado, and seven in all have come off the head of Delaney Lou Schorr.

"I have to give credit to my teammates. They have given me great services in the air," said Schorr. "I've just been at the right place at the right time and getting the goal."

Around the Big Sky Conference:

* Northern Arizona (5-1-0 BSC) and Idaho (5-2-0) are tied atop the standings with 15 points, but the Lumberjacks have the advantage with two matches remaining to the Vandals' one.

* Third-place Portland State (4-1-2) and fourth-place Sacramento State (4-2-1) also are down to one final match, on the road.

* Eastern Washington (2-2-3) is in fifth with nine points and is vulnerable to getting jumped by one or multiple teams. The Eagles have just one match remaining, on the road at Idaho.

* Friday's schedule: UM at ISU, UNC at WSU, SAC at NAU

* Sunday's schedule: UM at WSU, UNC at ISU, EWU at UI, PSU at NAU

Upcoming: To be determined. It's either the offseason or it's off to Greeley for the Big Sky tournament.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alexa Coyle

Sydney Haustein

Allie Larsen

Ava Samuelson

Delaney Lou Schorr

Taylor Stoeger

Maysa Walters

Camellia Xu

University of Montana Athletics