MISSOULA — The Griz soccer team put together a highly successful campaign in 2023 as Montana got back atop the Big Sky Conference.
UM won the regular season conference title and won 13 games total while going unbeaten in league play. Now, with expectations high, the Grizzlies are ready to attack this coming fall.
"We're competitive and we're just we're learning each other style play with the new people on the team, and it's looking really good," senior forward Skyleigh Thompson said. "So the excitement is high, and you can see that in every single one of our training sessions. We're taking it seriously and we've got our goals in mind."
Montana returns a huge core of last year's team with eight starters back and five players who were first team All-Big Sky honorees, Skyleigh Thompson was named the conference's Offensive MVP, and Delaney Lou Schorr won the Golden Boot.
Keeper Ashlyn Dvorak was named freshman of the year while head coach Chris Citowicki earned coach of the year honors. Thompson, Schorr and Dvorak as well as defenders Charley Boone and Ava Samuelson were the first-team all-conference selections while midfielder Maddie Ditta returns after a second-team all-conference selection last year.
Samuelson led the Grizzlies with six assists last year. Forward Eliza Bentler is back as well and scored four goals for UM. Riley Carolan and Riley O'Brien also scored last season and are back plus forward Kayla Rendon Bushmaker. They return key defensive components in Reeve Borseth and Mia Parkhurst as well as Ally Henrikson who dealt with injury the last two seasons and they also added Washington transfer Chloe Seelhoff, the sister of fellow Griz Maddie Seelhoff, plus Princeton transfer Jen Estes.
The foundation is once again there this season.
"So having those goals in mind is great, and having people veterans here who have done both of those things is also an advantage, so being able to instill that in these players that are here now will be vital," Thompson said.
Despite all the success last season, UM fell short in the conference tournament.
That lit a fire under this group heading into the offseason knowing what they missed out on, and what they'd bring back.
"We're looking forward to getting back out there and representing Montana the way that we've been taught to which is working hard and leaving everything we got on the field," Dvorak said. "I think we were very hungry for more this season."
And the signs of intensity have been there already in the first few practices.
"The pace that they came out, and the defensive intensity, the competitiveness, plus the talent on the ball, is something normally I have to bring out of a group that they bought out on their own, and so the way that they prepared for the season without us as coaches says how hungry they are for success this year too," Citowicki said.
UM will play an exhibition match in Columbia Falls on Sunday against Gonzaga to start the season before opening regular season play next week, as they look to finish what they started from a year ago. Montana will also play host to this year's Big Sky Conference soccer tournament in November.
"I think that our team just needs to stick to our values," Dvorak said. "We as a team have an extremely strong culture that has been instilled into us since we were recruited before we came to college. So I think that as long as we stick true to those and work together as a unit, as a family, and continue to be open with each other and with the coaches as well, then we'll be successful."
"Our senior class is, I think, going to wreck me on senior day. I don't know how I look them in the eye and just not break down in tears. Beautiful group of people who happen to be amazing leaders and players, and the ones behind them in the next generation is pretty good too," Citowicki said. "And like I said, the incoming freshmen also. So we've got a very talented roster, and it's just finding the right fit to make it work on the field."
