FARMINGTON, Utah (Sept. 30, 2026) – Seven weeks of non-conference action have come and gone as teams around the league turn their attention towards the Big Sky slate. The road to Missoula begins on Thursday with four games.
Below are news & notes from around the league for Big Sky Soccer.
Eastern Washington's Maya Bossenbrook Named Offensive Player of the Week
Eastern Washington's Maya Bossenbrook was named Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal to propel the Eagles over Oregon State. The sophomore logged five shots in the contest, two of them on goal. Bossenbrook's individual efforts led the Eagles to an unbeaten week to close out non-conference play.
Eastern Washington kicks off the conference slate at home this weekend with a pair of contests against Idaho State and Weber State.
Others Nominated: Mia Boltz (UI), Lily Blum (WSU)
Eastern Washington's Payton Hyde Named Defensive Player of the Week
Eastern Washington's Payton Hyde earned the weekly honor after leading the Eagles to victory with five saves. Hyde recorded a save percentage of .833 after facing 12 shots through the Eagle's lone contest of the week. The honor is the first of the season for Hyde.
Others Nominated: Cadence Packer (WSU)
Big Sky Play Begins
After completing seven weeks of non-conference action, teams around the league turn their attention towards the conference slate.
Conference action begins on Thursday with a full slate of games. Sunday will close out the first week of conference action with four additional matches.
Eastern Washington heads into Big Sky play at the top of the standings with a 6-2-1 record. The Eagles began the season on a five-match win streak and most recently tabbed their sixth win of the season over the weekend to close out non-conference action.
Idaho is right behind the Eagles in the standings with a 6-2-2 record. The Vandals open up conference play against Weber State, the Big Sky Tournament runner-up, on Thursday night.
The top six teams in the standings at the end of conference play with qualify for the Big Sky championship in Missoula in November.
Weber State Picked as Preseason Favorites by League Coaches
Weber State was named preseason favorites by the league's head coaches after a runner-up finish a season ago. The Wildcats look to make a run behind their league-leading four preseason All-Conference team selections Isabella Sackett, Lily Blum, Oakley Anderson and reigning Freshman of the Year, Lauren Butorac.
Weber State earned the top spot in the poll after collecting five first-place votes and a league-leading 74 points, edging out Idaho, who compiled four first-place votes. In their first season in the Big Sky, Utah Tech received the final first-place vote in the poll, rounding out the top three.
NAU's Micala Boex Tabbed as Preseason MVP by League Coaches
Northern Arizona's Micala Boex headlines the Preseason All-Conference Team, earning Preseason MVP honors. Last season, Boex ranked top-five in the league in several offensive categories including goals, assists, points and shots. The Co-Offensive MVP from a season ago recorded eight multi-point games through the 2025 campaign.
Southern Utah and Utah Tech Join the Big Sky in 2026
Southern Utah and Utah Tech were officially welcomed as members of the Big Sky Conference this past summer, as the addition of the Thunderbirds and Trailblazers give the Big Sky 10 soccer squads for the 2026 season. The 2026 season will mark SUU’s return to the Big Sky after being a soccer member from 2012-21, while the year will be UTU’s inaugural season in the league.
2026 Big Sky Soccer Tournament Hosted in Missoula
The 2026 Big Sky Soccer Championship, hosted by University of Montana, will be held in Missoula, Montana on Nov. 11, 13 and 15. The Grizzlies earned the right to host the 2026 championship tournament by winning last fall's regular-season title.
The Grizzlies also won the tournament title in 2025, becoming the first Big Sky team to sweep the regular season and tournament titles since Northern Arizona in 2022.
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2026 Big Sky Soccer Schedule (Week 8)
Thursday, October. 1
Montana at Southern Utah // 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Idaho State at Eastern Washington // 4:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Portland State at Utah Tech // 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Weber State at Idaho // 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Sunday, Oct. 4
Montana at Utah Tech // 11:00 a.m. MT (ESPN+)
Portland State at Southern Utah // 12:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Idaho State at Idaho // 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Weber State at Eastern Washington // 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)