Griz to face two more strong opponents

The Montana soccer team will conclude its challenging nonconference schedule this week with matches against Miami (Ohio) and Oregon State.

The Grizzlies (5-2-1), who are trying to snap a two-match losing streak, will host the RedHawks (3-3-1) on Thursday at 5 p.m. at South Campus Stadium in Missoula, then travel to take on the Beavers (3-2-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m. (MT) at Paul Lorenz Field in Corvallis.

Montana opened its current three-match home stand with a pair of 1-0 losses last week to Colorado State and Georgia Southern. The loss to the Rams on Thursday was the first of the year for the Grizzlies.

Montana will not have any matches next week. The Grizzlies will open their league schedule on Thursday, Sept. 28, at Eastern Washington.

Coverage: Thursday's match will stream on ESPN+ with Ace Sauerwein on the call. Sunday's match will be available on Pac-12.com.

At a glance (Montana): After opening the season 5-0-1, the Grizzlies suffered their first defeat on Thursday, losing 1-0 to Mountain West Conference leader Colorado State, with the Rams scoring the game-winning goal in the 68th minute.

It was the first time in seven matches this season that Montana did not score the opening goal.

The Grizzlies hosted Georgia Southern, last year's Sun Belt Conference regular-season champion, on Sunday and fell by the same 1-0 score. The Eagles' game-winner came on a shot from distance in the 20th minute that got through the outstretched hands of Montana goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak.

After outshooting its first five opponents this season by 39, Montana has been outshot by 24 the last three matches. Colorado State and Georgia Southern combined to put 17 shots on goal to Montana's six.

The Grizzlies were held to just two shots on goal on Sunday in the 48th and 90th minutes, a season low.

Challenging nonconference schedule continues: In starting 5-2-1, Montana has faced seven Division I opponents who are a combined 27-17-7. All but Utah Tech, which is 3-4-1, hold records of .500 or better.

Ohio State is 4-2-1 and followed its 2-2 draw at Montana with wins over Oakland, Ohio and Auburn by a combined score of 12-1.

Last week's losses, to Colorado State and Georgia Southern, came against teams that are a combined 10-2-1. The Rams made their season debut, at No. 10 in the poll, in the strong Pacific Region this week by the United Soccer Coaches.

That trend continues this week. Miami (Ohio) will arrive in Missoula with a record of 3-3-1. Oregon State, which played to a 0-0 draw at Boise State on Sunday, does not play again until hosting Montana on Sunday. The Beavers will be 3-2-2 going into that game and on a three-match unbeaten streak.

At a glance (Miami [Ohio]): The RedHawks are 3-3-1 despite scoring just three goals through their first seven matches. Miami has 1-0 wins over Illinois-Chicago, Southern Indiana and Eastern Kentucky.

The RedHawks have shut out four of seven opponents this season, with goals allowed in a 3-0 loss to Ohio State, a 1-0 loss to Northern Kentucky and a 2-0 loss to Marshall.

Miami went 9-5-6 last season and tied for fifth in the Mid-American Conference with a 4-2-5 league record.

The RedHawks, with one first-place vote, were picked fifth in this year's preseason MAC poll behind Buffalo, Western Michigan, Ball State and Bowling Green.

Senior Camber Hayes was voted first-team All-MAC and second-team United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region last fall. Sophomore Norah Roush was second-team All-MAC and named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.

Courtney Sirmans, in her sixth year as head coach, is just the third coach in program history. Bobby Kramig started the program in 1997 and led the RedHawks through the 2016 season and to four NCAA tournaments. Hugh Seyfarth (2017) spent just one season at Miami as interim before Sirmans took over.

Series history: Montana and Miami are meeting for the first time on Thursday.

At a glance (Oregon State): The Beavers will go into Sunday's match with a record of 3-2-2, unbeaten in their last three, with draws against Portland and Boise State, and a 3-2 win over UC Irvine.

Portland (No. 4) and UC Irvine (No. 8) are ranked in the top 10 in this week's United Soccer Coaches West Region Poll. Early-season losses came against Santa Clara and Pacific, teams ranked No. 1 and 10 in this week's West Region.

Junior forward McKenna Martinez leads Oregon State with three goals, giving her 25 for her career. She scored 12 as a freshman in 2021, when she was second-team All-Pac-12 and third-team all-region, 10 last fall when she was third-team All-Pac-12.

The Beavers went 5-10-4 last season and finished last in the Pac-12 at 1-8-2. That came after a season, in 2021, of some historic breakthroughs under then first-year coach Lauren Sinacola, the sixth head coach for a program that began playing in 1988 and has been to four NCAA tournaments.

Oregon State was picked 12th in this year's preseason Pac-12 poll.

Series history: Oregon State leads the series against Montana 3-2-1. The teams played five times between 1994, the first year of the Griz soccer program, and 1998, just once since, in 2007.

The Beavers are 2-1-0 against the Grizzlies in Corvallis, winning 3-1 in 1995 and 4-0 in 2007, the last matchup between the teams. Montana won 1-0 at Oregon State in 1996.

The teams have twice squared off in neutral-site matches in Pullman, Wash. Their lone match in Missoula was a 10-0 Montana victory in 1997, the most goals ever scored by the Grizzlies in a match.

Montana notes:

* Last week's losses leave sixth-year Griz coach Chris Citowicki on 95 wins for his career, 48 at Montana.

* The Grizzlies are just 2-4-2 at home over their last eight matches at South Campus Stadium, one of those victories earlier this season against MSU Billings. Montana is 124-64-31 all-time at South Campus Stadium.

* Montana, at five, has allowed the fewest goals in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies are tied for 45th nationally in goals-against average (0.625).

* Montana is unranked in the West Region by the United Soccer Coaches this week. It's the first time this season the Grizzlies are unranked.

Around the Big Sky Conference:

* The teams of the Big Sky wrap up nonconference play this week. League gets under way on Wednesday, Sept. 20, when Weber State plays at Idaho.

* Montana (5-2-1), Idaho (4-2-1) and Northern Arizona (4-2-2) are all over .500 and own 13 of the Big Sky's 18 wins to date.

* Preseason favorite Northern Arizona is unbeaten in its last four matches, a streak that began with a 3-2 home win over Oregon. NAU hosts 5-3-0 Loyola Marymount on Sunday in a notable match.

* Eastern Washington (1-6-0) scored six times last week at Boise State and at home against Saint Mary's but still went 0-2-0, losing 4-3 to the Broncos, 6-3 to the Gaels.

* Idaho State, at 1-7-0, owns the Big Sky's most surprising victory of the season. The Bengals won 3-0 at Wyoming on Thursday against the Mountain West favorites. It is the only loss of the season for the Cowgirls (3-1-3).

* Northern Colorado, the Big Sky's most consistent winner for a decade, is 0-18-2 over its last 20 matches dating back to last season.

* Weber State is 0-6-0. The Wildcats' nonconference lineup: Utah State, Wyoming, Gonzaga, Washington State, UNLV, Northwestern, Utah.

Upcoming: Montana will be off next week, then open league with road matches at Eastern Washington (Thursday, Sept. 28) and Idaho (Sunday, Oct. 1).

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Players Mentioned

Ashlyn Dvorak

University of Montana Athletics