Fifth-Seeded Montana Captures #BigSkySoccer Championship
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OGDEN, Utah (November 4, 2018) – Montana’s historic Big Sky Soccer Championship run was capped off with a trophy and an automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup on Sunday as the fifth-seeded Grizzlies pulled off a third-straight upset with a 1-0 victory over No. 3 seed Northern Colorado in the title match at Wildcat Soccer Field.
Montana (7-8-6) became just the second fifth-seeded team to claim the Big Sky Championship since the conference tournament expanded to six teams in 2014, joining Eastern Washington’s 2016 squad that captured the school’s first title.
Under first-year head coach Chris Citowicki, the Grizzlies took down three of the top four seeds in Northern Arizona (No. 4 seed), Weber State (No. 1) and Northern Colorado (No. 3) to collect the program’s first conference title since 2011 and their fifth overall (1997, 1999, 2000).
Making its first championship game appearance since 2012, Montana snapped a scoreless battle in the 58th minute. McKenzie Warren delivered a perfectly-placed ball to Alexa Coyle at the top of the 18-yard box that needed just one touch from Coyle to send a strike past a charging Taylor Washington from between the posts.
The goal proved to be enough as Northern Colorado (12-8-1) fell in the Big Sky Championship game for the second-straight season.
Montana was dominant a majority of the opening period, limiting the league’s top offensive team to just one shot in the first 45 minutes of play. Coyle came close to putting the Grizzlies ahead in the 17th minute with her shot hitting the crossbar.
The Bears outshot the Grizzlies 6-4 in the second half with five of those attempts coming in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
Montana’s tournament run included three shutouts, outscoring the opposition 4-0 in three contests. Janessa Fowler, the 2018 Big Sky Tournament MVP, and Coyle each scored two goals to pace the Grizzlies offense on the week. Taylor Hansen assisted on three of Montana’s goals on the week to join Fowler and Coyle on the all-tournament team.
Taryn Miller tallied one assist while leading a backline that allowed just nine shots on goal to also earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Goalkeeper Claire Howard rounded the all-tournament selections for the Grizzlies with nine saves and three shutouts in goal.
Northern Colorado’s Mariel Gutierrez, Maddie Roberts and Lindsi Jennings were named all-tournament picks, while Idaho’s Kelly Dopke and Brooke Sosa, and Weber State’s Olivia Glassford and Nixie Hernandez rounded out the squad.
Montana will learn its first round opponent in the NCAA College Cup tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. MT with the NCAA Selection Show airing on NCAA.com.
2018 Big Sky All-Tournament Team
Janessa Fowler, Montana (MVP)
Alexa Coyle, Montana
Claire Howard, Montana
Taryn Miller, Montana
Taylor Hansen, Montana
Mariel Gutierrez, Northern Colorado
Maddie Roberts, Northern Colorado
Lindsi Jennings, Northern Colorado
Olivia Glassford, Weber State
Nixie Hernandez, Weber State
Kelly Dopke, Idaho
Brooke Sosa, Idaho