Grizzlies take down Wildcats in shootout for Big Sky crown
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
MISSOULA — To grab their first NCAA berth since 2021 the Montana Grizzlies soccedr team relied on an unlikely shootout lineup, a super-sharp keeper and the clock.
Man, that clock.
A shot by Weber State’s Tenzi Knowles that found the net at the end of the second overtime didn’t count, because the time clock hit 00:00 when the ball was dangerously close to the goal line. When it was confirmed time had run out, the Grizzlies — who played the Wildcats to a 0-0 tie through 110 minutes — prevailed in the ensuing shootout 4-2 for the Big Sky Championship.
A record South Campus Stadium crowd of 2,227 weathered the near-goal, then watched Ashley Dvorak save the first penalty kick of the shootout by Weber star Brynlee Meyerhoffer.
Then Dvorak, the Big Sky’s Goalkeeper of the Year, led off Montana’s lineup and buried her kick, top-center.
“There’s been a lot of practicing behind the scenes,” UM coach Chris Citowicki. “Not only does she save it, but she scores it and then she’s lights out for the rest of the shootout.”
Montana went 4-for-4 in the tie-breaker: Chloe Seelhoff, out of the lineup since Oct. 12 with a broken collarbone and her left arm immobilized, was one of the Grizzlies to bury her shot. Then Caylee Kerry found the net.
When Dvorak, who was Tournament MVP, dove to her right to knock away Harlee Thomas’ penalty kick, Montana was up 3-2 in the shootout and needed one more successful kick to win it.
Macen Slater went bottom left to clinch it.
Citowicki waved away the end of the second overtime — “I knew it was not going to count but they had to double check it, that’s all right,” he said — and remained confident a team beset by injuries would prevail.
“We’ve put up with so much this year,” he said. “And we because we’ve put up with so much, when we lost Ally Henrikson the other day (the Big Sky’s defensive MVP went down Friday against Idaho), the response in the locker room was only more fire, more desire, more commitment.
“Shootouts suck,” he added later. “I’ve been on the other side, so I know how they feel. But it feels pretty good when you win them.”
Montana takes a 12-3-4 record to the NCAA College Cup. The Grizzlies will learn their opponent during the NCAA DI Selection Show, at 2 p.m. Monday at NCAA.com.
Citowicki can savor the fourth trip as the Grizzlies head coach and first won at home.
Last season the Grizzlies hosted and fell in the semifinals to Idaho. This year they beat Idaho in the semifinals on Friday, also by shootout.
It’s Montana’s eighth Big Sky championship since the conference began holding a women’s soccer tournament in 1997. The Grizzlies won three of the first four titles;
Weber State, hunting its first Big Sky title since 2013, ended up 12-7-1. The Wildcats lost their regular-season meeting with Montana 4-0 but outshot the Grizzlies 13-12 Sunday and put five shots on goal to two for UM. Simone Parker had a successful shootout kick for the Wildcats.
In the end the Griz had the goods.
“What a crowd,” Citowick said. “What a turnout and what a way to win it.”
In addition to Dvorak, Montana had six players on the all-Big Sky Tournament Team: Defenders Riley Carolan and Makena Smith; midfielder Maddie Ditta, who hit the crossbar with a shot in regulation; and forwards Slater, Eliza Bentler and Reagan Brisendine.
Weber St. 0 0 0 0 - 0
Montana 0 0 0 0 - 0
Montana wins shootout 4-2.
Shots on goal — Weber St. 5, Montana 2. Keeper saves — Weber St. () 2, Montana Ashlyn Dvorak) 5. Corners — Weber St. 6, Montana 4. Fouls — Weber St. 5, Montana 9. Cards — Weber St., Tenzi Knowles yellow; Montana, Maddie Ditta yellow.
All-Tournament Team
M: Sara Rodgers, Idaho
M: Avery Ott, Northern Arizona
D: Bella Sackett, Weber State
M: Brynlee Meyerhoffer, Weber State
GK: Lauren Butorac, Weber State
D: Riley Carolan, Montana
D: Makena Smith, Montana
M: Maddie Ditta, Montana
F: Maycen Slater, Montana
F: Eliza Bentler, Montana
F: Reagan Brisendine, Montana
GK: Ashlyn Dvorak, Montana (MVP)