Six Grizzlies honored by Big Sky

Six members of the Big Sky Conference champion Montana women's soccer team were honored on Tuesday as the league announced its individual award winners and All-Big Sky teams.

Ashlyn Dvorak was voted the Goalkeeper of the Year and Ally Henrikson the Defensive MVP for a team that has allowed nine goals this season through 17 matches.

Both also were named first-team All-Big Sky, along with midfielder Maddie Ditta and forward Chloe Seelhoff, both seniors.

Junior center back Makena Smith and sophomore forward Reagan Brisendine were voted second-team All-Big Sky.

Montana has had the Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year four of the last six seasons, with four different players being recognized.

Claire Howard won in the 2021 spring season, Camellia Xu in the 2021 fall season, Bayliss Flynn in 2024 and Dvorak for the first time in 2025.

After splitting time with Flynn through the first six matches of the season, Dvorak took hold of the starting spot with a 1-0 win at UC Davis and has held it ever since.

Dvorak ranks eighth nationally in goals-against average (0.48), 10th in save percentage (.865) and 29th in shutouts (8).

She earns first-team All-Big Sky honors for the second time. She was voted the league's first-team goalkeeper in 2023 as well.

Dvorak, a redshirt junior who ranks third in program history with 22 career shutouts, announced last month that she will return for one final season in 2026.

"We're very good at preventing through-balls and shots from distance, so Ashlyn has to be very good at claiming crosses and taking care of corners. That's where she shines," said coach Chris Citowicki.

"The way she commands the box, it's one-of-a-kind in the conference. Thanks to her, we're in every single game."

That Dvorak ranks last in the Big Sky in saves per match is a credit to the players in front of her, who prevent Montana's goalkeeper from having to make the quantity of saves her fellow keepers do.

Henrikson, part of that back line, becomes the ninth player in program history to be named Defensive MVP, the first since Caitlin Rogers in 2019.

"Oftentimes it's stats-related, how many assists a defensive player gets," said Citowicki, about voting for Defensive MVP. "She just did her job defensively.

"If you pay attention to that and understand the sport, then she should have been the Defensive MVP. I thought she was amazing this year."

Henrikson played all but 31 minutes in Montana's eight Big Sky matches. After opening league with a 2-1 loss at Northern Arizona, the Grizzlies closed 5-0-2 with a single goal allowed.

Montana enters the postseason with five straight shutouts and without a goal allowed since Oct. 2, in a 1-1 draw at Eastern Washington. The Grizzlies' shutout streak is at 532 minutes.

Henrikson, a fifth-year senior, is in her first season starting at center back. "It's like she's been doing it forever," said Citowicki.

"There are so many instances you can flash back to over the year when she's made big tackles at big times. She distributes well and leads out of the back and plays until her body can't move anymore."

Ditta, Montana's rock-solid midfielder, was voted first-team All-Big Sky for the second time, All-Big Sky for the third time after earning second-team honors as a sophomore.

Ditta has scored a career-high six goals this season, including the penalty kick in the second half at Portland State last month that delivered Montana its third consecutive Big Sky championship.

"Not surprised," Citowicki said about Ditta being honored again. "She's been amazing year after year after year. She anchors that midfield role and takes care of business."

While a late-season injury likely derailed Seelhoff's chances of winning Offensive MVP honors, she nevertheless was voted first-team All-Big Sky.

Seelhoff, second-team All-Big Sky last year in her first season at Montana, is tied for first in the Big Sky in assists (6) and tied for second in goals (7). Her 20 points are the most for a Grizzly since 2011.

Seelhoff was injured in Montana's 1-0 home win over Idaho State on Oct. 12.

"That she got hurt midway through the conference season but made enough of an impact that coaches still voted her first-team all-conference shows you how good she was," said Citowicki.

"I've talked to coaches who told me they miss watching her play. Who doesn't want to watch someone like that? I'm grateful people recognized that and gave her the votes to be first-team anyway."

After playing one season at Purdue, one at Miami (Ohio), Smith became a primary starter at center back in her first season with the Grizzlies.

"She's on a similar trend to Chloe, second-team all-conference while finding her feet, figuring it out, building her confidence," said Citowicki. "Next year she is going to be absolutely amazing."

Brisendine had three assists through the season's opening six matches, then saw her goal numbers jump in league, scoring four times against Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and Weber State.

She was one assist from earning the Big Sky's Golden Boot award as a sophomore. "She just continues to get better and better," said Citowicki, of his forward from Kalispell.

"It's not only exciting for the future of the program, it's exciting for the state to have someone be second-team all-conference and on the verge of lighting up the whole thing the next two years.

"It says a lot about the state and the quality of player it can produce, from an Ashlyn to a Reagan, for them to be recognized in the conference like this."

Eastern Washington's Delani Walker and Northern Arizona's Micala Boex shared Co-Offensive MVP honors, while Weber State swept Top Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors.

Weber State's Kyle Christensen was voted Coach of the Year. The Wildcats went 3-22-10 the previous two seasons. In their first under Christensen, they went 11-6-1 and finished second behind Montana.

2025 Big Sky Conference Awards
Co-Offensive MVP: Delani Walker (Eastern Washington), Micala Boex (Northern Arizona)
Defensive MVP: Ally Henrikson (Montana)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Ashlyn Dvorak (Montana)
Freshman of the Year: Lauren Butorac (Weber State)
Top Newcomer: Presley Ray (Weber State)
Coach of the Year: Kyle Christensen (Weber State)

First-Team All-Big Sky Conference
GK: Ashlyn Dvorak, Montana
D: Izzy Thoma, Idaho
D: Ally Henrikson, Montana
D: Kalo Iongi, Portland State
D: Bella Sackett, Weber State
M: Annika Farley, Idaho
M: Avery Ott, Northern Arizona
M: Maddie Ditta, Montana
M: Lily Blum, Weber State
F: Delani Walker, Eastern Washington
F: Chloe Seelhoff, Montana
F: Grace Kirby, Weber State

Second-Team All-Big Sky Conference
GK: Natalie Cunningham, Portland State
D: Iris Mattern, Eastern Washington
D: Tess Livingston, Idaho State
D: Makena Smith, Montana
D: Taryn Rea, Northern Colorado
M: Kendall Moore, Eastern Washington
M: Valerie Llamas, Northern Arizona
M: Grace Sarabia, Portland State
M: Ellie Farber, Sacramento State
F: Georgia Whitehead, Idaho
F: Reagan Brisendine, Montana
F: Micala Boex, Northern Arizona

Honorable Mention All-Big Sky Conference
GK: Kamryn Willoughby, Eastern Washington
D: Riley Arribas, Eastern Washington
D: Erin O'Connor, Northern Arizona
D: Liv Frazier, Portland State
D: Oakley Anderson, Weber State
M: Koko Harris, Eastern Washington
M: Sara Rodgers, Idaho
M: Mary Za, Idaho State
M: Tenzi Knowles, Weber State
M: Brynlee Meyerhoffer, Weber State
F: Ocean Rideout, Portland State
F: Aliayha Saldana, Portland State
F: Sayler Schlosser, Weber State

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Reagan Brisendine

Maddie Ditta

Ashlyn Dvorak

Bayliss Flynn

Ally Henrikson

Chloe Seelhoff

Makena Smith

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