Dvorak named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week

Montana goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak, who posted shutouts last week of Gonzaga and Washington State, was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.

The redshirt junior posted career shutouts Nos. 16 and 17 as the Grizzlies put an emphatic end to some one-sided historical trends.

Montana's 4-0 win over Gonzaga on Thursday was its first over the Bulldogs since 2014, its first victory at home over the Zags since 2002.

The Grizzlies' 1-0 victory over Washington State on Sunday was their first against the Cougars in 14 meetings, their first since 2004.

Dvorak made a season-high six saves against Gonzaga, three against Washington State to up her season save percentage to .852 and drop her goals-against average to 0.57.

That averaged out to a save every 20 minutes of match time for last week's wins, but that paints the wrong picture. It's Dvorak's work between those few saves that makes her stand out.

"I talked to a fan after the game (on Sunday), and he'd never seen her play before. He stood along the fence line the whole time, just enamored with the way she was playing," said coach Chris Citowicki.

"He said, 'She's just a general on the field. I've never seen anybody command and instruct and organize things as much as I saw her doing it. It was so impressive.'

"That's the piece most people don't see. The reason she doesn't have to make saves is she tells people what to do in front of her. That's a goalkeeper's greatest strength."

It reads like a simple storyline, this all-region and first-team All-Big Sky Conference goalkeeper in 2023, who was injured in the fifth match last season, stepping back into the job once again.

But it was hardly a simple path.

"It was way more difficult than anyone understands, to the point of whether or not she was ever going to play again, whether or not she believed she could play again. It was hard," said Citowicki.

"The fact she's made it out of that and is playing at the level that she's at right now is actually quite amazing."

After watching from the sideline most of last season as Montana made it back-to-back Big Sky championships, Dvorak mostly split time at the position through this season's opening six matches.

Playing all 90 minutes, she led Montana to a 1-0 shutout win at UC Davis, her breakthrough performance, then she added to it with dominant showings against the Bulldogs and Cougars.

She didn't make many saves because of her organization of the back line in front of her and the way she owned the space in front of goal, sure-handedly grabbing cross after cross out of the air.

"If you don't have to make a save, you've had a perfect game in my opinion," said Citowicki. "You've told everybody in front of you exactly what they have to do and they stopped it before it even got to you."

Montana takes a five-match winning streak into the start of Big Sky Conference play, the last four of which have come via shutout.

With Dvorak doing the work on the back end, the Grizzlies have scored 12 unanswered goals and haven't allowed a goal in the run of play since the first half against Boise State on Aug. 28.

"This is not the same Ashlyn as it was before, when she had a younger player's confidence," said Citowicki. "It's blossomed and it's been fun to watch how she's changed.

"She's confident but humble and hard-working. She's become more of a leader than she's ever been before."

Montana will open its league schedule on Thursday night at Northern Arizona before hosting Northern Colorado at noon on Sunday.

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Ashlyn Dvorak

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