Griz blank Bison, pick up steam heading into conference

Sunday, September 18

Missoula, Mont.

10:30 AM

Montana

3-2-5

North Dakota State

4-3-3

North Dakota State

Montana

Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics

Griz blank Bison, pick up steam heading into conference

9/18/2022 3:44:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana soccer team shut out North Dakota State by a score of 3-0 on Sunday at South Campus Stadium in Missoula.

The Grizzlies (3-2-5) got first-half goals from Delaney Lou Schorr and Riley O'Brien, another in the second half from Molly Massman to pick up their first victory over the Bison (4-3-3) since 2006.

Camellia Xu made three saves to collect shutout No. 6 of the season, No. 17 of her career.

Montana will take a six-match unbeaten streak into its Big Sky Conference schedule, which begins next week with a road trip to Sacramento State and Portland State.

"Overall, a complete 90 minutes, to not come out flat in the second half, to be able to continue the rhythm of possession to create the opportunities we created," said coach Chris Citowicki.

Montana outshot North Dakota State 16-7, the eighth time in 10 matches this season the Grizzlies have outshot their opponent. It was the fourth time this season Montana has scored multiple goals.

"The goals we scored were just beautiful. Everything was straight out of practice," said Citowicki. "It's looking really good right now."

Bison goalkeeper Payton Mulberry was powerless to stop Montana's first goal, a cross from Skyleigh Thompson that Schorr headed in from right in front of net.

The goal came just 7:51 into the game. It was the second-earliest goal scored by the Grizzlies this season and gave the match a much different feel than Thursday's tense 0-0 draw at Boise State.

Against the Broncos, Montana had no margin for defensive error. Schorr's goal on Sunday, her team-leading fifth of the season, released some pressure and freed up the Grizzlies.

"On Thursday, you could not make a mistake," said Xu. "It was just holding a very good attacking team out and finding the chances when we could.

"It was really nice to get one in the first 10 minutes today. When we're up, it lets us play with confidence and gives us the freedom to go forward. We came out with a bang, then it's just rolling forward."

About Montana's second goal, Citowicki explained it as, "It's a Riley thing. That's what she does. She's got a nose for goal. That's why she's the only one who chased that down."

The play started with Maysa Walters getting the ball in space on the right side, closer to midfield than the end line, and taking a long shot at goal. Nearly everyone jogged and watched.

There was a 99 percent chance the ball was going to be caught by Mulberry or sail over the end line for a goal kick.

Instead Walters' shot hit off the left post. It bounced back onto the field of play, where O'Brien was ready to tap it past Mulberry after never giving up, after playing for the possibility of that one percent.

"You never know," she said. "A lot of people don't follow those shots in, but a goal's a goal, even if it's a leftover. Attack the ball."

The goal, O'Brien's second of the season, came in the 38th minute and gave Montana a 2-0 halftime lead. It was Walters' team- and Big Sky-leading fifth assist of the season.

Holding a multiple-goal lead, Montana didn't ease up in the second half, outshooting North Dakota State 6-2 over the final 45 minutes in a match that got uncomfortably chippy.

Molly Massman put the match, if it wasn't already, out of reach when she scored her second goal of the season in the 84th minute.

Ava Samuelson played a corner kick short to Charley Boone, who tapped it back to Samuelson for a better angle at a cross.

Her lofted ball found Massman, who scored from six yards out, Montana's second header goal of the match.

For the first time under Citowicki, Montana will take a winning nonconference record into league, and everyone knows how the Grizzlies have done in the Big Sky without that kind of running start.

"We started off the season with some really tough matches, but as we move along, we build confidence and build composure and become more connected as a team," said Xu.

"We're working as a unit and not individually. We're playing for each other and not for ourselves, and that's a team. Going into conference, I'm really confident in the team."

Montana will play at Sacramento State at 4:30 p.m. (MT) on Friday, at Portland State at 2 p.m. (MT) next Sunday.