Griz win on Friday, can clinch on Sunday

Friday, October 21

Pocatello, Idaho

7 PM

Montana

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

Idaho State

2-11-2, 1-6-0BSC

Montana

Idaho State

Photos: Idaho State Athletics

10/21/2022 10:26:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana soccer team got the victory it needed on Friday night, winning 2-1 over Idaho State at Davis Field in Pocatello.

Ava Samuelson scored her first career goal in the 13th minute, Maddie Ditta made it 2-0 in the 72nd with her first career goal, the game-winner.

The win moves Montana (6-5-6, 3-3-1 BSC) into sole possession of fifth place in the Big Sky Conference standings, with Weber State and Eastern Washington just a point behind in a tie for sixth.

Two of those three teams will lock up a spot in the six-team Big Sky tournament on Sunday when Montana plays at Weber State and Eastern Washington plays at Idaho.

The Grizzlies can clinch a spot to their ninth consecutive Big Sky tournament, their league-best 21st postseason appearance overall, with a win or a draw in Ogden on Sunday.

A Montana loss would require some help from Idaho. Both matches kick off at 1 p.m. (MT).

"Talk about a stressful day for everybody. It's going to be great. It's still in our control, which is a great thing," said coach Chris Citowicki.

Montana put itself in that position with a grind-it-out win on Friday over the Bengals (2-11-2, 1-6-0 BSC), its fourth consecutive victory over Idaho State.

The Grizzlies controlled play through most of the first half, taking the match's first seven shots and going up 1-0 on Samuelson's first career goal.

Sydney Haustein played a ball to the ground near the top of the 18 and set up Samuelson, who scored under the crossbar from 25 yards out.

Idaho State outshot Montana over the match's final 65 minutes and finished with the overall advantage in time of possession, but it was the Grizzlies scoring the critical second goal in the 72nd minute.

Samuelson played a long ball up the left sideline that Ditta tracked down and cut back inside. Her shot from 25 yards out hit the underside of the crossbar and landed over the end line.

"Ditta's was individual brilliance," said Citowicki. "You see that from her in practice every once in a while. I feel like she's been due one.

"I loved the effort put in by everyone, then the fact you have a freshman and sophomore step up to win us the game? Beautiful."

It was the very message Citowicki shared with his underclassmen at the team hotel on Thursday night.

"We met with the sophomores and freshmen and told them we can't keep relying on juniors and seniors," Citowicki said.

"You need to step up, take the game, and you've got to win the game. To have it come from a sophomore, to have it come from a freshman means so much."

Idaho State spoiled the shutout with a goal in the 85th minute. The Bengals got off one final shot in the 89th minute but it was wide of goal.

Camellia Xu made four saves, three in the second half, for career win No. 19.

"The Big Sky, at the end of the day, isn't about playing pretty and winning pretty, it's about grinding out results. That's what we had to do and that's what we did," said Citowicki.

"We had to find a way to win, and we got it done."

In other matches on Friday night, Weber State moved into a tie for sixth with a 1-0 home win over Northern Colorado, scoring the game-winner in the 87th minute.

Northern Arizona clinched at least a share of the regular-season title and locked up the tournament's No. 1 seed with a 2-0 home win over Sacramento State. It was NAU's sixth consecutive victory.