Rams hand Grizzlies first loss

Thursday, September 7

Missoula, Mont.

5 PM

Montana

5-1-1

Colorado State

4-0-1

Colorado State

Montana

Photo by: John Sieber via UM Athletics

9/7/2023 8:42:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

In a match that had a first-goal-wins vibe to it before it kicked off, that's exactly how it played out at South Campus Stadium in Missoula on Thursday afternoon between a pair of conference leaders.

Colorado State (4-0-1) scored the match's lone goal in the 68th minute to win 1-0 and hand Montana (5-1-1) its first loss of the season.

Colorado State, atop the Mountain West, and Montana, leading the Big Sky, had combined to play 10 matches prior to Thursday. The Rams and Grizzlies had allowed just four goals this season.

After Montana survived a one-sided first half, the match evened out over the final 45 minutes, the only difference a goal by Olivia Fout at 67:05 that gave Colorado State its fourth straight win, all by shutout.

It was the fourth goal of the season, of CSU's seven, for the transfer forward from Auburn, who redirected a cross from Kaitlyn Abrams, who had been set up by Ali Yoshida.

The difference in the final outcome was that tiny.

"At the end of the day, like I've said a million times, it's a game of moments. Whoever takes it wins it," said coach Chris Citowicki.

"What I told them at the end was, you can be upset at the result but not about the performance in the second half. We were good, we created chances. They ended up scoring and we didn't."

That the match was scoreless at the half went against what the numbers would have predicted.

Colorado State outshot Montana 8-2 over the first 45 minutes, forcing Griz goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak to make six saves. The Rams held 57 percent of the possession in the first half.

"It was mostly our fault. We didn't get the ball into the spaces we had to get it into," said Citowicki. "When it did get there, we just turned it over quickly.

"Our first half was slow. We didn't play half of the game I didn't feel like. It was nice to go into the locker room at 0-0 and the adjustments were good. It was even in the second half."

Montana was sharper from the opening minutes of the second half. Maddie Ditta put a shot just wide in the 48th minute and the Grizzlies kept the pressure on with a corner kick in the 52nd.

Both defenses made key saves just minutes later.

In the 57th minute, Fout took a shot that evaded Dvorak, but Molly Quarry, positioned on the goal line, headed it away.

In the 59th minute, Montana had its best chance to open the scoring when Abby Gearhart took a shot from 15 yards out. CSU goalkeeper Shayna Ross dove to her left and knocked it over the crossbar.

Fout wouldn't be denied in the 68th minute.

It was the first time in seven matches this season that Montana did not open the scoring, just the second time the Grizzlies would be forced to play from behind.

Charley Boone had Montana's other really good chance. Her free kick from 25 yards out in the 69th minute also was saved by a lunging Ross.

Both teams took seven shots in the second half.

"The halftime adjustment was, how do we get it into space we want to be in and we have to start winning the ball in the midfield," said Citowicki. "Once we do that, we can regain control of it.

"Second half we were much better. Their goalkeeper made a spectacular save like Ashlyn made a couple. It was just a really good game."

Dvorak finished with a season-high seven saves, Ditta and Sydney Haustein both took a pair of shots, Charley Boone and Reeve Borseth both played 90 minutes.

Montana will host Georgia Southern (4-2-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at South Campus Stadium. The Eagles had their three-match winning streak snapped Thursday with a 1-0 home loss to Georgia.